After months of online speculation, writer-director Alex Garland’s button-pushing thriller Civil War has premiered at th
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Civil War
CrystalRaindrops — 2 years ago(March 16, 2024 04:16 AM)
After months of online speculation, writer-director Alex Garland’s button-pushing thriller Civil War has premiered at this year’s SXSW festival in Austin, Texas.
The film imagines what America would look like in the midst of full-scale civil war with broken supply lines, abandoned highways and a national military cleaved into opposing factions. Set to be released during a fractious election year, it shows a dystopian near future in which the US is riven by military conflict from within.
Civil War, starring Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons, had been a question mark on the festival’s schedule – the trailer, which depicted battles in the nation’s capital and posed the question “what kind of American are you?”, drew criticism from some online for depicting such a conflict during a highly partisan political year in which one candidate declared “democracy is at stake” and the other has a history of subverting election laws.
The actual film, which garnered initial rave reviews from a packed audience at the Paramount Theatre in Austin, ultimately proved to not be as incendiary or controversial as feared.
Civil War offers a warning about the wholly destructive endpoint of polarization, but the story abstains from making direct connections to the current political climate and does not map neatly on to the current US political divide. In this imagining, for example, Texas and California are allies in the “Western Front” encroaching on Washington, where the three-term president, played by Nick Offerman, still has nominal control over some military and the eastern US.
Here are some of the early reactions from those in attendance:
“Alex Garland’s #CivilWar is unlike anything I’ve ever watched. It’s a big, viscous, action-packed war picture from A24, which means it brings with it a richness & depth you don’t get anywhere else. Garland’s best work – flawless cinematography & gripping from start to finish,” wrote Erik Davis.
“#CivilWar is phenomenal. Alex Garland’s latest is a wholly consuming war movie. An epic but deeply intimate piece that uses the experience and motivations of a group of military-embedded journalists to highlight the deeply chilling reality of living in a world that never learns. The production value is through the roof. Between Rob Hardy’s highly immersive cinematography and the booming sound design, Civil War puts the viewer as firmly in the shoes of a war photographer as possible,” wrote Perri Nemiroff.
“Alex Garland’s CIVIL WAR is a masterpiece. My heart was constantly racing and my jaw was on the floor by the final act. Get rid of any expectations you have and see it in the loudest theater possible,” wrote Jason Kauzlarich.
“Alex Garland’s CIVIL WAR: I’m speechless. A horrific tale. A journalism tale. An American tale, well-told,” wrote Alyssa Vidales.
“Alex Garland’s “CIVIL WAR” is an absolute ****ing MASTERPIECE. A riveting, unflinching, visceral cautionary tale that’s scary as hell. Watching it, one can’t help but feel how close we are to this actually happening, making it a MUST SEE to stop it before it actually does,” wrote Scott Mantz.
“I’m speechless, Alex Garland’s Civil War is not only the best movie of the year but the most important. A haunting story that’s beautifully shot and led by a tremendous cast. There is nothing quite like it and you’re not ready. A true modern masterpiece!” wrote Luis.
“Um… Alex Garland’s Civil War is incredible. A true knockout. The movies I want to compare it to will force an overhype situation, so I’ll just leave it at that. One of the most engrossing movies I’ve seen in years,” wrote Eric Vespe.
Critics are largely positive too, with The Hollywood Reporter‘s Lovia Gyarkye writing, “With the precision and length of its violent battle sequences, it’s clear Civil War operates as a clarion call. Garland wrote the film in 2020 as he watched cogs on America’s self-mythologizing exceptionalist machine turn, propelling the nation into a nightmare. With this latest film, he sounds the alarm, wondering less about how a country walks blindly into its own destruction and more about what happens when it does.”
Variety’s Peter Debruge says: "It’s the most upsetting dystopian vision yet from the sci-fi brain who killed off all of London for the zombie uprising depicted in 28 Days Later, and one that can’t be easily consumed as entertainment."
Deadline’s Valerie Complex writes: "Ultimately, Civil War feels like a missed opportunity. The director’s vision of a fractured America, embroiled in conflict, holds the potential for introspection on our current societal divisions. However, the film’s execution, hampered by thin characterization, a lackluster narrative, and an overreliance on spectacle over substance, left me disengaged."
"Civil War offers a lot of food for thought on the surface, yet you’re never quite sure what you’re tasting or why, exactly," adds Rolling Stone's David Fear.
Discussing Film’s James Preston Poole has high praise, writing: "Not only is Civil War Alex -
./ — 2 years ago(March 16, 2024 04:55 AM)
Yeah maybe.
Not enough to run to the theatre but I would prob. check it out when it comes on TV cable even though it is not my preferred genre.
Do you think we are going to get an actual Civil War?
There is not enough division among the states like last time and any violent uprising will be crushed with a far outnumbered, better trained and equipped military or police force.
