Civil War

I was really intrigued and wanted to see “Civil War”, directed by Mr. Alex Garland, and especially his take on a futuristic 2nd civil war in our country and the photojournalism, as I have photojournalism, film and television production degrees and have worked in film for years.Minutes into watching “Civil War”, when Kirsten Dunst’s character, Lee Smith, a seasoned war photographer, pulls a young woman to safety and giving her own yellow vest to wear, Jessie, who is an inexperienced “stringer” and wanting to be with Lee and gain her experience…..I knew exactly what was going to happen and said to my husband, Lee has made a fatal mistake by becoming emotionally involved with Jessie as a caring “mentor” and she will pay with her life for it.When you are a photojournalist, shooting in the action….a war zone…or any dangerous events…you are at risk and anything that diverts your attention during the event can make you lose the shot or far worse. As a photojournalist, you would NEVER bring along a “rookie” to “mentor” while shooting in a war zone and especially as Lee was suffering herself from the traumatic stresses of her job. Lee has seen things that can never be unseen and it has begun to fracture her grip on her mental being and her ability to shoot photos of recording the horrific events taking place, around her.It may seem mercenary, but in photojournalism, you want that shot, you look for events and seek out what will make news and be published and you never interfere with the event you have captured. That is not the photojournalist’s job. You are an observer and recorder and you put out your images so the world can digest them. Maybe the shots can make a difference and sometimes as Lee found out, it has not.We don’t know what caused the civil war in the film and the different sides - the western forces of Texas and California, loyalists, etc. are not truly explained, except some information about the President is revealed, as it is not the real import to the plot of the film.The significance is that war is horrible for all sides, for everyone and democracy is so very fragile - whether you win or lose it, but, most importantly, it’s the humanity in the events that take place that are significant and shape who we are and what we do. It makes clear that we take for granted how fragile our democracy and our humanity are in the chaos of our country and our place in the world.The interconnections between the sage and the unaffected characters in “Civil War” is the most important thing. We know that when Lee is lying on the ground and not taking a shot during an event and is instead looking at a single blue flower standing among the weeds, her focus on her job is gone and she has seen enough violence and is pulling back from it. And, when the journalist, Joel asks the final words from the president, he is satisfied with the frightened response, as he now has the story, the piece that will run headlines throughout the country and the world. Jessie, the “stringer” in her pursuit of being a calloused and reckless predatory photojournalist, has now overtaken and become Lee's successor.I believe “Civil War” is truly a film on how we treat each other, our humanity and how we all see situations differently and how we all react differently - some with care and others with no feeling at all. The film speaks to the divide among all of us. And, the price of being caught up in an uncaring and turbulent world.There is one thing about “Civil War” that I do have an issue with- is the depiction of the photography being shot and the equipment, especially the old 35 mm Nikon FE2 SLR (which I actually still have along with several other old beautiful Nikon SLR’s ) that Jessie was using her father’s camera shooting fast without a motor drive attachment, her access to film chemical developers, blackout bags, black and white film, etc. and other shots taken in low light conditions and lenses used by the photographers in certain sequences in "Civil War", but it’s a technical point and thought that a bit more realism should’ve been considered.Another very interesting film about photojournalists is 2010’s, “The Bang Bang Club” by Steven Silver with its basis in truth about 1990’s South Africa and the war zone these journalists found themselves in trying to record the tumultuous events.Like “Civil War” both films are very worthwhile and thought provoking to watch.

