Civil War

[Tyndmyr]

All in all, a fairly good film, albeit not exactly what I thought it might be. To anyone considering it, be aware that it's fairly realistic in depiction of violence, so if, say, the opening sequence of Saving Private Ryan is not your speed, this film may not be either.

It's also fairly journalism centered, with most of the characters we focus on being this, and highlighting the crazy life of a wartime journalist. Interesting, and kind of an unusual niche. Most war films take rather a different path. Plot, well, let's go spoilery for that.

Spoiler

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All in all, this film does not care about grand strategy. You will get exactly zero additional bits of that over what is revealed in the trailer. This doesn't make it a bad movie, but if, like me, you like that, then it can be a bit disappointing. We don't even really know who all is on what sides. Somehow the "western forces" consist of California and Texas, but I guess somehow Florida is with them, but not of them, and who knows who else....but they're fighting all along the path from New York to DC.

I frankly don't know how that arises exactly, but the film's not really about that. It largely cares about exploring its main characters. The journalists do occasionally ask in ways that come across as somewhat stupid/risk taking with regards to a war, but their role and character motivations justify this fairly well. Taking a risk to get the shot is, well, kind of the game we're here to see. Mostly people are well motivated, and the set dressing works pretty well.

I'll also note that this film contains probably the best example of deconfliction actually happening in a combat movie. It is weird watching people shout "clear" when they are working with nobody outside of their same room in many war movies. I'm sure they had a consultant for room clearning brought in to get this level of detail.

The helicopters are...less well handled, with awesomeness of shots being prioritized over realism. Mostly, you're not actually going to hover your CAS helicopter down between buildings, because that just makes you a huge target. Likewise, you don't hot drop in with humvees with cargo helicopters en masse. That's...weird. You'd just lose a crapton of both. That's something you do for transportation when terrain's an issue so you can't drive, but you have low immediate danger. Also, as a more pedantic complaint, when you see a helicopter go through smoke in real life, the fog/smoke is absolutely greatly affected by the blades. It isn't here. I get it, CGI for particle effects can be super expensive, and ignoring it was probably the smart cost choice, but it's a weirdly out of place bit of unreality.

All in all, I'd give it maybe an eight out ten, so pretty good, but it'd be a tough movie to rewatch, I think. It's very much a one and done sort of film.

Thoughts?

[comicshorse]

Spoiler

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All in all, this film does not care about grand strategy. You will get exactly zero additional bits of that over what is revealed in the trailer. This doesn't make it a bad movie, but if, like me, you like that, then it can be a bit disappointing. We don't even really know who all is on what sides. Somehow the "western forces" consist of California and Texas, but I guess somehow Florida is with them, but not of them, and who knows who else....but they're fighting all along the path from New York to DC.

Spoiler

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The film producers did tweet this map of the US situation in the movie but that's all

https://twitter.com/A24/status/1775236915723202923

Gotta say I loved it. Easy 4/5

[t209]

For some reason, it feel like watered down version of DMZ. Though I understand that it's a decade long comic series with large cast and their own perspectives-based account forming a story instead of 2 hr long movie.

Spoiler: Comic Cover, spoilered for size

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Same premise but different medium, plot, mindset of its creation date, and method of writings. Basically, the comic is a story of a journalist making an account of the battle in New York formed from accounts and stories of each characters of various aspects (other than rebel factions, we have refugees and even rescue aid workers’ perspective along with criminals exploiting stranded civilians) while also dealing with his workplace guidelines and the government trying to enforce media blackout.

[ecarden]

It's an interesting movie and, at least to me, quite ambiguous in its view of journalism and journalists. Like, it looks like it's going to be a bog standard 'war is hell intrepid reporters, report,' movie.

But actually, speaking only for myself

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I found myself repeatedly getting annoyed (not in a bad way) with our protagonists, as they repeatedly got in the way of people actually trying to do stuff. Them repeatedly having to be yanked out of danger, or pushed out of the way as the soldiers try to complete their mission really drove home how...disconnected and frankly inhuman, they frequently came across, viewing everything through a camera lens and never getting involved...

