Civil War, 2024.
Directed by Alex Garland.
Starring Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Sonoya Mizuno, and Nick Offerman.
SYNOPSIS:
Alex Garland’s harrowing film Civil War arrives on 4K Ultra HD in an edition that also includes a Blu-ray as well as a code for a digital copy. There’s only one bonus feature, but it’s a solid making-of that runs close to an hour, so I felt like I had the full experience by the time it was over. Highly recommended, even as a blind buy.
Civil War is one of those movies that I needed some time to process after watching it. Could such an event happen in the United States in my lifetime? I never dreamed that was possible, but in the wake of the events of January 6, 2021, I now believe it could happen. I’m not certain about that, but I think it’s possible.
Writer/director Alex Garland made a smart decision in showing the events of the movie through a group of journalists. We get exposition without feeling like the characters are just explaining stuff.
I also appreciated Garland’s decision to open the movie en media res: this civil war is not only underway, but it’s close to its conclusion. And we don’t learn how and why it started. In addition, we don’t know the political affiliations of the President of the United States (Nick Offerman) and the various factions fighting to overthrow the country, so the viewer is free to apply whatever paradigms they want to place on the story.
The main character is Lee Smith (Kirsten Dunst), a photojournalist who has successfully photographed many violent conflicts and is clearly a bit weary of her job. Her partner is Joel (Wagner Moura), a reporter who wants to get to Washington D.C. ahead of the separatist groups so he can get a final interview with the President.
Early in the story, Lee meets Jessie (Cailee Spaeny), an aspiring photographer who she takes under her wing so she can pass on her wisdom and knowledge. Another news veteran, Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson), comes along with the group for the harrowing trip to the capitol, hoping he can provide his own guidance.
As the group makes their way to their destination, they run across the kinds of insane, inexplicable situations that wars create. One stop finds them meeting a pair of soldiers dealing with a sniper in a nearby house. Another encounter is with a militia who are burying bodies and treat the group with suspicion. And so forth.
Even the ending is a whirl of chaos. There are no “good guys” and “bad guys,” just opposing groups trying to achieve their goals, with some of the non-combatants losing their lives in the process. That’s the reality of pretty much every war, and the verisimilitude here is powerful.
I won’t spoil anything, but like I said at the beginning of this review, I simply had to spend some time processing what I had just seen as the end credits rolled. I’m not sure I agreed with the fate of one of the characters, but beyond that, Civil War had my attention from beginning to end.
This home video release includes the movie on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray discs, along with a code for a digital copy. Given its recent vintage, it looks great on both discs, with a presentation that is likely very close to the theatrical experience.
The lone extra is the 56-minute Torn Asunder: Alex Garland’s Civil War, which is broken into six parts with a “play all” option. I would have been interested in learning more about the genesis of the film, maybe with comments from some historians who have examined various civil wars throughout history, but what you’ll find here is a wide-ranging chronicle of the movie’s production.
Garland and the cast and crew offer their thoughts as Torn Asunder works its way through the movie from beginning to end, which makes sense since it was shot sequentially. It’s a solid making-of, but I hope future home video editions offer more extras, particularly with some insights into how this cinematic civil war compares to real ones.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★★★★ / Movie: ★★★★
Brad Cook
