WARNING: HUGE WARRIORS ahead of Civil War.A24's new blockbuster Civil War it has a central and vague message. Alex Garland (Ex Machina, 28 days later) the film explores a fictional near-future scenario in which the United States is divided into several factions fighting against a totalitarian government. led by a fascist president. Although the specific cause of Civil War The conflict was deliberately left ambiguous by Garland, who also wrote the film's screenplay, the end of the Civil War it comes with a sense of triumph for its undercover journalist characters. Civil War impressive box office performance has already made it one of the highest grossing movies of 2024.
Civil War the cast is led by Kirsten Dunst (Dog Power), Wagner Moura (Narcos) and Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla). The film also briefly stars Nick Offerman as a corrupt and unscrupulous US president and Jesse Plemons as an opportunistic and corrupt US soldier. What is undoubtedly missing from Garland's Civil War a clear thesis of how the United States actually came to this extreme point of internal conflict. The film does not care about the sensitive details and political considerations that exist in the United States today. Instead, Civil War examines these basic details to focus on the front and center realities of war in general, regardless of specific motivations.
Civil War's Sniper Shootout Defines the Movie's Midpoint
The Civil War does not fit into many political philosophies
The point of the scene, and the film in general, is the conflict throughout Civil War it's about who's shooting, not what side you're fighting for.
There are several powerful and intense scenes Civil War that refers to the main idea of the film, but none of them is more visible than the scene between the two shooters. The actors Moura, Dunst, Spaeny, and Stephen McKinley Henderson are trying to pass through a rural road on their way to Washington DC when they see someone with a sniper rifle shooting. They managed to get out of their car and rushed to where they were hiding, they met two other rebel men, one with a gun and the other with corn. Naturally, Spaeny's hysterical character Jessie asks them who they are shooting and discover that they do not know who the other shooter is.
The point of the scene, and the film in general, is the conflict throughout Civil War it's about who's shooting, not what side you're fighting for. Often, wars are fought under different flags and motivated by nationalistic ideologies, but Civil War it does not go too far into political philosophy to explain its contradictions, which It creates a more free survivor mentality in some of the war-torn areas. While the big picture revolves around Western Forces and the Florida Alliance rebelling against the federal government and an untested US President, most of the conflict is about survival and not about any political ideology.
The Circumstance of the President's Death Explains the Political Meaning of the Civil War
Western Forces and the Florida Alliance aim to end fascist rule in the US
Joel, like all journalists, is invested only in writing times that can be sold and attracted to newspapers.
Most of Civil War it is told through the eyes of journalists, who have been conditioned to be neutral about the war and to capture only the painful facts about it. As documentarians, their job is to get out of the conflict as much as possible so that they can capture and record real moments of war that would otherwise be invisible. Although this is the main idea of their work, it becomes very clear throughout the film that the journalists lean heavily on the side of the Western Forces and the Florida Alliancemainly because they are given access and protection in warzones from those groups.
On the other hand, American soldiers under the command of President Offerman were ordered to kill journalists on sight, which goes without saying that journalists are making noise about the outbreak of fascism in the United States. When President Offerman was killed at the end of the Civil WarMoura's character asks to quote a moment before the fascist dictator is shot dead. The President begs,”Don't let them kill me,“and Joel of Moura says,”That will do.” Joel, like all journalists, is invested only in writing times that can be sold and attracted to newspapers, although if he had to choose, he could be part of the opposition.
Jessie Photography Explains Civil War Perspectives on Journalism
Jessie's innocence is completely ruined by her work
Jessie reads everywhere Civil War that in order to do his job well, he must be unemotional and in fact devoid of opinion about the events happening around him. He uses this by shooting one of the soldiers dead and shooting Dunst's character Lee after he is shot dead at Lee's end. Civil War. Jesse's innocence was completely destroyed at that moment. His tragic growth spurt is intensified when he takes the last shot of Joel and a few Western Forces soldiers standing over the dead president in what would be the most important image in American history. Jesse would become a celebrity photographer like Lee by playing a major role in shaping history through his work.
The Politics of Civil War and Its Real Meaning Are Not Easily Understood
The Civil War Wisley chose not to be very realistic about the political divide in the US
Civil War it turned out to be more of a character study and concept film than a traditional war film.
Not all Civil War viewers caught what Garland was going for and misunderstood the overall point of the film. While many people were expecting a classic war movie like Saving Private Ryan or Black Hawk Down with many action-packed scenes and heroic moments, Civil War it turned out to be more of a character study and concept film than a traditional war film. Of course, there have been other successful war films with a strong theme or message, such as Stanley Kubrick's. Full Steel Jacket and Francis Ford Coppola Apocalypse Nowbut Civil War he was less interested in glorifying war and violence and instead remained focused on the stories of Lee, Joel, Sammy, and Jessie.
In addition, Civil War he wisely chose not to enter into a realistic depiction of a modern day civil war in the United States that would quickly become political and thus, intense. When the trailer for Civil War was first released, not only was it built to be an epic war film but it also confused viewers by having California and Texas, two of the largest and most politically opposed states in the country, on the same side. By choosing not to pit California against Texas or delve too deeply into the President's political agenda without abusing his unconstitutional and fascist powers, Civil War it avoids alienating the audience or making viewers uncomfortable.
The Ambiguous Political Situation of the Civil War Is Key to Alex Garland's Film
Throwing real-world politics into the film would have defeated its purpose
Like any good movie, Civil War The premise establishes a unified base with a clear enemy that the protagonists can work towards and fight against. Throwing real-world politics into the film would have defeated it the purpose of Civil War being a blockbuster film as opposed to a documentary or other type of additional journalistic content.
The Offerman President is simply called the President and was not intended to represent any one person. Instead, Offerman represents the idea of a cowardly dictator who clings to his power and shows the dangers of a corrupt world leader. Civil War it is not realistic enough to warn, but it still conveys important messages about the value and importance of democracy and freedom.