Directed by: Alex Garland
Written by: Alex Garland
SUMMARY
In a dystopian America waging a civil war, a jaded photo-journalist, Lee, wants to get to Washington DC to interview the president. She takes along a young, naïve girl who also wants to be a photo-journalist. At the end, after a harrowing journey where several of her friends die, she becomes disillusioned with photo-journalism. She sacrifices her life to save the young girl, but the young girl is just concerned with taking photos. This is a film about the sick voyueristic adrenaline fueled motivation behind some journalists.
RATING
B+
In many ways, Civil War is much smaller of a film than the word implies, as it follows the story for a group of photo-journalists as they try to make their way to DC to interview the president of a collapsing America, torn apart by - as the name suggests - civil war. The film isn't really politcal, but rather, focusing on how journalism and bearing witness can bring out a dark side, a hunger for sensationalism and addiction to the adrenaline rush of chasing the next headline, sacrificing your humanity in the process. The last action sequence - where soldiers storm the White House to kill the President - is gripping and thrilling, but it also itself is both falling into and expressing the same sensationalism that the film derides. Is it meta-commentary? I don't know. Ultimately, I didn't quite enjoy a film that portrays journalism in a bad light in modern day America. I don't really care if there is a dark motivation behind some journalists. Journalism is important!
SUMMARY
In a dystopian America waging a civil war, a jaded photo-journalist, Lee, wants to get to Washington DC to interview the president. She takes along a young, naïve girl who also wants to be a photo-journalist. At the end, after a harrowing journey where several of her friends die, she becomes disillusioned with photo-journalism. She sacrifices her life to save the young girl, but the young girl is just concerned with taking photos. This is a film about the sick voyueristic adrenaline fueled motivation behind some journalists.
RATING
B+
In many ways, Civil War is much smaller of a film than the word implies, as it follows the story for a group of photo-journalists as they try to make their way to DC to interview the president of a collapsing America, torn apart by - as the name suggests - civil war. The film isn't really politcal, but rather, focusing on how journalism and bearing witness can bring out a dark side, a hunger for sensationalism and addiction to the adrenaline rush of chasing the next headline, sacrificing your humanity in the process. The last action sequence - where soldiers storm the White House to kill the President - is gripping and thrilling, but it also itself is both falling into and expressing the same sensationalism that the film derides. Is it meta-commentary? I don't know. Ultimately, I didn't quite enjoy a film that portrays journalism in a bad light in modern day America. I don't really care if there is a dark motivation behind some journalists. Journalism is important!