Over the last month or so, I found myself watching three films from the 1950s that were definite products of their time (which is not to say they were bad).
The three films (The Incredible Shrinking Man, Them!, and Invasion of the Body Snatchers) most assuredly dealt with fears of the times: radiation, political invasion, and nuclear war. Thankfully, none of that has happened since then (well, maybe the invasion part, but that is not something I want to dive into), but they surely seemed like possible outcomes.
From what I can tell, these films were not much of an inspiration for British filmmaker Alex Garland, but the similarities are still there with his fourth feature film, Civil War (which he also wrote). If you have seen the trailer, you would be correct in summarizing the film takes place in a dystopian future where the President (Nick Offerman) is serving his third term during a time when the country is horribly divided. Yet the film is not from his point of view or those opposing him (the “Western Forces”, which consist of Texas and California, as well as states in the “Florida Alliance”.)
The film is told through the eyes of photo journalists, mainly Lee Smith (Kristen Dunst). Her and her colleague Joel (Wagner Moura) are set on traveling to interview the President before it is too late. Joining them are Lee’s former mentor Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson) and Jessie (Cailee Spaeny), a rookie journalist wanting for her hero Lee to show her the ropes.
One of the key strengths of the film is how Garland gives us just enough information about the current world and situation without saying more. We never once hear what side of the political aisle the President (who is never named) is on, nor how long this war has been going on (although a map of which side each state is on can be found online). All we here are little bits and pieces in passing dialogue (such as the President abolishing the FBI). There is mention that Lee became famous because she shot the famous photo of the “Antifa Massacre”, but we never hear what side of the gun Antifa was on.
The same also goes for the characters, as we only get bits and pieces of backstories for the characters. Another director may have thought to make a romance between Joel and Lee (or even to hint at them having a history), but that would have been unwise. They may be friends, but they are co-workers first and foremost.
The suspense in this film is borderline tactile. The action sequences are indeed visceral and intense (the use of sound in this film overall is simply superb), but the quieter scenes, where we suspect something could happen, are simply electric. Basically, I had a new fidget spinner I brought with me, and it was working overtime for the majority of the run time (it was especially spinning loud when Jesse Plemons was on screen).
Parents, while there is no sexual content or anything of that kind, the film truly deserves its R rating due to the violence, swearing, and overall unsettling nature of the content. High School and above.
There are only some certain nitpicks I have with the movie, mainly around the characters of Tony and Bohai (Nelson Lee and Evan Lai respectively). Personally, I thought their characters were introduced just a little too late into the film (and in a way that took me out of the film for a bit). Despite this and other minor flaws, Civil War is easily one of the most original thrilling films of recent years.
There is a point in the film where Lee is teaching Jessie some photo taking tips, and she says something along the lines of letting the viewer decide what the photo says (I can’t remember the quote word for word ).
That principle is the core of what Garland has created here.
Overall:
Nothing else to say 