Except that's not entirely true. From the very first scene through to the very last, they're perfectly willing to get involved...if another reporter is in danger/injured. Anyone else, and they just take a photo and move on, but a fellow reporter gets hit in the face, and they pull her away. A fellow reporter is about to be executed and they go down to try to stop it. But some 'looters' are hung up and beaten? Take a picture. Some prisoners are being executed? Take a picture.

It's very interesting and given the parallels, I don't think it's accidental...this is quite a morally grey film to me, but I think it'll stick with me more than I expected.

[Precure]

This felt more like a "Fallout" type post-apocalyptic world to me. The lack of law and order on a very big part of country seems weird, if anything there should be more military presence and control due to martial law.

[t209]

This felt more like a "Fallout" type post-apocalyptic world to me. The lack of law and order on a very big part of country seems weird, if anything there should be more military presence and control due to martial law.

I think that was the point since entire premise is Western Force and anti government militia offensive into core US.
Which many soldiers already deserted or routed, plus the movie implied that the government is already losing its iron grip if you look at the map (maybe warlords were busy against each other, or "divide and conquer" until a unified coalition came up with other remaining neutral or joined with the rebels).

[Sapphire Guard]

Couldn't get past the trailer.

"There's some kind of misunderstanding here, we're Americans."

"Okay, what kind of American are you?"

And then the other guy starts laughing, because of course he does. Has it not occurred to you sir, that Americans may be at risk in the American Civil War?

[ecarden]

Couldn't get past the trailer.

"There's some kind of misunderstanding here, we're Americans."

"Okay, what kind of American are you?"

And then the other guy starts laughing, because of course he does. Has it not occurred to you sir, that Americans may be at risk in the American Civil War?

I'll say, that's the point of the scene. That the characters who are being asked that question are desperately out of their depth and absolutely terrified, in part because they don't know the right answer because they don't know what side the man with the gun asking it is on.

[Dr.Samurai]

I'll say, that's the point of the scene. That the characters who are being asked that question are desperately out of their depth and absolutely terrified, in part because they don't know the right answer because they don't know what side the man with the gun asking it is on.

I think the point is that it's a silly set up. Like why would you answer that way knowing that it's a civil war and that one type of American is an enemy depending on which type of American you're speaking to.

[ecarden]

I think the point is that it's a silly set up. Like why would you answer that way knowing that it's a civil war and that one type of American is an enemy depending on which type of American you're speaking to.

Because they're trying to dodge giving the wrong answer (which will get them killed) and don't know what the right answer is. They don't know which faction/state they should claim to be from and a wrong answer will get them shot.

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So will a right answer in the long run, they've very bravely/stupidly chosen to interfere in a group of soldiers covering up an obvious war crime (burying a truckload of civilians and scattering lye over the mass grave).

[Tyndmyr]

I think the point is that it's a silly set up. Like why would you answer that way knowing that it's a civil war and that one type of American is an enemy depending on which type of American you're speaking to.

Well, it's...not implied that everyone is doing this. But yes, if we were given more context on the war overall, we would probably expect to have some rough expectation of which side hates who enough to do genocide. In this respect, it only really works because the viewers are in the dark, but the characters really shouldn't be.

And the guy who answered last really, really wasn't even trying. I guess panic or something, but man, you already know several "right" answers. Try to do one like them. Or even just copy one. Try to lie, rather than giving the answer that, by this point, is very obviously the one that will get you killed.

Realistically, yes, going there in general was stupid, and they were only saved by a Deus Ex Pickup Truck that somehow kept going throughout the whole film despite losing a helluva lot of resale value.

One does wonder at the implied ethics of "we don't get involved when atrocities happen to everyone else, but when they happen to journalists, they're unacceptable." All in all, the film does not portray journalists in a terribly good light.