Civil War

With Civil War, Alex Garland creates a powerful, gripping, terrifying film about war and the Human Condition. This immersion in the heart of a civil war in a Western democracy is overwhelming. It is also a magnificent tribute to those who take all the risks to inform us: journalists and war photographers.

In the near future, 19 American states have seceded. Insurgent forces from Texas and California are heading toward Washington, to take the Capitol. A quartet of journalists and war photographers decide to reach the capital, by car, before the rebels, to interview the President. A journey begins at the risk of their lives in this disunited United States, a dive into the civil war from the point of view of those who cover it.

This improbable quartet is made up of two journalists and two photographers, who embody three generations. Kirsten Dunst plays Lee, an experienced and famous war press photographer, who is questioning her profession. This role of an earthly woman is the polar opposite of those she played for Sofia Coppola. And that suits her well. She is perfectly credible as a photographer, who has seen too many horrors. At her side, Wagner Moura, Pablo Escobar from the series Narcos, plays Joel, a journalist who protects Lee, like his sister. Cailee Spaeny plays a young press photographer who is coming into her own. The “wise man” part, Sammy, an experienced press journalist, is entrusted to Stephen McKinley Henderson (Fences, Dune,...). All of them are extremely accurate and take us into a maelstrom of emotions. During this journey, the quartet encounters a gallery of characters. One of them stands out during a standout scene: Jesse Plemons as a ruthless soldier.

The film arrives on our screens in this year of the American presidential election, when the United States is more divided than ever, and when the attack on the Capitol in January 2021, by pro-Trump rioters, resurfaces in the debates, an afternoon of riots where American democracy faltered. However Alex Garland began writing his film in 2020, during the Covid pandemic. The script is updated according to the evolution of the global situation. Today, this film resonates with the current situation, even if the reason for the conflict is never revealed to the viewer. Because Alex Garland above all wanted to make a film about war: “I think it is important to understand that no one or no country is safe from this. Because it has nothing to do with states, but with individuals”. This warning is echoed in one of photographer Lee's dialogues: “Every time I survived a war-zone, I thought I was sending a warning home : don't do this. But here we are.”

To convey the horror of war, Alex Garland adopts a naturalistic approach at all levels: directing, art design, photography, sound, etc. The director does not glorify violence. The reconstruction of the battles with real veterans, under the direction of Ray Mendoza, former member of the Navy SEAL, is impressive. The use of handheld cameras immerses the viewer in the heart of the action. The American landscapes destroyed by the war are terribly realistic, without special effects, as when the quartet's car navigates between burned cars on a highway. The film feels more like a possible reality than a dystopia. To make the viewer feel the human consequences of war, the director uses all cinematographic means, such as the power of silence, a muffled cry, a cut editing. This mastery makes this movie a great film. If Alex Garland quotes Stanley Kubrick's Paths of Glory as inspiration, his film reminds me of Full Metal Jacket in this desire to show that war destroys everything. War dehumanizes soldiers, militiamen and all those who come too close.

The Civil War poster is similar to Apocalypse Now. It can. Civil War is the event movie of this new year, this year of all dangers.

Civil War
Written and Directed by Alex Garland
Produced by Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich, Gregory Goodman
Starring Kirsten Dunst, Cailee Spaeny, Wagner Moura, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Nick Offerman
Cinematography : Rob Hardy
Art Design : Caty Maxey
Edited by Jake Roberts
Music by Ben Salisbury, Geoff Barrow
Production companies : DNA Films, IPR.VC
Distributed by A24 (United States), Metropolitan Films (France)
Release dates : March 14, 2024 (SXSW), April 12, 2024 (United States), April 17, 2024 (France)
Running time : 109 minutes

Seen March 7, 2024 at Pathé Wepler

Sabine's Mark:

In Civil War, Alex Garland moves away from the sci-fi trappings of his previous films to paint a visceral and disconcerting portrait of an American state torn apart by internal conflict. The film is a profound narrative exploration, seen through the eyes of journalists covering the traumatic events of a hypothetical second American Civil War. With Kirsten Dunst leading a talented cast, Alex Garland's film is not just the story of a fragmented nation, but a contemplative work about the human spirit, the ethics of journalism and the cyclical nature of societal decay.

