Hollywood has made many films that feature dystopian societies. Civil War is the latest example. This is meant for those people who despise super hero movies, musicals and any other film that lets a person escape reality for a couple of hours. It stars Kirsten Duntz. She became famous in a super hero movie, Spider-Man. Duntz, in this movie plays photo journalist, Lee. She, along with two colleagues, Joel and Sammy, Wagner Moura and Stephen McKinley Harrison are off to Washington to get an interview with the president. They are desperate to get this before he is forced to leave office. The day before they leave, a bomb goes off, and government forces battle in the streets with the opposition. It is during the fighting, that Jessie,(Cailee Spaeny) meets the three reporters. She wants to be like Lee, and is invited to go on the trip to DC, by Joel.
The foursome head out for the road trip to the nation’s capital. The trip runs smoothly, showing the empty highway. They run into a traffic jam. This is not the kind that is seen every weekday at rush hour. There are abandoned, burned out vehicles on the highway. The car must drive on the opposite side of the road. This scene and road may look familiar. It is the same set that was used for the TV show, The Walking Dead. The reporters stop for gas. They encounter the owners, who are armed with rifles. Cailee walks around and sees a car wash. It is past its original purpose. There are two dying men, who are hanging from the top of it. There are pictures taken. The reporters continue on their way. They take a break, and watch the flares in the night sky. Sammy, sits in a chair on the grass watching in the same way Americans watch fireworks on Independence Day.
Joel encounters an old friend, during the trip, Tony,(Nelson Lee). He is a fun loving guy, who hopes into the reporter’s moving vehicle. Cailee then jumps into the car driven by Bohai, a friend of Tony’s (Evan Lai) The cars go into different directions. The one driven by Bohai, ends up near a pit. There is a dump truck next to it. The task isn’t mundane like dumping garbage or other refuge in the pit.The bodies of several people are being dumped into it. Cailee and Bohai are grabbed by the two killers, as are Joel and Tony. Bohai and Tony are murdered in front of Cailee, Lee and Joel. Wagner Moira, does an exceptional job acting in this scene. His character says nothing, and just shows shock and horror in his facial expressions. Pantomime is certainly more difficult than a monologue or dialogue would be in this scene. The remaining three face execution, but are saved by Sammy, who stayed in the vehicle. He runs over the two rogue soldiers. The one who survives, gets off shots that deliver a fatal wound to the hero.
The remaining reporters end up in North Carolina. It is where the rebel forces are gathering for a final assault on Washington. Lee, Joel and Cailee follow in their vehicle. The forces arrive in DC, and the final painful assault begins. The Lincoln memorial is destroyed as are other monuments. Troops begin fighting block by block. They reach the white house and the climax of the movie has arrived. The reporters are there and see room to room fighting,with the forces getting close to the president.
There was a time when war was looked at as a means to an end. This was true until a photographer named Matthew Brady, relayed pictures of The American Civil War, to newspapers. The true face of war was seen by Americans. Civil War has nothing to do with the present reality in America. It is a depiction, by the writer, Alex Garland of a very bad government, being physically attacked by an alliance of states. Two states that have joined in the fight, Texas and California, seem very unlikely allies. This being a movie, anything is possible. The consequences shown in the movie have happened in many countries. The script does not explain who is leading the rebellion and why. It also doesn’t explain how the president, played by Nick Offerman, convinced state governments, to repeal the 22nd amendment. This movie simply states that the chief executive has not become a Caesar Augustus, but a Julius Caesar. Civil War could have been a better constructed movie. The acting helps it, but trained thespians can only do so much. A quality story would have made this a better film.