The Beauty of ‘Civil War’

Spoilers for A24’s “Civil War”

I don’t remember watching a movie that made me shake more. “Civil War” had me white-knuckling my seat the entire time. It’s a beautiful movie full of foreshadowing and stunning visuals. I’m still trying to process it all.

“Civil War” depicts a war-torn America with various factions and individual reactions. Director Alex Garland made the choice to follow a group of journalists throughout the movie instead of people from any one faction.

Frankly, I don’t think he could have made a better choice. “Civil War” is an inherently political movie, even though the politics of the situation are never outright stated. Whether they do or not, journalists are supposed to put personal bias aside as best they can.

“Civil War” uses the neutral perspective of photojournalists to capture the horrors of war. However, it doesn’t ignore the effect that standing by and capturing these horrors has on the people doing it. It also doesn’t beat you over the head with that.

“Civil War” also shows incredible restraint. It doesn’t need to continuously show how the journalists are affected by their work; it shows you when it matters. We see Lee Smith, someone who’s been a journalist for a while, contemplating her job and the effect it’s had on her. Garland doesn’t dedicate more time to her mental state than that, but he doesn’t need to. Throughout the movie he uses subtlety to communicate effectively with the audience.

“Civil War” is also a visually and audibly stunning movie. During intense scenes while the journalists are working, photos are intercut with the movie, and each photojournalist has a different style. The music is incredible, but the silences are just as prevalent and impactful.

Altogether, “Civil War” is an incredible movie. There are so many details that I can’t wait to pick up on during a second watch. I recommend watching this movie.

Kai Spahr is a Buhler sophomore studying journalism and the Opinion Page Editor. You can contact them on X: @KaiSpahr

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