Alex Garland’s latest dystopian thriller, “Civil War,” marks a departure from his previous successes in film-making. Initially celebrated for his innovative storytelling as a novelist turned director, Garland presents a fragmented United States engulfed in a civil war, featuring a team of war journalists journeying from New York City to Washington, D.C. to interview an authoritarian president amidst escalating conflicts between federal and secessionist forces. The film, while drawing on existential themes reminiscent of his earlier works like “28 Days Later,” “Sunshine,” “Ex-Machina,” and “Annihilation,” struggles with narrative coherence and depth. The unlikely alliance between Texas and California, along with a depiction of the country as a disjointed patchwork including Florida and regions with Chinese influences, strains credibility and leaves much of the political landscape and the war’s causation unexplored. This surface-level engagement extends to the characters—led by Kirsten Dunst’s emotionally detached journalist, Lee, and her colleagues, who traverse the war-torn country capturing its impacts without moral introspection. Despite Garland’s intent to portray journalists’ neutrality, the film becomes heavily politicized, particularly in its portrayal of the president and the use of American symbols, yet fails to delve into the political dynamics it sets up, resulting in a narrative that feels both politically naive and shallow.
Follow me on X- https://x.com/FCExplained
Check out my playlists on film here – Film Explored – https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLatjtyCHJZilQnUK-1mi0hCqg-nE1TwF4
Check out my playlist on Predator here – https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLatjtyCHJZik8Ws6Jj6nhm5Hco0R5cMax
Check out my playlist on Alien here – https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLatjtyCHJZikgu2g9HhmlsA7n4VrsnvNy
Hey there folks!! My name is Niyat and this channel was created to assist in answering all your questions about Films, Comics, Games and Popular culture in a fun and engaging way!
All music is sourced from Epidemic Sound. To try a free 30-day trial of their music please head here – http://share.epidemicsound.com/v33gf
#civilwar #alexgarland
ABOUT ME
Disclaimer: I do not own rights to any of the source materials I used in this work, appealing to allowance made for “fair use” purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research, under Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976.
powered by Auto Youtube Summarize