Abigail Johnson is a New York City-based writing intern, screenwriter, actor, and director. Her main focus is women in the entertainment industry and authenticity, especially advocating for diverse storytelling and new perspectives. Abigail loves discovering indie films that may not be seen in a traditional movie theatre, as well as listening to pop music and trying to find the next big artist. Abigail connects to Hollywood Insider’s values of substance over scandal and focusing on compassion and philosophy in her writing at Hollywood Insider. Utilizing writing for good is the main Hollywood Insider value that Abigail connects with, as her main goal is to use her talents for good.
Aug 27, 2024
It’s no shock the in recent years, American politics have taken the wheel on many films in Western Cinema. As political figures become celebrities in their own right, and political affiliations have become more and more about human rights and the policies one supports, it’s no wonder that these issues have made their way into entertainment. However, these political references in entertainment have usually been an artist taking a stand for what they believe in, or jokes about a film character being more woke than another in shows like ‘genera+ion’. ‘Civil War’, the newest release from A24 has become less of a reference and more of a warning sign.
The film gives audiences a different look at the typical war film. Instead of following soldiers on the front lines, ‘Civil War’ follows a group of photojournalists, led by Kirsten Dunst, on a journey from New York City to Washington D.C. to get photos of the insurrection on the Capitol. It should go without saying that this film has some graphic scenes that not all viewers may enjoy.
The film keeps the reasoning for the insurrection vague, as well as the reasoning for the different uprisings. All we know is that in the world of this film, California and Texas have started an uprising and teamed up as “The Western Forces”, and there is also a “Florida Alliance” that is also kept vague. According to a map made for the film, the Florida Alliance takes up most states in the Southeast, California and Texas make up The Western Forces, states in the Northwest and Mountain regions are called “The New People’s Army” and the rest of the states, ranging from New England, The Midwest, and some mountain states, are considered loyalist. Again, throughout the film we aren’t sure what any of this really means.
The group of photojournalists consists of Lee Smith, the leader of the group and a well-known photographer portrayed by Dunst, Joel, Lee’s colleague played by Wagner Moura, Jessie Cullen, an aspiring war photographer portrayed by Cailee Spaeny, and Sammy, a veteran New York Times journalist and a mentor for the group portrayed by Stephen McKinley Henderson. The group has a mix of age ranges, as well as experience levels, as Jessie is at the beginning of her career, Lee is at the peak of her career, and Sammy is at the end of her career. Not to mention, as a Sofia Coppola fan, it was interesting to see both Kirsten Dunst and Cailee Spaeny in this film alongside each other, as they are both known as Sofia Coppola’s “It Girls”. The symbolism of these actors tied in nicely with where their characters are in their careers as well.
This movie feels very real. As scary as it is to say, America is on the brink of a challenging and scary time, especially with the 2024 election growing closer every day. As a Gen Z, gearing up to vote in my first presidential election, I am nervous for what is to come after the election. While at the time, the events of January 6, 2021 felt more like a meme than a real insurrection, time, education, and trials have shown the reality of what this day was and what could have come out of this day. Leaders have come forward about their experience, as they hid under desks like many grade school students in lockdown drills. The movie, ‘Civil War’ was scary in the sense that something like the events of this film could easily happen within the coming months.
One criticism that the film has faced surrounds that of the civil war that is taking place within the film. Many audience member have commented that the idea of Texas and California joining forces. Nowadays, the idea of a red state and a blue state teaming up seems ridiculous, especially on two ends of the extremes. However, I think that this was smart planning on the writer’s side, as making this ridiculous choice helps make the film seem less real than it already does feel. Having these two, seemingly opposite, states combine in order to storm the capitol helped remind the audience that this was just a movie. The creative decisions of what the civil war was helped audiences not get too caught up in this world of the film. Not to mention, the journalists kept a neutral stance on the issues, not giving their opinions on critical issues in this world. This also helped keep audiences on their side. Keeping many of the facts vague in this film helped get audiences focused on the elements of the film that truly mattered.
The ethics of photojournalism is something that was questioned a lot in the film, as my friends and I left the theater, wondering if what these photographers was truly ethical. In one scene, Lee asks a man to pose for a picture in front of two men he is in the process of torturing, before Jessie cries and blames herself for being too scared to take a photo of these bloody men. I began to think back at photos that have been taken in war zones, Napalm girl being the first to come to my mind. Most photos you see taken on the battlefield aren’t taken on iPhones from soldier’s pockets. ‘Civil War’ did an amazing job at putting these situations to light. While many audience members could question why the journalist characters didn’t help the characters that were in pain or even dying, this film shows that it’s not always easy. These journalists are putting their lives on the line to accurately report and capture what is happening in our world, and the film portrays that. The character, Lee, shows symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder throughout the film, and even is unable to photograph vital moments in the war. Lee acts as a mentor to the character, Jessie, helping her ease into shooting these situations. Not to mention, there are scenes where photojournalists die, after being caught in compromising situations during attacks. ‘Civil War’ is no joke, and neither is journalism.
THE IT GIRLS
It would be impossible to talk about this film without talking about the performances of Dunst and Spaeny. As mentioned before, both characters are mirrors of each other, while Dunst’s character, Lee, is at the peak of her career, while Jessie, Spaeny’s character is just getting started in her own career. Dunst’s exhaustion throughout the film makes audiences worry for the character, but cheer for her when she pushes through. Both actors give us characters that we are able to root for and see real people within. Each of their conversations felt real, and I felt like I was watching a true mentorship and maybe even friendship bloom from these characters. Dunst’s protectiveness over Spaeney’s character helped shape the narrative and give depth to the characters’ relationship.
‘Civil War’ gives a warning of a very real fear in this day and age. It’s a film that will make you think about the world we live in, and certain political and ethical issues that run rampant today. Despite this, it is well worth the watch, and brings light for conversations to be held.
| Producers: Andrew MacDonald, Allon Reich, Gregory Goodman | Cinematography: Rob Hardy | Editing: Jake Roberts
By Abigail Johnson
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Abigail Johnson is a New York City-based writing intern, screenwriter, actor, and director. Her main focus is women in the entertainment industry and authenticity, especially advocating for diverse storytelling and new perspectives. Abigail loves discovering indie films that may not be seen in a traditional movie theatre, as well as listening to pop music and trying to find the next big artist. Abigail connects to Hollywood Insider’s values of substance over scandal and focusing on compassion and philosophy in her writing at Hollywood Insider. Utilizing writing for good is the main Hollywood Insider value that Abigail connects with, as her main goal is to use her talents for good.
Abigail Johnson is a New York City-based writing intern, screenwriter, actor, and director. Her main focus is women in the entertainment industry and authenticity, especially advocating for diverse storytelling and new perspectives. Abigail loves discovering indie films that may not be seen in a traditional movie theatre, as well as listening to pop music and trying to find the next big artist. Abigail connects to Hollywood Insider’s values of substance over scandal and focusing on compassion and philosophy in her writing at Hollywood Insider. Utilizing writing for good is the main Hollywood Insider value that Abigail connects with, as her main goal is to use her talents for good.
Abigail Johnson is a New York City-based writing intern, screenwriter, actor, and director. Her main focus is women in the entertainment industry and authenticity, especially advocating for diverse storytelling and new perspectives. Abigail loves discovering indie films that may not be seen in a traditional movie theatre, as well as listening to pop music and trying to find the next big artist. Abigail connects to Hollywood Insider’s values of substance over scandal and focusing on compassion and philosophy in her writing at Hollywood Insider. Utilizing writing for good is the main Hollywood Insider value that Abigail connects with, as her main goal is to use her talents for good.
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