The Brutal Objectivity of Alex Garland's CIVIL WAR

As soon as the posters and trailer for Alex Garland's supposedly film as director were released, it was obvious that Civil War was going to be a controversial film. It doesn't take a genius political commentator to see why a film depicting a civil war, particularly one in the United States, was going to ruffle all sorts of feathers across the political spectrum; so far, Civil War has done exactly that. Just a casual scroll through the Twitter-sphere will show you all sorts of opinions, many of which are heated and pointed. 

It is somewhat ironic, then, that Civil War actually actively avoids any obvious parallels to the current contemporary political landscapes. It refuses to place itself in any recognisable time frame, other than the fact that it is in a recognisable future. It refuses to make links between the politics in the film and the politics in the real world, going as far as to show that the "Western Forces" that are bearing down on Nick Offerman's President in the White House are a coalition between California and Texas. Seemingly, the red-state vs. blue-state rhetoric and structure behind US politics is nowhere to be found in Civil War. 

Instead, the film firmly plants itself inside the ideology and perspective of its group of protagonists - photojournalists. Garland has spoken openly during the press tour for Civil War about his desire to honour the profession and discipline of journalism and photography with this film, himself coming from a family with a history of journalists. It is a great strength of this film that it fully commits to a journalistic - almost documentary-style - approach to its filmmaking and narrative. There is no meaning to be found in this civil war; no grander story, no political endgame, no greater good. We simply see the effect that such war has on the country, captured purely through the eyes and lenses of the protagonists. 

The sound design in particular does a lot of heavy lifting in this regard. Not since Michael Mann's Heat (1995) have gunshots sounded this intense (especially in IMAX), and the choice to remove musical score from a considerable amount of the film's action really sells the sense of dreadful realism. On a number of occasions one of our protagonists will take a photo of the horrors they are witnessing, and the film itself will stop for a moment to allow us to see the story through the lens of that photo. The sound dies, movement stops, and the image resonates. Then, like nothing ever happened, the film continues. It is a device that is so incredibly simple in its concept and execution, and one that elevates the film and masterfully underlines the film's central thesis: there is no truth to be found in war. 

©A24

This central thematic thread to Civil War has led many to feel that the film lacks depth or meaning, that it is simply sensationalist for the sake of it without the conviction to actually make a statement of its own. While I certainly understand that sentiment towards the film, I actually think that this opinion on Civil War is unintentionally giving texture to what I think is the real message of the film. Both sides used to believe they were fighting for something, but by the time we are dropped into the action the only thing anybody is fighting for is their own life. 

There is no epiphany, there is no great revelation to be found at the conclusion of this hellish road trip, because there is no such revelation to be found in war. It is because of this decision to refuse the audience closure or absolution that Civil War becomes a truly anti-war film in the tradition of Paths of Glory (1957) and Come and See (1985). 

Despite all of this, Garland and the excellent Kirsten Dunst have both described the film as being about fascism, and in that sense the film can very easily be traced to contemporary American politics. Besides; if the idea of California and Texas joining forces as a rebel faction is more unbelievable than an American President descending into fascism, then the film has well and truly made it's point. 

Civil War is now showing in theatres.