Civil War
I like Alex Garland’s work, his direction and writing always leaves a lasting impression. Whether it’s Ex Machina or Annihilation, his examination of how the human consciousness behaves when confronted with elevated and complex scenarios gives his stories great substance. Civil War is much the same.
Set in a depiction of an America which has broken into civil unrest between the central and northern states. It’s become a country governed by a President turned dictator (Nick Offerman) who has, amongst other acts, re-elected himself for a third term and dissolved the FBI. The film follows a press group of Lee (Kirsten Dunst), Joel (Wagner Moura), Jessie (Cailee Spaeny), and Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson), as they race to Washington DC to get the last interview with the President before rebel factions descend on the White House.
People understandably have a confused perception of this film because of its marketing. The posters seem to advertise an Apocalypse Now style film, whereas the trailers give a truer sense of what to anticipate.
This is a film about war photography and the mental and physical toll it takes when photographers are exposed to conflict. To be a war photographer is to document the worst actions of humanity, but never to intervene. It’s the lesson that we learn from Lee that to be empathetic is to be totally consumed by what they see, which can be a detriment to their jobs, but inevitably the cracks will show.
The film shows the enormous weight impartiality takes when exposed to the bleak depths of humanity’s behaviour in conflict. When your job is to capture those moments on film in the hope your work stops humanity from repeating its mistakes, what do you do when it seems like a fruitless endeavour? It’s a nihilistic perspective that relies on the persistence to endure in the hope that one day it will stop, that the culmination of work will force humanity into a period of reflection and resolution.
Criticism has been aimed at the lack of answers as to how the events of the film began, but I think any more exposition would feel clunky and distract from the film’s core focus. If you need that explanation, just take the events at the Capital Building, it only took one man to ignite that spark. The film doesn’t need to be weighed down by the how and why, it’s aim is to embody the ethos of the war photographer. You are there to witness, and through their work, see the moments captured and the lengths they go to.
Photography is the film’s mise-en-scène, the cinematography is moving and intelligent throughout, playing with the focus in some shots to bring characters into sharper detail, showing you in real-time what the shots look like – creating powerful moments by interspersing silence with gunfire. The entire thing is incredibly clever, with poignant moments created by the dialogue and acting. It’s this blend of introspective moments and actions set pieces that articulate the horror of war so profoundly.
Dunst’s character carries this immense weight of a famous war photographer who is so battle weary, a stoic pragmatist, with the mounting weight on her shoulders and sheer exhaustion. I think this performance is worthy of an award. Like Emily Blunt in Sicario, Dunst conveys so much through meaningful glances and how she comports herself.
Wagner Moura’s character has more of a protector and interviewer role in the group, guiding and grabbing Dunst and Spaeny’s characters out of harm’s way as they put themselves in dangerous positions to get the shot. His more openly compassionate stance is a nice contrast to Dunst’s colder realism, his expression of grief and pain is just as poignant – his scream of anguish drowned by the army vehicles in the background is one of the more affecting moments.
His character copes by throwing himself into the thrill of the battle, a theme also conveyed by the film’s music, the darkness and bloody nature of war contrasted with an energetic soundtrack. Conveying the coping mechanism used to separate themselves from the horror.
Cailee Spaeny’s character adopts characteristics and coping mechanisms from both mentoring characters. Her acting is new to me. I know she has found success in Priscilla and Alien: Romulus, I just haven’t seen it yet. Her ability here to be key to the central message of the film with the group is astounding. As you can imagine, one must adapt quickly, and her development is shown in a very organic way. Her performance here makes me want to see Alien Romulus even more than I already did.
Stephen McKinley Henderson’s character as the father figure is warm and inviting but it’s his presence and relationship with the others which is most profound. Though restricted due to his age, you feel his character’s importance and impact more through the relationships with the rest of the gang. Though both Dunst and Moura’s characters are at the top of their game, they look to him for guidance.
Finally, as terrifying and exhilarating as the battle scenes are, nothing quite strokes the flames of fear as Jesse Plemon’s character. As lovely as he seems in real life, he can tap into something that’s genuinely unnerving. Only appearing in one scene wearing army fatigues and red sunglasses to give him a slightly eccentric appearance, adding to his possibly erratic and unpredictable behaviour, which is matched by his dominance. I knew he was in the film, and I was excited to see his performance, but the moment he appeared I wanted them to run away.
As a group, the press group’s dynamic works incredibly well to convey the motif, themes, and message of the film. Acknowledging the severity and pivotal role of a war photographer. The press teams have special clearance due to the power of neutrality, they accompany militant groups to hostile situations and work with armed forces to navigate violent areas. The photographers aren’t armed, they worked in tandem with armed forces to capture pivotal points. There have been moments in history, assassinations, raids, where soldiers and death are captured on film. Civil War gives us a powerful insight into who those people are behind the photo and what it’s cost.
Overall
**** 1/2