Summary

• Civil War is a gripping anti-war film that relies on authenticity over glamorization to showcase the brutality of the conflict.
• Director Alex Garland takes a cautionary approach, framing journalists as heroes to emphasize the necessity of objective reporting.
• The cast, including Kristen Dunst and Wagner Moura, immersed themselves in the role by watching documentaries to prepare for their roles.

Set in the not too distant future, Civil War follows a group of journalists across a war-torn United States in the midst of the Second American Civil War. They race across the country with the goal of interviewing the leaders of the American government before the rebels attack the White House. The country has been split into different factions, with what remains of the American government contending with the Western Forces led by an alliance between California and Texas. Searching for the truth in a rapidly deteriorating country, these journalists have been jaded by the world around them and their inability to stop it before chaos brought the United States to this unending conflict.

War movies often glamorize or romanticize war even when that isn't the intention, but director Alex Garland was very mindful about falling into this. Instead of taking the cinematic approach to filming action sequences, he looked to news and documentary footage for authenticity and visceral violence at the heart of the action in Civil War. The movie is also intended as a cautionary tale similar to old fables used to show the ramifications of choices made unless a new path is chosen. By framing the journalists as the heroes, Garland brings a truly anti-war war movie to the big screen that may be fictional but is built from a foundation of truth.

Screen Rant interviewed Civil War heroes in Civil War.

Kristen Dunst Praises Civil War Director: "He's An Auteur"

Kristen Dunst has a deep appreciation and iration for Garland as a filmmaker which seemed to help her fully dive into the role of Lee an acclaimed wartime photojournalist jaded from the world around her. Dunst broke down the casting process and shared two films the cast watched together to help them prepare for Civil War.

Kirsten Dunst: I've been a fan of Alex Garland's since Ex Machina, and he makes so few films, and I've read screenplays of his, but never had the opportunity to work with him, so this was an opportunity. I knew that he was meeting with other people as well. So I read the script immediately, and I Zoomed with him the next day. I just wanted to be a part of whatever he was going to tell.

I knew that he's someone that takes major swings and, even though he hates the word auteur, he is. He's an auteur. So then when I got the part, I was just like, "Give me a camera immediately." And then we all rehearsed together, and we watched two films that really meant a lot to all of us, The Marie Colvin documentary, Under The Wire, and then Come and See, which is a, I think it's a Russian film.. So those were two of some of the things that we watched together in our process.

Wagner Moura further explained why these two movies, Under the Wire and Come and See, were so integral to the preparation process. Where Come and See informed the cast's understanding of what kind of war movie they were making Under The Wire showed the importance of journalists through the lens of a documentarian.

Wagner Moura: Those films, yeah, especially Under The Wire, because it's a film about journalism, Come and See is a film about the horror of war, which is kind of what this film is. I think Come and See and Civil War are both anti-war films. Films that really don't glamorize war at all, quite the opposite.

But Under The Wire was a film about journalists, about journalism of the candidate, about the friendship between them, the connection that they made together. A photographer and she was a writer and that guy who was taking pictures for her is just an amazing character in the film. So yeah, that film really moved all of us. We were really moved by it.

Cailee Spaeny Explains "The Journalists Here Are The Heroes Of The Story"

Spaeny picked the mind of acclaimed photographer Murray Close while they worked together on Civil War asking for tips and tricks of the trade that could help in her portrayal of aspiring young photographer Jesse. The way journalists are framed in Civil War is largely influenced by Garland's own experience with journalists from his past, which was just as integral to how Spaeny approached her character.

Caliee Spaeny: Yeah, he was such a great person to have around. I mean, he was our still photographer, so he was doing his thing there, but then I would sort of steal him during lunch breaks and just be like, "Can we just take a loop around the block and can you just show me little tips and tricks?" He's a absolute legend. His first job was The Shining, and then Alex himself is a great photographer, has so much knowledge in of composition and the photographers he loves.

Alex has such a connection with journalism and journalists. His dad was a political cartoonist. He grew up with journalists around him. He had so many mentors that were journalists and his love for journalism is really injected into the film. And the journalists here are the heroes of the story, which I think is really important to see, and refreshing.

About Civil War

A journey across a dystopian future America, following a team of military-embedded journalists as they race against time to reach DC before rebel factions descend upon the White House.

Check out our interview with Civil War director Alex Garland.

Civil War hits theaters on April 12.

Source: Screen Rant Plus