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American Civil War | History, Summary, Dates, Causes ...
Civil War
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'Civil War' Review:
For me, the best movie of 2024. An incredible, suspenseful experience. I felt it would be worth-watching but it exceeded my expectations. Surprised it only has 2.7 here, but that in itself may reflect the polarising subject matter. It may be that some of these reviews resent the warning the film is offering. Maybe they resent a war film from the point of journalists? Well why not? Are critics expecting a typical epic war movie? Civil War focuses on a group of photojournalists travelling from New York City to DC during a Second (Contemporary) American Civil War I like Alex Garland as a writer from reading 'The Beach' and this is my first time seeing him as a director. I think he has excelled. His style is somewhat similar to fellow Briton Paul Greengrass in it's focus on gritty realism over sensationalism - there are no witty Hollywood one-liners in this, just people doing an exceptionally dangerous job. d1I come from something of a journalist background so that factor definitely pulled me in. Kirsten Dunst (an unusual role for her) was convincing as the veteran war journalist with all the cynicism and weary acceptance that brings. I am not really familiar with the other actors but all the performances were engaging and convincing. The film is uncompromising in some of it's depictions of violence and the de-sensitization to violence. The opening scenes reminded me of 'Welcome to Sarajevo' (1997) yet this is a movie set in the US Eastern Seaboard, not Bosnia, Iraq, Ukraine, Somalia, Sudan or Gaza. In one scene we see Kirsten Dunst's character having flashbacks to overseas wars and conflicts she has covered including a particularly harrowing scene of a 'necklacing' victim in South Africa. I think the point here was to drive home the fact this was now the reality in 2020s America. Fictional it may be but I feel it serves a useful reminder for the dangers frontline journalists face as well as an warning about the path the US may head in. Trump vs Biden 2 will be tense whatever the outcome and as we have seen American politics is not immune from radicalisation and violence. Do I think there will be a second full-scale civil war? No - but I do think there is a risk of real unrest especially with the rise of militia groups and other extreme components. . An important aspect of the film is it is the deliberately vague approach- the three-term president is a middle-aged white man but there is no word if he is Republican or Democrat; the film is careful not to make 'good guys and bad guys' - we never learn how the war started and both US Forces and the 'Western Alliance' are morally questionable with the usual 'rules of war' cast aside - the prevailing party at the end (I won't say who) shows their uncompromising approach in taking no prisoners. It is clear journalists are in danger throughout. One slight flaw in the premise that others have pointed out is the unlikely chances of California and Texas working together, but taken as a whole, this is really a minor point. I also feel the conclusion was a little bit 'closed' - but perhaps given the importance of the film being non-partisan, that is the point Importantly though, Civil War isn't just explosions and gratuitous violence. There are 'breathing spaces' interlinked with the highly tense scenes. I consider this an important, intelligent and very well made movie that raises a lot of important issues. 8.5-9/10
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