Writer/director, Alex Garland, presents a vision in Civil War of watime journalists on a Heart of Darkness-like journey through parts of America! Garland’s last film was the horror thriller, Men (2022). His films are provocative, they pose questions and doesn’t easy answers. This is the case with this movie, it is set in America, and deals with a second Civil War, but it is to put audiences in what may be familiar contexts. There are other countries and leaders mentioned so this setting makes it more of a metaphorical situation than a possible reality. So there are no political parties or causes of the war, I don’t think Garland is interested in those aspects, it is to show what it is on the ground during a modern war, and can apply to any country. Forest from the trees. Note: this film depicts war, the shocking sound design by supervising sound editors, Ben Barker and Glenn Freemantle, so be prepared for startling bursts of violence.
We open on the President of the United States (Nick Offerman) rehearsing his speech. Offerman starred as Forest in Garland’s sci fi mini-series, Devs (2020). In terms of drama, I think Offerman should also be noted as Bill in The Last of Us episode, “Long, Long Time” (2023). A private moment seen in closeups. This is intercut with scenes of violence on the streets; commentary on the president not reflecting on the reality outside. He notes the Western Force, which has Texas and California, that is opposing him. A shift to the New York City hotel room of Kirsten Dunst’s photographer. We later find that she is Lee Smith, the only character with first and last name. Dunst’s last film was the Western drama, The Power of the Dog (2021). She was also in the biographical drama, Hidden Figures (2016). She is watching the president’s speech about the Florida Alliance failing to get the Carolinas to join them.
An explosion outside in the city gets her attention. What is interesting about her photo journalist is that the thousand-yard stare, her war time experience, is written on her impassive face. It is an impressive performance. There is a pan across the almost empty city, a caged restlessness, with a building filled with smoke. We get the press truck of the reporters who are stopped by a protest. The driver played by Wagner Moura gets out yellow vests marked press. Moura was in the spy movie, The Gray Man (2022). He also played Pablo Escobar in Narcos and Narcos: Mexico. He is also the veteran reporter partenered with Dunst’s photographer. Police struggle with the rioters. Also recording the event is a young photographer played by Cailee Spaeny. The last film for Spaeny was the lead role as Priscilla Presley in the drama, Priscilla (2023). I later realized that I had seen her in the sci fi sequel, Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018).
She is watching the president’s speech about the Florida Alliance failing to get the Carolinas to join them. An explosion outside in the city gets her attention. What is interesting about her photo journalist is that the thousand-yard stare, her war time experience, is written on her impassive face. It is an impressive performance. There is a pan across the almost empty city, a caged restlessness, with a building filled with smoke. We get the press truck of the reporters who are stopped by a protest. The driver played by Wagner Moura gets out yellow vests marked press. Moura was in the spy movie, The Gray Man (2022). He also played Pablo Escobar in Narcos and Narcos: Mexico. He is also the veteran reporter partenered with Dunst’s photographer. Police struggle with the rioters. Also recording the event is a young photographer played by Cailee Spaeny. The last film for Spaeny was the lead role as Priscilla Presley in the drama, Priscilla (2023). I later realized that I had seen her in the sci fi sequel, Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018).
She is struck and falls with the seasoned photographer coming to help her. The young woman recognizes her and says, “You’re Lee Smith.” Lee (Dunst) gives her the yellow press vest. They both take photographs after a bombing. At night in the hotel, at the bar reporters are joking at dinner. The discussion turns to the war, but then the power goes off. Among the group is Lee, the reporter, Joel (Moura), who are taking to veteran journalist Sammy (Stephen McKinley Hendeson). The actor was brilliant as Thufir Hawat in Dune (2021). He also appeared as Stewart in the Devs mini-series. I had the feeling that I wanted Sammy as president, Lee as his vice president, Joel as secretary, and the other photographer as press secretary. It would make for an interesting West Wing-type drama. Lee says to Sammy that she is going to D.C. and tells him, “I’m going to photograph the president.” Sammy notes that “they see us as enemy combatants.” They outline their plan to head west to Pittsburgh and then circle round to West Virginia. Sammy wants to head to the front line in Charlottesville. He walks with a cane so is not able to get around the war zone.
Lee is about to leave, tells Joel to work out if Sammy will join them, and gives her vote Sammy. The others are joined by two reporters; Tony (Nelson Lee) and Bohai (Evan Lai). Lee was last seen in the Star Wars series, Ahsoka, as Senator Xiono. Lai played a lawyer in an episode of the action comedy, The Brothers Sun. Lee is about to take the elevator and told by the concierge about possible power failures. She is told to take the stairs and replies that her room is on the tenth floor! The other photographer introduces herself as Jessie Cullen. She is our pov character. Jessie knows Lee Smith who was named after the first photographer at the concentration camp at Dachau. Lee tells Jessie that she should start wearing kevlar. Later, she covers her face in the bathtub and sees the memory of a war in Africa. A man is shot point blank. There are empty streets the next day with soldiers scrambling to take a rooftop. Cyclists ride by and then Lee sees Jessie in the truck. She takes Joel to the side who says she went to their table the previous night. Lee says, “She goes not further than Charlottesville.”
#CivilWar, #AlexGarland, #BenBarker, #GlennFreemantle, #KirstenDunst, #CaileeSpaeny, #WagnerMoura, #StephenMcKinleyHenderson, #NelsonLee, #EvanLai, #NickOfferman
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