Film Name: 美国内战 / Civil War
Yesterday I went to the theatre to watch the on-demand conversation piece American Civil War.
The overwhelming reviews and buzz that had preceded it had given me some idea of what to expect, plus I wasn’t going to see the film for that mouthful of vinegar, so the quality and effect of the film was pretty much what I expected:
It does a good job of accomplishing what it wants to say, but it doesn’t try to be more of a sword and sorcery beyond the background subject matter and the audiovisual filming, so it’s kind of a keeper and a stabiliser for director Garland and A24.
As we all know by now, the Civil War is more of a backdrop for the story of Civil War, which is essentially a road movie about the war from the point of view of a journalist (media person).
I’m not averse to this kind of ‘borrowing’ approach, but I don’t think it’s fair to give the film a bad review just because I didn’t see all the chaos/fun of America’s civil wars and societal breakdowns – of course, if one is ‘tricked’ into going to the film by the publicity and promotion campaigns, then it’s not fair to give the film a bad review. Of course, if you’ve been ‘tricked’ into seeing the film by the promoters and it turns out to be a bit of a misnomer, then that’s a different issue.
[Friendly reminder: there will be spoilers below]
The film’s main characters are classic: Lee, the industry’s most famous camerawoman; Joe, who is in his prime and bold; Sammy, who is on the verge of losing his job but still wants to make a difference; and Jesse, who is a newcomer to the business, all of whom are men, women, and children.
The film focuses on Lee and Jesse, a pair of halfway masters and disciples.
Lee has been in the field for a long time, her business is excellent, and her photos are well known, but at the same time, she is physically and mentally exhausted, which makes her a tragic hero, while Jesse, who is a newcomer to the film, is just a passionate person with a camera.
Lee sees his own past in Jessie, rejecting her on the one hand, taking care of her on the other, and teaching her and protecting her in the future.
In fact, I can’t help but think of the famous picture of the vulture and the little girl, The Starving Sudan, when I watch the film.
I think the character of Lee draws heavily on and inherits the achievements and curse of photographer Kevin Carter.
Lee, in the film, is already hardly excited by her own accomplishments, because she feels deeply that journalists are too limited in what they can do to make a difference in the world, how powerless the so-called uncrowned king is, and how she herself has always been forced to become apathetic and numb by the excitement and torment of the harsh realities she endures while holding a camera to record everything on the battlefield.
The counterpart to this is Joe, who would be so excited by what war correspondents see and hear, so adrenalin-charged by the battle in front of him, that it was his idea to break into Washington to interview the president at the end of his rope.
Both the professional, self-reflective Lee and the committed, arrogant Joe are self-proclaimed ‘recorders’ of the truth, unemotional, (seemingly) non-partisan, and self-interested observers of the war. …… But in the end, they find they are also participants in the war. realise that they are also participants in the war.
The journey from New York to Washington, D.C., is not only a journey for them to record what they see along the way, but also a process for them to get rid of and re-understand the identity of ‘reporter’.
The most iconic scene is of course their confrontation with the Hong Kong journalist Tony and others, and the unnamed soldier played by Jesse Plemons.
Joe discovers that his identity as a reporter, which has helped him get through all the way to the top, has suddenly gone out the window, and that the man with the gun won’t look at you differently just because you have a badge in your hand.
Comparatively, during an earlier skirmish and the final assault on the White House, the armed western troops were again the ones who protected their perimeter …… As you can see, in war, you’re only a journalist if the other side treats you as one.
That said, although Civil War did not film much of the cause and effect of the Civil War, but the portrayal of American society during the war is still very good, including the gas stations with guns and autonomy, adults tired of children crazy play shelter, to keep the peace and decent life of a small town, for no reason on the start of sniping against the casualties, and so on.
There is also that above the big soldier in the limelight, I do not even dare to determine whether he is the federal government army or the western armed forces, or even whether it is not the regular army is difficult to say, perhaps people just take the opportunity to fight in the war to carry out ethnic cleansing it …… The cruelty and absurdity of war, in this moment is also embodied in the most obvious.
In addition, the film’s audio-visual effect is also refreshing, it is in many clips, have taken close to the camera photography way to present specific episodes, with audio and video on the ‘static’ to enrich the camera’s ‘dynamic’ presentation, immersion and sense of presence are very strong, and with the scene, the plot is sufficiently close to the scene. The immersive and immersive feeling is very strong, and it fits well with the scenes and the plot, plus the adjustments are not bad, so it is a cost-effective investment for the film.
Having talked so much about the merits of Civil War, it’s clear that I’m more than satisfied with the film, so I’ll just mention a few of my own regrets at the end.
After watching the whole film, I still feel that the film is a bit conservative and vulgar, including the protagonists of the group’s portrayal (Lee finally sacrificed his life to save Jesse, and Jesse then grew up quickly), along the way to see and hear, etc., are too board, too normal, the content of the accurate, good-looking, can not be picked what big problems, but also seems to be ‘not to be successful but no blunders! The content is certainly accurate and good, but it also seems to be ‘no credit, but no fault’.
Especially since the film is directed by Alex Garland, who has directed many sci-fi films, and produced by A24 ……, which is known for its pioneering, avant-garde, and edge-of-the-seat approach, Civil War doesn’t feel so ‘special’.
This probably has something to do with the fact that it’s A24’s first time making a multi-million dollar blockbuster, right? Costs and curiosity up, but a little bit suffer from loss, tied hands le …… Of course, seeking stability is not all bad, depending on the audience to buy it.
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