I thought we would like this, but it was clear the writers/directors have a horribly skewed view and understanding of true patriots, to an irresponsible level. The movie was intended to scare people into submission to current political ideologies and more government control while masking it as overtaking a “rogue government,” without presenting any true substance or truth as to why that government they seek to kill is actually rogue.You can see the sick hive mind at play, using the lies and fear fed by the current media and entertainment industry today. The problem is, not only is it not true and an inaccurate representation of the issues, it’s so off base it falls flat, which lies usually do. When you twist something out of shape so badly, take it out of context and paint it as something it’s not, it can’t even stand up in fiction. All good fiction is based on some truth and common sense, with fair handling of perspectives. This movie did not do that.In comedy, things aren’t funny unless there is some truth to it, if you can try but it just won’t be funny to many people at all. It’s the same in drama. If there is no foundation in any kind of truth, it’s ludicrous to watch. I know they “think” this was a representation of something that “could” be true, that a country could be so radically conservative that they became tyrannical animals in need of being killed, but it is so far from what is actually happening that it isn’t reflecting anything even close to logical. It’s completely unbelievable if you truly understand the importance of our constitutional freedoms and know the average patriotic conservative of any nation.The chances of over half the country becoming like a radical few is so slim it’s beyond realistic. It actually takes a LOT of corporate brainwashing to get enough citizens to become mindless following robots - and as we’ve seen in real life that has only occurred on the Left, of ANY country in history. Not once did the Conservative Party become tyrannical or dictatorial. It ALWAYS originated from the left. It ALWAYS started by censoring and controlling what people actually hear and can say. Then it moved into curbing freedoms. But true patriotic conservatives are driven by truth within themselves, and that allows them to remain independent from any hive mind control.What this movie missed was presenting a believable, truthful understanding of one of two things. Either or would have worked. Either show the truth behind how a president and his administration might legitimately be sought out to be killed IF they committed legitimate treason on their nation by violating its citizen’s freedoms of speech and liberty, starved them of prosperity, and failed to put its own citizens first before foreign nations and immigrants …OR, show how the lack of understanding of those freedoms by a corrupt media in cahoots with a corrupt opposing political movement brainwashed its followers into believing that censorship and tyrannical control was absolutely necessary for everyone’s safety, and call it “democracy”, then set out to destroy the very people who could have stopped the madness. Show how a radical party can coerce their followers to only see 1A/2A citizens as being crazed lunatics out to control everyone. The writers not only miss seeing that the 1A/2A citizens are actually peaceful and kind but have a right to defend themselves and their nation, but how out of fear the other side sets out to destroy them anyway and feel its patriotic and good when it’s actually not. Either of those premises would work for a mesmerizing, immersive experience.But this movie does neither. It takes that very corrupt brainwashing too far and presents the idea that rural 1A/2A defending citizens are ALL animals who slaughter innocent people and are worthy of slaughter themselves, and somehow thought viewers seeing the president and his administration being killed without clear logic would create a patriotic surge in the audience. The movie only presents the present day Leftist mentality as virtuous and sane. That’s just not based on ANY reality or truth and that’s why it doesn’t work. It most likely created a lot of cognitive dissonance in most leftist viewers who aren’t awake to what is really happening around them.A movie like this would work if it fully understood both sides and fairly represented each. But that’s not allowed in Hollywood today, its career suicide to show the truth. And that’s why so many of us have turned our backs on them for our entertainment.

I'm not a gamer, a fan of big guns, or a secessionist, so this movie was difficult for me to watch. While I do agree with most of the 1 star reviews, I had another thought as I forced myself to stream it over 3 days--with lots breaks.Stripped of its gratuitous violence, the underlying message of the movie might be that torture and killing accomplish nothing.But what teenager, hot-blooded 20-something, or demented adult would actually want to see a documentary with that message? None that I know. Perhaps it took hundreds of sniper attacks, bloody bodies, and dazzling special effects to show the real outcome of using fire power to solve all the world's problems.The movie reminded me of news reports I've watched on the Ukraine, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Seeing the burned out buildings and bloody bodies shut me down emotionally 5 minutes into the piece. In one or more scenes, Lee Miller advises a cub reporter to do the same if she wants to survive. Makes sense, right? But at some point I noticed that everyone involved in the war looked stony-faced and cold. Night of the living dead zombies -- some with hidden hearts like Lee and her team.Do conscientious photojournalists actually want to dramatize the real outcome of all the fancy fireworks, big guns and noisy helicopters? Or, are they unknowingly(?) providing more war-porn for an already saturated market? All good questions, no?

I never thought I'd be shivering down the spine when I watched this, but with current events across UK the theme of this film is perhaps a bit too close for comfort.America has broken down, with the President ordering F- 16s to attack the revolting masses in USA. Rioters vs. U.S. military endeavour to fight back and survive, the military themselves turning on the White House. All the chaos, disruption and carnage you'd expect from a Civil War. As to WHY this film was made may be a reflection on America's current national psychological crisis. Who would've thought it would translate directly to UK with current events and their dark possibilities ?The film 'Contagion' made 10 years before Covid disturbingly predicts the chaos of that era with alarming accuracy, I only hope this film remains fiction only both in USA and UK.A good film if you're a survivalist prepper on the grim realities of societal breakdown.