The other side is going to need a military and it is just too unified to be against each other.
Looks like they are just capitalizing on talk that will just stay as talk. -
CrystalRaindrops — 2 years ago(March 16, 2024 05:04 AM)
I've made comments about "Civil War II" before, but it's hard to believe something like that will happen.
Who knows, though:
Jack Posobiec opened the CPAC with how they’re not losing in 2024, they will repeat January 6 and this time they will succeed. Then he pulled a cross from around his neck and said that this will be our nation. It’s even more important this time than in 2020 that Dems prevail.
That was a tweet, but there are articles about it too:
Conservative activist Jack Posobiec joyfully hailed the “end of democracy” at the Conservative Political Action Conference, further emphasizing Republicans’ apparent desire to completely overthrow America as we know it.
Posobiec, who helped popularize the “Pizzagate” conspiracy theory, appeared at CPAC’s opening day on Wednesday. He spoke during a panel moderated by former White House adviser and white supremacist Steve Bannon.
“Welcome to the end of democracy. We are here to overthrow it completely,” Posobiec said as the event began.
“We didn’t get all the way there on January 6, but we will endeavor to get rid of it and replace it with this, right here,” he said, gesturing to the crowd and holding up his fist.
As he spoke, Bannon laughed and said, “Amen!”
https://newrepublic.com/post/179247/jack-posobiec-democracy-cpac-2024 -
./ — 2 years ago(March 16, 2024 05:16 AM)
Good idea.
And I won't just do that but also extra doors like this!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=jG5q3a9VDNE -
/. — 2 years ago(March 16, 2024 06:25 AM)
Civil Wars are rarely left to run their course without one side being helped by external forces. Expect the same in the US. Our enemies would equip, train, and support the side most likely to weaken America should it win. So, the Dems. Which is what they've been doing financially and culturally for decades. America is only divided because far left ideology has been spread by universities and media, all backed by foreign (enemy) investment.
My password is password -
dompn — 2 years ago(March 16, 2024 06:49 AM)
honestly i get the vibes that its a great trailer, but that the movie follows boring people or something equally stupid. like the main character will be about a UN reporter who worries about her sick kid at home the whole movie. example: godzilla 2014. we just follow gi joe being boring for an hour and change and its so boring.
and that all the pre-release hype is just "ITS CIVIL WAR 11!!!1!!eleven in america part 2 hurr"
i hope its good though. but unless its like independence day and follows ONE soldier and his ONE family to defeat the ONE bad guy… its gonna be bad
and i can tell from the trailer theres too many people in the cast. :
i mean… "starring kirsten dunst" . thats really all you need to know. the girl who could barely act in spiderman.
i thought sunshine and 28 days later were bad (might be danny boyle problem). ex machina i dont even remember besides robot girls dancing in the trailer. dredd i thought looked great but the plot was thin. i understand he was the writer and didnt direct all of them. guess i should watch annihilation -
CrystalRaindrops — 2 years ago(March 16, 2024 08:33 AM)
When I first saw the trailer a while back, I was kind of like, "meh." But with so many people raving about it now, I'm more curious about it. A couple reviews I pasted in the OP (near the end) weren't as positive as the others, though. There might be a lot more negative reviews as more people are able to watch it.
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/. — 2 years ago(March 16, 2024 07:36 AM)
I saw a promo or a trailer a couple of months ago. It's looks like a wild flight of fancy and I don't think it could happen. If it could, I don't want to think about it now.
I saw a bit of The Purge and hated it for all the same reasons.
My password is password -
MovieManCin2 — 2 years ago(March 16, 2024 07:44 AM)
I agree that it's a wild flight of fantasy, but read the review on
RogerEbert.com.
It's very intriguing, and makes me want to see it. You should read it.
MAGA! FAFO!
Schrodinger's Cat walks into a bar, and doesn't. Dumbocraps: evil people who celebrate murder. 
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/. — 2 years ago(March 16, 2024 08:25 AM)
I may read it, but as I said, I don't want to think about it (the possibility).
There might possibly be enough nutters on each end of the spectrum that (IMO) one could begin in several pockets around the country, but I don't think it could ever get to wide ranging civil war. It's more likely that some of the Chinese and ISIS soldiers could begin something with some explosives and firearms and the different media partisans could blame their favorite demons and it gets started that way.
Another likely scenario is one of the countries that are hostile to us pop off a few nukes sprinkled across from East to West and it fries the power grid from the EMP. No electricity for several years (replacement transformers aren't available quickly) and the **** hits the fan with people fighting over food, etc.
If you thought it was bad when toilet paper was scarce, you are not prepared for gangs roaming stores and neighborhoods taking whatever they want and your vehicles won't run because their electrical systems are fried, too.
https://www.dhs.gov/science-and-technology/electromagnetic-pulse-empgeomagnetic-disturbance
My password is password