The film opens on an America already in the throes of the Civil War, where the federal government is on the verge of collapse and various states are forming alliances. The central narrative follows veteran photojournalist Lee (Kirsten Dunst) and her colleagues - Joel (Wagner Moura), an experienced reporter, Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson), a wise old writer, and Jessie (Cailee Spaeny), an enthusiastic young photojournalist - as they navigate the war-torn landscape from New York to Washington D. C. Their mission is a perilous one. Their mission is perilous: to secure an exclusive interview with the President (played by Nick Offerman), who remains elusive and mysterious against a backdrop of chaos.

The America portrayed by Alex Garland is tough and unyielding. The societal structures we take for granted are stripped away, revealing a nation both physically and morally fragmented. Alliances between states like Texas and California - traditionally ideologically opposed - serve as a metaphor for the absurdity and randomness of political divisions. Through the journalists' journey, Garland explores themes of truth, the moral compromises necessary for survival, and the blurred boundaries between observer and participant.

The choice of telling this story through the experiences of the journalists is particularly effective. It highlights the role of the media as historians and participants, with the potential to amplify or mitigate the horrors of war. Lee, with his hardened determination and ethical dilemmas, embodies the conflict between maintaining journalistic integrity and the human instinct to survive.

Kirsten Dunst delivers an outstanding performance as Lee Smith, whose journey is marked by a haunting transformation from detached observer to reluctant participant. Kirsten Dunst's portrayal is nuanced, capturing the complex interplay of resilience, moral ambiguity and underlying trauma. Her interactions with Jessie, who represents both her past and the future of journalism, are particularly poignant and reflect generational shifts in the ideals and methodologies of the field.

Wagner Moura and Stephen McKinley Henderson provide strong support, representing different facets of the journalistic spectrum, from cynicism to unshakable moral grounding. Nick Offerman's portrayal of the President is chillingly sober, embodying a leader out of touch with the world crumbling around him.

Rob Hardy's cinematography is a character in its own right, using a veridical style that plunges the audience directly into the action. The camera work is intimate, often claustrophobic, capturing the chaos of civil unrest with a raw, unfiltered eye. The choice of locations and sets paints a bleak picture of a fractured America, with dilapidated buildings and desolate urban landscapes serving as a constant, austere backdrop.

The film's music is equally dark and introspective, with occasional discordant notes underscoring the tension and turmoil on screen. Garland skilfully uses the soundtrack to juxtapose the characters' internal conflict with external chaos, creating a dissonant, haunting atmosphere that remains etched in the viewer's memory.

Civil War is a difficult and harsh examination of the American socio-political landscape through the prism of speculative fiction. Alex Garland's ambitious direction and the actors' excellent performances combine to create a film that is not only thought-provoking, but also deeply unsettling. It holds up a mirror to the current global political climate, exploring the destructive potential of ideological extremism and the central role of journalism in shaping public consciousness.

This film is an important cinematic achievement that resonates deeply with today's tumultuous times. It is recommended to those who appreciate films that don't just entertain, but tackle crucial social issues and encourage reflection on the human condition. Civil War is an undeniable success, an unforgettable film whose images linger in the mind long after you've seen it, offering a meticulous, bleak forecast of a future that hopefully remains in the realm of fiction.

Civil War
Written and Directed by Alex Garland
Produced by Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich, Gregory Goodman
Starring Kirsten Dunst, Cailee Spaeny, Wagner Moura, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Nick Offerman
Cinematography : Rob Hardy
Edited by Jake Roberts
Music by Ben Salisbury, Geoff Barrow
Production companies : DNA Films, IPR.VC
Distributed by A24 (United States), Metropolitan Films (France)
Release dates : March 14, 2024 (SXSW), April 12, 2024 (United States), April 17, 2024 (France)
Running time : 109 minutes

Seen on April 12, 2024 at Gaumont Disney Village, Room 1 seat A19

Mulder's Mark: