Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and so is evil! In Civil War, A24’s latest movie release, Lee, a wartime photographer, played phenomenally by Kirsten Dunst, struggles with the impact she has had in her lifetime of documenting extreme violence. Cailee Spaeny plays the role of Jessie, an innocent and eager doe eyed youth, who looks up to Lee and fenangles her way into Lee’s current mission. While Lee tries to discourage Jessie from this lifestyle, Lee’s partner Joel, played by Wagner Moura, encourages young Jessie, while reminding Lee that she was just as young when she started. Joel is thrilled and hungry for violence, wanting to get closer and see more at all times, but despite his eager attitude as the film goes on, no one, including him will be unaffected by the grim reality of what violence will do.
Lee is challenged through Jessies character to wonder if her work has done what she thought in creating awareness that will lead to prevention, or if she has inadvertently helped glamorize the terror and enraged a new generation of adrenaline fueled youth like Jessie to go raging into battle. Writer and director Alex Garland brilliantly created this film as simultaneously a highly entertaining, action packed thriller and a thought provoking, introspective, look at the role of journalism that is sure to leave audiences pondering its themes for days to come.
Through the film‘s trailer, one would think that the audience would get a story on the war itself, what caused it and where things are headed, however the film focuses instead on the journalist covering the war. While some have critiqued the film for not diving into politics or taking a side, it was an unusual choice for Garland to diverge from common war narratives and instead focus on media and the moral responsibilities and dilemmas of the press. This debacle of ethical journalism is very relevant in modern times where so many Americans are debating about fake news and what outlets can be trusted. The audience has to wonder if being neutral is possible and what is the responsibility of the media. Perception makes it impossible for Lee to achieve her goals because no matter what side she may be on, the whole world will get to judge and interpret her work, ultimately drawing their own conclusion. It is a rare beauty for a film to pack so much duality into one, while remaining wildly entertaining. All of this makes Civil War a must see movie that resonates long after the credits roll.
