Douglas Salter
Successful suspense thriller writer and director Alexander Garland has released his fourth film “Civil War”. Civil War is about a post-apocalyptic world where, due to a lack of good leadership, has caused the United States to break apart. California and Texas have formed an alliance called the Western Forces. They have one goal, kill the president and anyone that gets in their way.
Other states have remained loyal to the government, and some remain distant, acting like nothing is going on at all. The story focuses on a group of photojournalists in New York, who aspire to drive to Washington DC and interview the President before he is assassinated. The movie stars Kirsten Dunst as a famous photojournalist that leads her partner, a young girl, and her mentor across the country.
It can be quite intense for some viewers due to the fact that some could see this as a potential future. Some say the movie could be inspired from citizens storming the capital a few years ago and other riots. The pacing is rough as we see people kill each other left and right just because of their opposite beliefs. Then in somewhat of a heartbreaking fashion, the photojournalist encountered several people hanged, tortured and murdered. They take several pictures of casualties and other damage across the country.
On their journey they meet people along the way who are not exactly in favor of their actions. They meet people that live like the war does not exist, they meet people that try to kill them just because. They stop at camps where they meet people just trying to survive the best they can. They encounter a riot and even find some of their colleagues headed to DC to make their own story. It is a brutal journey for a much larger goal. Even when things get tough, they move forward, because they have to.
It is an incredible story that some people may find pushy and over-political, but actually it tells a beautiful story about documentation. The realism that comes with the story makes it more interesting and compelling, as scary as it might seem. The sounds and the cinematography are immaculate as the journey goes on. All the different situations the journalist sees could all be pieced together in a number of ways, but the way Garland strung the scenes together creates a powerful image across their journey.
Dunst and the ensemble give great performances through their characters’ various hardships. The craziest thing is that this caused director Alex Garland to retire from directing. It is uncertain why, but it possibly be due to the difficulty and the severity of creating this kind of movie. But regardless of the circumstances, I applaud Garland and the rest of the cast and crew for making this important movie. I give Civil War 4/5 stars.