I really liked it. I thought the journalist angle was actually a much more interesting story than a generic war movie. I still came out of it thinking this was more a movie for laymen apolitical types so they could just enjoy the action and not have to worry about a complex political background, while still having just a little bit there to bite on to for those politically aware. But then I read this thread and realize that apparently some laymen are still too dumb to glean anything from it.
It was almost a relief that they skipped all the background politics, because based on the maps they released in the run up showing the union of CA and TX I was ready to go in hating whatever bullshyt non offensive political narrative they would try to spin. With that said, there was actually a pretty strong political message in the movie. If you just pay attention and use a bit of critical thinking, there was enough to give some context and real world parallels without them having to spell out every detail of the war.:
The President was on his third term and whatever actions he implimented to get there were controversial, which implies certain things (that he refused to leave office/modified the constitution/took back power in a coup/just plain doesn't believe in Democracy/etc). The President firebombed his own citizens, meaning he was an iron fist dictatorial type. His army kills press on sight, pointing to fascist suppression of the free press. They mention Antifa being massacred in the past, meaning it's a world where protest is violently stifled, specifically anti-fascist protest. Not to mention the very first scene in the movie has the President riffing a blowhard speech saying nonsense like "Some people are saying it's the greatest ever military campaign in a war ever" in a direct allegory to Trump. Pretty much everything points to an ultra Trump like figure.
The movie was very loudly a warning about electing a President like Trump, and the general danger of ultra right wing politics and what it can lead to. Props to Garland for being able to somehow craft such a strong message without beating you over the head with it.
The background for the Civil War is that a fascist dictator of a President has gone too far and caused the nation to split into rebelling factions. Anything beyond that doesn't matter to the story at all. It's not complex or deep, but it's there. We know why everyone is gunning for the president, and the alliances they formed after the fact is meaningless. This isn't our America, we don't know what their Texas and California look like in the alt universe where the government massacred Antifa 20 years ago.
I loved the dark humor, cinematography and camera work, sound design, etc. All the stuff that everyone has already been complimenting in this thread. I do agree with whoever said it was more like an experience than a movie. As a movie movie it had a bunch of flaws, but as a movie experience it was great edge of your seat cinema.
A few things I didn't like: They made it difficult for me not to hate the young girl in the movie. She's overly naive and it's her fault multiple people die, and yet it feels like they want or needed her to be the anchoring point in the movie. Someone for the audience to self insert into, as someone who is new to the world of war journalism. fukk her though, her lack of experience was not relatable and I wish she died instead of Dune guy and Mary Jane. Pushing her way into getting in the car for the road trip, the way she goaded Dunst to wear the dress, getting in the way of everyone all the time, getting Dunst killed. Just the worst. I was waiting for someone to snap at her, but they all just coddled her.
Also, the entire scene with the Hong Kong guy driving up was just dumb as hell. First, why would they be speeding around like that in a fukking war zone. Yes, war journalists are reckless, but not in such a needlessly dumb way. Having the young girl then copy the needlessly dumb reckless bullshyt just took me out of the movie and ruined my immersion for a bit. It just felt like bad writing for the sake of pushing the plot along to reach the Meth Damon scene. Plus the two guys who just showed up being the only ones Plemons kills was a little too cute for my tastes.
The President just hiding under a desk and not tucked in a bunker, or at least being surrounded by guards in a last hoorah shootout moment was also immersion breaking. Pretty dumb.
"Once you start asking questions you can't stop" though, so I'm not going to keep questioning it when I enjoyed the experience.
Yea they definitely left all that out
That's fair. Thanks.
It would've made more sense for insiders in the President's circle to be secretly working with the WF and have him die that way.
A fractured government from head to toe would be chaos and things we take for granted would be turned upside down
and the President woulda been in Appalachia somewhere in a bunker. With that said, the President in the movie was supposed to be a sinister version of Trump I think so I don't really care.
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