To see at the cinema: Civil War… Why it’s the sensation of the month of April

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A fierce race in a broken America that is on a razor’s edge like never before in the near future.

4 Good Reasons to Watch Civil War

For some, the mere mention of Alex Garland’s name is enough to bring them to his new work. The Briton first distinguished himself as a novelist and screenwriter (The Beach, 28 Days Later, Sunshine, Never Let Me Go…) before moving behind the camera (Ex Machina, Annihilation, Men) and directing the charming series (Devs). ).

Focused on humanity and concerned with issues in our society, he is considered by many to be one of the most interesting authors of the moment. And if that’s not enough, here are some reasons to watch his new movie.

1 – Photo shock

Centered on a team of photojournalists criss-crossing America during wartime, Civil War was bound to have striking images. And that’s it. From its opening scene, a replay of a speech by the President of the United States (Nick Offerman) reflects actual parts of Donald Trump’s rhetoric, while a montage juxtaposes his voices with archival images depicting violence in the streets.

Civil War owes its effectiveness in large part to a simple process: taking images that are now part of our daily lives and bringing them closer to us (in this case, the United States, the scene of a new civil war), because distance will affect the conflict’s impact on us.

Asking the question: Can we make a beautiful image out of a terrible, bloody and violent event?

2 – More fantasy than science fiction

Although set in the near future (without naming a date), Civil War is striking in its realism. or rather his persuasiveness. Which calls into question the category in which we can place it. “I talked about it as a sci-fi movie in an interview. But I wouldn’t put it in that genre.”– Alex Garland tells us when we discuss the film with him in London.

“On the other hand, science fiction can be compelling. And some of the best work is the stuff that’s compelling but hasn’t happened yet. But civil war is something that is not impossible, so I would say yes and no to the question “is it science fiction?”

The attack on the Capitol didn’t affect the writing of Civil War, but it affected many people who worked on the film, including myself.

The feature film is also not directly based on actual events, although it’s hard not to think of the storming of the Capitol in January 2021 before certain scenes: “Civil War was written earlier, about four years ago, and we can’t make a film like that due to Covid protocol, so we had to wait for the people who worked on the film, including me, yes.”

“Something urgent. But also anger. One of the results of that day was that people were angry. And it was seen as a shame, which it was. So it was ‘It would be impossible for a group of people not to be affected in this way.’ If the situation became more convincing after writing the script, now we hope that it remains “and if… ?”

3 – Tribute to journalists

“We’re making sure people ask questions.” : It is in this line that the key to reading Civil War lies. One that doesn’t try to teach lessons, but leaves the audience to question themselves and find the answers to these questions. This allows them to be a little more involved in the story.

“It’s an approach that comes from an ancient form of journalism.”Alex Garland explains. “There was a time when journalism had its own ideology, namely, trying to be as objective as possible. Showing the facts as we observed them. Covering them, hence the term reporter.”

“This ideology made it easier for people to trust journalists. And we need their trust. We need a free press and a society that understands its values, believes in it. So when the event was reported in an article, people believed that he had. What happened was the truth.

“There are very good journalists working all over the world, in all kinds of places, but their voices are so discredited that it worries me. Because they are attacked by people who say that you should not believe what the press says in the first place. , and because of social networks and the Internet in general, which spreads all kinds of points of view everywhere and in a very short time.

There was a time when journalism had its own ideology, namely trying to be as objective as possible. Show the facts as we have observed them

“But that’s what the media has done to itself: If an organization operates in a capitalistic way, driven by advertising, and feels the need to speak specifically to an audience to generate maximum advertising, it creates bias along the way. About reporting information”.

“Such an organization will be trusted by one part of society and not another, which is problematic. There are too many biased stories that are the loudest. So Civil War is trying to get back to that approach, which is made up. To show something without putting forward one’s own opinion, rely on the intelligence and discussion skills of the audience.”

4 – Kyle Spann, already confirmed

Because randomness sometimes works well, Civil War brings together (perhaps unintentionally) Sofia Coppola’s first and most recent hero. It’s Kirsten Dunst, who needs no introduction (and who meets her husband Jesse Plemons during a chilling scene). And Kylie Spann, who plans to make 2024 her year.

Thanks to Priscilla, a biopic about Elvis Presley’s wife was released in January, earning her the Best Actress prize at the 2023 Venice Film Festival. And this summer, Alien: Romulus, in which he will be the hero. If success is greater than for Noomi Rapace and Katherine Waterston, who tried to succeed Sigourney Weaver in Prometheus and Testament.

If success is in order, hope will quickly become important in Fede Alvarez’s film, which is slated for an August 14 release. And he shines today as a budding photographer who lets the audience discover this environment with him, while his conviction and idealism fluctuate before he hardens, depending on the horrors he faces.

Of course, his name is not the easiest to spell. But we have to seriously start training.

Commentary collected by Maximilien Pierret in London on March 26, 2024