A new movie from writer/director Alex Garland. Who did 'Ex Machina'. Among other things. This is a war movie.At some point in the near future, there's a new civil war going on in America. Rebel forces, including both California and Texas, are fighting against the forces of the US President. Two veteran war photojournalists [Kristen Dunst and Wagner Moura] take a rookie one under their wing. Along with another veteran who tags along. Their aim is to get to Washington and get to interview the President before the war ends.Their journey is fraught with a lot of danger and very graphic violence.The lead actors are all great. Despite what some reviews say, this does have a plot. It's as mentioned Get to Washington before the war ends and see the President. So it does have one of those. And the main characters do have character arcs and development along the way.This tries very hard to be realistic. On what was probably not the biggest budget in the world. It does some pretty good work with that. In terms of the devastation you see. It also tries to be realistic in terms of what war is like. There's no gung ho heroics here. It is grim and gritty and brutal and uncompromising, and also very scary with threats of violence at u. You do come away from this thinking that this is what war must really be like. So the film achieves it's aim in that respect.Where it may or may not fall down for people is context. Or lack of it, as you will. Since the war has been in progress for a while when it starts, you're just put in the middle of this America with no explanation of exactly how it got this way. Some find California and Texas working together implausible. But I think the point there is that we should all work together to sort out our problems. So that worked for me.The President though is someone we never get to know. Beyond vague hints of being in a third term, you never get to find out why people have rebelled against him. And he does come over as frankly a very two dimensional caricature. Which is a bit of a pity and doesn't really help.The ending works fine. Although you might have to suspend your disbelief with some of the last ten or so mins in how it gets there.This is pretty memorable film making. I think as can be seen from the reviews it is a bit love or hate. It did work fine for me despite the issues mentioned, and I am glad I gave it a go. Although it didn't stick in the mind after. I would thus say worth a try. So long as you're not expecting gung ho action, because this is certainly not that kind of movie.There are no extras on the dvd.Language and subtitle options:Languages; English.Subtitles: English.

Although the explosions were loud, all of the dialogue was severely muted. I had to turn my TV volume to 100, and use my Klipsch speakers just to barely hear the dialogue. Thank goodness for subtitles, but it was a disappointing experience.

Started very slow, so much so that, I almost walked out..but, sick with it, this is a brilliant film. The final half hour is breath taking.

Civil War: just seen this remarkable film, written and directed by Alex Garland: it was very scary and tense, and showed what could happen in USA if a dictator was President. This was so real, I had to look away at times because it seemed in some parallel universe to be happening. Filmed like a free-flowing travelogue of 860 miles between New York and DC. With miles registered in stages as they get towards DC.Expert pacing, stunning visuals, realistic battle scenes. Centred on photo-journalists and a disciple journalist. We don't know what they're fighting for, as politics is with held. Kirsten Dunst's best movie so far. We move scarily through some haunted landscapes prior to battle , interspersed with battles between groups on the way. Jessie the young photojournalist taking pictures all the way.We see the devastating effects of a war torn country, where the most terrifying question put by death squad merchant Jessie Plemons with rifle in hand , is "what sort of American are you?" Depending on what you answer, you could be killed, as two ethnic journalists are.The concentration on specific vignettes, moving towards the larger picture in the background; the ability to focus on this group of photo-journalists, because of the demonization of a once noble, truth-seeking profession, was good. We could be in any country, but America/USA galvanizes the greatest energy/ anxiety due to its post-truth politics and move to autocracy. Liked his use of filmic references. like Children of Men and Come and See. The scenes looked very real and the battle scenes were spectacular, nail-biting. Garland interesting as writer and director. Distant explosions, forest fires. Is Garland a better writer or director? He can both write and direct, or direct another person's novel, as in Annihilation, or write scripts for another director, as in 28 Days later, or he can just write novels, as in Tesseract or The Beach( which was filmed by another director).Kirsten Dunst( Lee) is extremely beautiful and her acting has never received true merit: she acts as the mentor to the junior photo-journalist Jessie (Caylee). She pulls this documentary-style road movie together: we are led into the heart of darkness and the front-line. Lee and Jessie have master-disciple talks along the journey.The sound design is impeccable: filling in the patches of imagery with up-to-date songs. Costing $50 million to make by A24, it had the best week-end making $24 million. I think Ex-Machina his best film and Annihilation very good. Blowing up The Lincoln Memorial features. .There has been a secession of Two states , Texas and California,(WF) who are advancing to Washington State to take down the mad President , making deluded broadcasts everything is alright. The core journalists follow behind WF lines in a press SUV, to get the ultimate money-shot, the President in the WH. With the coming Trump Presidency looming and the recent assassination attempt the film sits on a modern faultline between democracy and dystopian autocracy.