'Civil War' Has More To Say About Journalism Than US Politics

Screen shot from A24’s promotional trailer for “Civil War” | Fair use as it is included for the purpose of commentary and criticism

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.

Read the full article at The Wide Shot