Alex Garland produces a vital and incendiary work that is a cautionary tale for the America of today.
There isfootage of him fleeing for his lifewhile Capitol Police officers like Brian Sicknick dieddefending the rule of law.
The dark brilliance ofCivil Waris Garland treats this subject matter as simply a character study on war journalists.
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Lee is of steelier stuff.
So south they drive.
Yet the scarcity of background works in the films favor.
The violence which occurs throughout the picture, both suddenly and randomly, is gruesome and matter of fact.
However, Garland tweaks that Spielbergian standard by keeping most of the violence in clear and clean wide shots.
The point is brutally made.
He also lionizes a profession which has seen better days.
This is best exemplified by Dunsts taciturn performance.
That flicker will become a fire before the war is over.
Civil Waris undoubtedly a movie that courts and will find controversy.
Yet it is Garlands most evocative and haunting work sinceAnnihilation.
And it achieves the queasy reaction it aims for.
Civil Warenters this toxic maelstrom and deftly, brusquely asks its audience to stop the rhetorical and mental evasions.
Civil War premiered at SXSW on March 14 and opens nationwide in the U.S. and UK on April 12.
Rating:
5 out of 5
