‘Civil War’ Has More To SayAbout Journalism Than US Politics
In director Alex Garland’s “Civil War,” the United States empire collapses as states secede and a third-term President desperately clings to power. The nightmarish events presented on screen tap into a zeitgeist, the dread that many Americans share about the political trajectory of a divided country.
But the film shows little interest in grappling with how a country, once touted by its leaders as a “beacon of hope,” has descended into violence. It also barely introduces viewers to who is fighting whom.
Instead, Garland treats the Second American Civil War as a backdrop for a story that revolves around journalism — particularly war photography.
The film opens with the President (Nick Offerman) rehearsing lines for a defiant televised speech about the state of the war. It then cuts to New York, where Lee Smith (Kirsten Dunst), a seasoned photojournalist, is introduced through a scene where she photographs the police response to a protest that develops into a riot.
Jessie (Cailee Spaeny), a naive and young photographer, narrowly avoids serious injury as police fend off angry demonstrators. Lee tries to help her by giving Jessie her yellow vest that signifies she is press.
