According to Alex Garland, his latest cinematic offering initially aimed to tackle the issue of “impartial reporting”. That theme certainly emerges within this narrative. Kirsten Dunst delivers a career-best performance as a photographer with a perpetual impulse to place herself in dangerous circumstances. There’s plenty of scope to explore the concept of the journalist as a persistent, often alcohol-fueled, crusader.
Yet this debate unravels amidst a significant distraction, much like trying to concentrate on a conversation whilst next week’s winning lottery numbers are announced loudly or a band reuniting after many years starts playing nearby. The film’s depiction of Civil War has sparked robust discussion about its parallels with the current political climate in America. With vaguely hinted at references to a recent “Antifa massacre”, Garland cleverly plays around with uncertainty. Is this a mass killing of anti-fascist forces, or by them? The film doesn’t provide any concrete answers, but the former does seem the more probable scenario.
In Garland’s film, prevalent tactics of the Vietnam war film genre are leveraged to heighten his depiction of end-of-times chaos. Nick Offerman, recently seen in Ava DuVernay’s Origin, portrays a third-term president who finds himself battling a multi-fronted civil war after disbanding the FBI. The plot takes a curious turn as it introduces a profound successionist force that bizarrely unites Texas and California – two states with contrasting current political leanings. But make no mistake. It would be a tall order to perceive this president as anything other than a haunting presence from the right.
However, Garland’s narrative is not bound by overt political allegories. Instead, the drama unfolds amidst a complex and partially clarified chaos. The film more frequently evokes the spirit of movies championing journalism, such as Salvador or Under Fire, compared to futuristic dystopian versions of America seen in Soylent Green or Escape from New York. The movie appears to bring some familiar plot devices back home to the US. A tense scene reminiscent of a moment in The Killing Fields emerges as journalists plead for their lives in front of a zealous guerilla force, now personified as rural rednecks suspicious of urban dwellers with darker skin tones.
The narrative largely operates as a method of structuring a dynamic road trip movie loaded with fierce combat sequences, though it does contain certain elements reminiscent of commentary. It launches with the convergence of four distinctively disparate journalists embarking on a trip to Washington, DC, with an ambition to corner the president. Kirsten Dunst portrays Lee, a worn-out Reuters operative whose surname subtly references the iconic Lee Miller. Stephen McKinley Henderson embodies Sammy, an elderly survival from the remaining “New York Times”. In a characteristic tribute to Hunter S Thompson, Wagner Moura adopts the suave persona of Joel: shots, drugs, high-speed vehicles, and playful banter. Cailee Spaeny’s role as Jessie, a younger-than-her-age and Lee-admirer, perfectly suits her; she’s hoping to gather insights on their odyssey to the capital.
However, it remains unclear whether a slaughter against anti-fascist forces occurred, or if it was conducted by them; the assumption leans towards the former. Garland, who began directing nearly ten years ago with Ex Machina, propels his harbingers into a fresh void of despair closely resembling the atmosphere of January 6th, placing them on their forthcoming arrival at Pennsylvania Avenue. He exploits numerous concepts and elements from the Vietnam war to craft his doomsday chaos – wavering helicopters reminiscent of malignant angels, Rob Hardy’s cinematography skilfully manoeuvring cover while evading bullets alongside distressed characters, and a distinctive soundtrack geared towards a fitting closing number.
Despite all the cruel acts presented, critics can plausibly claim that there’s less social and political critique here than one might find in your typical zombie film (even less than in a George A Romero production). Nevertheless, the ongoing momentum is so incessant that it detracts from one’s ability to care when viewing. As satire, Civil War is somewhat restrained. Yet it is an unforgettable age-defining, intense action flick.
Civil War premieres on Friday, April 12th, with sneak previews from Tuesday, April 9th.