WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Civil War.
The concept of good versus evil is explored in unexpected ways in Alex Garland’s 2024 filmCivil War. Starring Cailee Spaeny, Kirsten Dunst, and Wagner Moura,Civil Warchronicles the collective journey of a group of war photographers who join the frontlines of battle on United States soil.Civil War’s box office successand Certified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes critic score of 81% helped it become one of A24’s highest-grossing movies, earning a worldwide box office total of $122.6 million.Civil Waroffers a hypothetical near-future scenario in which 19 states secede from the country.
The Western Forces, led by the unlikely alliance of Texas and California, have militarized under a new American flag with two stars as opposed to 50. There is also the Florida Alliance, who are depicted in battle with the Loyalist state of South Carolina and play a major role in the violent Washington D.C. showdown inCivil War’sending. Whilewhat caused the conflict inCivil Warcan be difficult at first to fully grasp,Civil War’sreal meaninghas more to do withthe results of a totalitarian dictator clinging to power and the potential downfall of American democracythan highlighting any modern-day political and cultural divisions in the United States.
The Western Forces, New People’s Army & Florida Alliance Are On The “Good” Side In Civil War
They are separate factions in the same fight against a tyrannical three-term President
Lee instructs Jessie not to insert her own opinions into their profession but it’s evident that they are rooting for the President’s downfall.
The Western Forces, Florida Alliance, and Loyalist soldiers inCivil Warall either fight to take down or protect Nick Offerman’s President character, who has betrayed the U.S. Constitution and the American people.The Western Forces, Florida Alliance, and New People’s Army are all essentially different factions with the same cause, which is to take down the tyrannical President, making them the “good” side in the fight. They’re the ones who are treated as heroes and patriots essentially by rebelling and fighting back, much like the original colonists of the United States did against Great Britain during the Revolutionary War.
“What Kind Of American Are You?": Jesse Plemons' Civil War Scene Explained
Jesse Plemons question to the protagonists in A24’s Civil War highlights the danger and spreading divide they must contend with throughout the film.
The main photojournalist characters ofCivil Warare able to tag along with members of the Western Forces and the Florida Alliance because freedom of the press, the 1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, is not exactly a friend of the tyrannical President. ThePresident aims to control the narrative of his reign and justify it through unconstitutional means, which makes him both an enemy of democracy and of freedom of speech. Lee, Joel, and Jessie’s ambitions are to document history as it unfolds in front of them. Lee instructs Jessie not to insert her own opinions into their profession but it’s evident that they are rooting for the President’s downfall.
The Loyalist states span from New England to Nevada and down to the Carolinas
The Loyalist states inCivil Warinclude virtually the entirety of the East Coast besides Florida and Georgia, as well as New York and Pennsylvania.
As an enemy of democracy and the constitutional rights of American citizens, Nick Offerman’s President is the clear antagonist ofCivil War. Though it is never fully explained how he was able to cling to his power and overrule the long-established three-pronged American political system of checks and balances, thePresident has authorized heinous acts against American citizens such as drone strikes on United States soil. He also disbanded the FBI, which allowed crimes to run rampant across the United States without punishment. He is no longer the leader of the free world but of his own maniacal attempt to rule the country through absolute power as its dictator.
Why Lee Only Deletes One Photo In Civil War & Which It Is
Kirsten Dunst plays a hardened veteran war photographer in Alex Garland’s Civil War who only deletes one tragic photo in the entire film.
While the fascist President essentially started the conflict that sparked the civil war, many Loyalist states are aligned with him, and they’re treated as the villains of the film. Most of the intense shootouts inCivil Warare between the Florida Alliance/Western Forces and the Loyalists who obeyed and enacted the totalitarian will of the President. The Loyalist states inCivil Warinclude virtually the entirety of the East Coast besides Florida and Georgia, as well as New York and Pennsylvania. Many midwestern states such as Ohio, Michigan, and Colorado are Loyalist as well. The westernmost Loyalist state is Nevada.Arizona and New Mexico, which divide California and Texas, are interestingly Loyalist too.
Good and evil don’t really come into play when it’s a matter of life and death
Although there are clear divisions between the good and bad forces at play inCivil War,the battle for the soul of the country is not necessarily the point of the movie. The film is told through the eyes of the photojournalists observing and documenting the surrounding conflict rather than those who are actually in the fight.Civil Waravoids diving into real-world politics in the United States and instead acts as an exaggerated cautionary tale about the abuse of power.
Within the major conflict arevarious lethal encounters where both sides may not know what flag they are fighting for, or it simply doesn’t matter, as depicted in the sniper shootout scene in the field of abandoned Christmas decorations. That scene encapsulates the overarching theme ofCivil Warthat good and evil don’t really come into play when it’s a matter of life and death.
Why Jessie Doesn’t React To THAT Shocking Death In Civil War
Cailee Spaeny’s Civil War character Jessie becomes greatly desensitized as she dives onto the frontlines in Alex Garland’s 2024 dystopian thriller.
Civil War
Cast
Civil War is a 2024 action thriller from writer and director Alex Garland. Starring Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, and Stephen McKinley Henderson, Civil War takes place in the near future and shows the United States entering a new Civil War after California and Texas attempt to separate from the country.
