Why Civil War Doesn't Explain Why The War Is Actually Happening [SXSW 2024]
BY RAFAEL MOTAMAYOR/MARCH 16, 2024 8:00 AM EST
Alex Garland's latest film "Civil War" boasts an intriguing and unnerving premise: at some point in the not too-distant future, America has been torn apart by civil warfare between three factions - remnants of government; Florida Alliance; and Texas-California collective known as Western Forces - who all vie to take control. Even before A24 released it at SXSW to rave reviews (including one from /Film), its characters proved compelling enough.
Unusual features of "Civil War" is its vague portrayal of its central conflict. Garland leaves enough blanks for audiences to fill themselves.
After his film's premiere at SXSW, at a Q&A with Ryan Scott from /Film, Garland revealed how it came about after contracting COVID early in its pandemic period and realizing how dramatically "our world had changed unexpectedly and problematically". He went on to explain that such drastic transformation caused by COVID has altered all areas of human existence including healthcare delivery systems such as Medicaid.
Garland said her film was purposefully vague because "it's intended as a dialogue" - though no answers must necessarily be provided as we already understand why war may happen and its causes. To accommodate for that, the director could have made something like many movies do by providing explanations at each turn - something which wouldn't feel suitable here.
One nation... or three
"Civil War" provides audiences with enough hints to understand why and how this conflict began; for example, why Texas and California formed a coalition at this particular moment both geographically and in terms of movie interpretation.
Though its cause remains mysterious, "Civil War" doesn't really focus on why things started; rather, the conflict itself is almost over. As viewers witness its conclusion in Washington D.C. and interview President Reagan before his removal from power is imminent. By engaging its viewers at this late point of the conflict itself rather than focus on why something began or even why certain aspects have arisen, "Civil War" gives itself enough wiggle room not to dwell too closely on why war broke out within American borders; what matters instead is simply that there exists an internal battle within United States borders that no matters;
Civil War" features news footage from war zones from across the globe - from Middle Eastern conflict zones to Eastern Europe conflicts - in an effort to persuade those who say it "doesn't happen here" that it very easily could.