“Civil War” (2024) Review
A Review by Victor DeBonis
The world has often felt increasingly divided as I reflect more upon much of it. Many people seem more at odds with each other and seem prepared to lash out at another for something meant to guide and inform. Social media has certainly exacerbated this situation, but the heated conflict also traces from the tendency of many yearning to alienate themselves and force their opinion on others rather than try to seek meaningful connections. The country from which I live and love, the United States, is not in a complete war in the sense of the type that leaves buildings and beloved land torn to the ground, and, yet, it is a miracle of sorts that we haven’t quite reached that stage, yet.
Amidst such conflicts and many others, there are often the journalists who courageously capture images and information and try to convey what they know into powerful pictures and words to share to the rest of the curious world.
Ever the writer, a part of me has always had the deepest respect for journalists ever since I picked up a paper to look through at the age of 10 early in the morning.
“Civil War” is a terrific homage to journalists and a remarkable movie in many other ways.
Kirsten Dunst reveals a hardened expression as she frigidly witnesses the devastation and chaos in front of her. The mix of steeliness in her shoulders and weariness in her eyes indicates that she has seen her fair share of destruction and tragedy in her job and then some, but she still devotes herself to moving to wherever her job dictates for her to go because it’s her duty. In many respects, she is not too different from the literal soldiers trading gunfire across the devastated streets.
Part of what makes Dunst an actress I’m always happy to see whenever she’s on screen is the warmth and conviction guiding her from within. She grins at a brief moment of joy with her colleagues and wistfully discusses the people and things responsible for her finding her job, and that heart further reveals itself during other moments, such as when she demands to know why an aspiring photojournalist who idolizes her (played by Cailee Spaeny) is allowed to join their journey across the battle-torn United States.
At certain points, Dunst reveals her frustration with her duties and what she’s seen on the sidelines along with her anger at others possibly having to lose their lives and experience what she has. She is someone who doesn’t look at sheer optimism in a friendly fashion, and, honestly, I love following characters like the one Dunst and the script helps bring to the screen.
There is certainly nothing wrong with optimism in itself.
Hope is something I often seek out and will always strive for maintaining and keep in my life.
However, I have seen and experienced enough to know that life is far too harsh to be a 24/7 smiler and completely ignore the occasional hardness and reality of the world. So, I appreciate when Dunst is able to tell her protégé how things are in the world of journalism and the world they both are trying to survive in and bear her emotions, both good and bad, as honestly as possible while trying to lend her compassion however she can.
I love Dunst for the humanity she brings to many of her characters, and she doesn’t disappoint in the slightest.
Spaeny is fantastic as her own character, too, never showing an optimism too sunny but showing a strong respect for Dunst in what she does. Calmly composing herself as she stands or sits next to someone who she openly expresses as a hero to her, Spaeny also recognizes the importance in cautiously waiting for the right time to take a photo of a fighting soldier and when to find cover and quietness to hide from the deadly bullets. She may be following the path of her dreams, but she also plants her careful feet in the reality of the situation and rarely tears away from it. This actress shines with intelligence and heart to spare.
Dunst and Spaeny’s connection left me with much to admire. They both learn more as they maintain a subtle respect for the other’s passion, and they carry a steady wit and respect that guides them to watch each other’s back and try to figure out what the best thing to say is when they brush too closely to danger. As an old saying goes, be cautious about meeting your heroes. However, this story is a good example of depicting that, sometimes, you find something stronger within yourself from either being the hero to someone who looks up to you or learning more from them, even if you don’t agree with everything they feel or do.
Their bond easily provides the heart of the film.
Director Alex Garland possesses a gift for telling stories partly crafted to express deeper ideas or anxieties of contemporary society. He earned my deepest admiration and respect through making a movie exploring the depths of depression and the extent to which it leaves people hurt and lost from themselves in 2018’s “Annihilation” (one of my top 5 films from that year if I recall correctly). Through “Civil War” Garland examines the sheer destruction that fascism and an overwhelmingly torn nation can leave in its wake. Amidst such a dreadful scenario, the idea of what seals someone as truly loyal to their home or someone who does what is best for it becomes less and less clear, and specific moments in this movie drive this point home with startling precision.
Garland has long understood the power of silence, and, true to this strength, there are scenes lacking any sound but create vivid images of bloodshed and tragedy. Similar to real flashes of photography taken with thick cameras, specific views of soldiers firing at one another or innocent people dying in real time are left with the right amount of time before they swiftly transition from one horrific shot to another. This is further helped by Rob Hardy’s terrific cinematography and the razor-sharp detail. Clouds of smoke and debris flood the screen in city streets with people moving or engaging in battle in a deep, vivid focus, thanks to Hardy’s work. Battle scenes are kept at close enough distance with the people from behind and in the front and ring with the clatter and tatter of bullets.
A brisk sense of realism flows from the camera as it steadily follows the combat with occasional shakiness. Gun battles are edited with deliberate precision and keep a steady view on journalists and soldiers cautiously moving upstairs or trying to see if an adversary is about to fire at them again. The wit to try to survive battle and the sudden reality of someone quickly dying with one split-second move are both represented to quick effect with the movie’s editing and direction.
The feeling of real war and chaos lingers throughout this story and follows the courageous journalists on their trek across their broken nation. It takes Garland’s dark voice through the camera lens and his smartly paced and crafted script to lead us through the horror of this environment along with the courage of our journalistic heroes.
This is perhaps the main idea of what helps “Civil War” soar the strongest: It is a story about heroes and from a specific kind.
The heroes in this story don’t wear capes or come storming into the scene with bullets bouncing off of their foreheads. They come from courageous human beings literally putting their lives on the line to capture a story and a place trying to grapple with something significant and, in this case, horrible because they know the importance of this task. They know the power of the written word and the ability of a picture to potentially voice just as many (if not more) words with the skill through which they’re taken and the bravery to do it close to something so dangerous.
I have always been in awe of journalists and seen them as heroes that the ever-aspiring and devoted writer I am yearns to learn more from. A part of me admittedly has wanted to be one myself, but I’ve explored different avenues in life that have pointed me elsewhere.
I love how Spaeny looks up to Dunst in this movie and sees her as a hero because I see her as a hero as well. She is angry and weary and vulnerable and selfless and dedicated to trying to guard those she’s with, and those qualities, combined with her dedication to getting the story, are what make some of the best role models and inspirations in my eyes. Her character has much to look up to.
Certain areas in the movie could use a bit more exploration, and the quickness and presentation of the ending’s tone still perplexes me as I look back on it. Yet, the terrific performances and direction and ideas flowing from “Civil War” stay with me as long as the images from the photographers in the movie will.
I hope they stay with others, too, and for this movie to continue to leave others talking when they return to it in the future ahead.
A-