Aaron's Thoughts
Took a rewatch for me to have fully formed thoughts on it, but I really dug what Garland was going for here. Unlike most, I actually really liked the lack of over explaining or background on what was going on because it allowed you to simply take in what was happening at a much deeper level. There is no moment in this movie that would have been richer with a silly monologue about why Texas & California are on the same side or explaining what the deal is with the Florida Alliance or describing what events led to that point. Instead, Garland opts for quieter, more subtle moments to give us glimpses of our world reflected in the America portrayed on screen. For example, take the moment during the sniper shootout. Joel asks, “Who are you shooting at” to which the reply is “I don’t know, I just know they are trying to kill us”. Or consider when Lee and Jessie both recount that their families are living on a farm somewhere pretending like none of this is happening. One more for good measure - the gas station sequence. When Jessie and Lee are looking at the two men suffering, the guy with the AR comments - “I used to go to high school with that guy”.
I would have liked some deeper character development or richer protagonists (the characters they meet along the way are often far more intriguing) but that’s really my only gripes.
I haven’t really seen many people talking about the sequence where the Breakers Roar needle drop plays, but that whole sequence is one of my favorites of the year. I’d watch the movie a third time just to see that sequence again. Oh, and Cailee Spaeny? She’s a freaking star in the making.
Garland is pleading throughout for us to not forget the humanity of everyone around us. He’s done that in past films when he warns us of something that could happen if we aren’t careful. Just look at Ex Machina. It’s not about the ins and outs of AI technology, but it is a warning about a path that even though it seems crazy, we were headed down. 10 years later it doesn’t seem so crazy. Similarly, Civil War isn’t about ins and outs of politics, it’s about the humans at the center. It’s about how really everyone isn’t that different. Yet, the extreme ends of the spectrum act as though the other side is the devil. It’s a warning that even though it seems crazy, we are heading down this path. It’s a plea to remember the humanity of those around you. To have a conversation with them. Those who are upset that the film didn’t really show its hand politically are just so obsessed with seeing their political opposition condemned by a film that they can’t accept their humanity. Which does nothing but further the point of the film.
