It ended nearly 180 years ago, but the Civil War never ceased for some people. Older reminders came in waving the Confederate flag with the hope of oppression and terror rising again or discounting Southerners as less than. Now, with the evolution of technology and rapidly spreading misinformation, those pillars of dissonance have multiplied into more complex separators that pose a greater threat to the harmony of our nation.
Alex Garland’s Civil War explores what happens if/when that division reaches the extreme. Written and directed by Garland, Civil War tells the story of journalists in the not-too-distant future making a cross-country trek amid the Second Civil War to meet with the President before rebel forces arrive.
The title indicates a modern-day account of what a second Civil War in our country would look like, and Civil War nails that. Yet, Garland takes a quantum leap forward and ensures you know how a civil war feels by making the viewer a member of the journalist group versus someone watching them.
The script is vague on the root causes of the war. Garland’s choice to be ambiguous there works because it removes any room one could have to lay blame on either side. It also frees you to have the same neutrality as the group covering it. You can take in what’s happening without prejudice and focus solely on the war’s impact. There are some obvious connections to recent acts of domestic terrorism, such as January 6th and another tragedy or two that can’t be mentioned without spoiling the movie, but nothing political beyond that.
He continues making Civil War a human experience versus an observational one through the film’s sound and cinematography. The sound editing is pristine and crisp, bringing Civil War’s level of immersion to rival 2019’s 1917. As gunshots ring out in the film, it sounds and feels like the bullets are traveling in the theater. It’s horrifying but in the best way possible, especially in the chaotic third act.
The cinematography hits just as hard but makes its mark in a less splashy way. There isn’t much in Civil War regarding breathtaking landscapes or complicated camera movement. The crown jewels of cinematographer Rob Hardy’s work come from the jarring snapshots of the war’s casualties through the eyes of the war photographers and the revealing of snipers on rooftops where birds or decorations once sat. They aren’t gratuitous gore or violent shots but more a monument to the cruelty of the violence produced via extremism.
In front of the camera, Kirsten Dunst delivers one of the better performances of her career as the weary, veteran photojournalist Lee Smith. She’s compelling throughout in showing how the war is deteriorating her humanity and love for what she does, with her best coming in the final act.
However, Jesse Plemons is at the head of the class in a loaded cast. He has minimal screen time, and it takes some time to get to him. But when he does hit the screen? Absolute masterclass. You’ve seen him play a similar character and play it well before, but he’s so much better here. His chilling turn is the essence of what Civil War is trying to say – this is a dark and dangerous place we don’t want to see.
Civil War may not feature the specific political or partisan messaging that one would expect from a film centered around a civil war, but it doesn’t have to. Where Civil War wins is using its time to send the message that should have been understood many moons ago – the place where extreme divisiveness leads will be bad for everyone regardless of where the blame gets placed and where the fingers of dead bodies are pointing.