“Civil War” has come out about a month and a half ago and, ironically, circumstances are starting to heat up in the U.S. Ongoing press about the election coming up this winter is only making the reflection clearer when comparing our reality to this 2024 film. Is this film for entertainment purposes or a warning?
Dystopian Reality
The story of the futuristic U.S. Civil War is presented through the journalist’s perspective. Kirsten Dunst does an incredible job taking on the character of Lee Smith, a former war photographer. Lee never shows any type of emotion or remorse throughout the duration of the film. Joel (Wagner Moura) is also moderately unfazed by war, which explains why he and Lee comply to bringing Jessie (Cailee Spaeny) on the trip to Washington D.C. decently quick. With this fatal choice, the audience follows them into the world during war.
“Civil War” focuses on the cruelty of war, specifically with dominance and power. Any kind of plot twist can happen in a kill-or-be-killed environment. The audience follows the main group of journalists through shockingly realistic scenes. Hanging bodies are shown frequently in dangerous areas, most likely put there for a reason. Jessie fights her natural flight response throughout the trip to Washington D.C.. She knows this historical moment might be her last to experience.
The director of “Civil War,” Alex Garland, is well known for writing suspenseful thrillers. The closer the journalists get to Washington D.C., the more vile and inhumane acts are thrown into their path. Simultaneously, the characters and the audience grow more desensitized to the action in front of them. By the time the journalists finally make it to the White House, most thriller-lovers are on the edge of their seats watching as a full battle commences on the White House. The climax of “Civil War” is the very end after the rebels storm the Capitol and interview the President’s final thoughts. But how does this broken democracy actually compare to our current government?
January 6, 2021
Similarly but not quite as severe, there was a Capitol attack led by Donald Trump’s supporters in an attempt to rise against what they considered a “fraudulent” election against Joe Biden. The riot did not make much of an impact on the election but created a great deal of violence and gruesome outcomes. Most people were injured and some died from acts of suicide. All the victims of suicide were police officers.
Officers from all over the area responded to the scene as quickly as they could. Unfortunately most of them ended up injured and traumatized. There were four reported suicides that happened hours after the attack. This begs the question: Where in God’s name was the National Guard the whole time? Several congressional leaders stepped forward after the attack demanding an answer as to why the National Guard showed up three hours late. The National Guard was already in the presence of the Capitol but they needed permission to respond to the attack. Who was holding the guard back and why?
There are now plenty of videos and interviews explaining the mixed signals the National Guard received during the riot. Many were frustrated but it is still unknown who the real culprit was. It is easy to blame Trump and assume he refused to release the National Guard with the days worth of power he had. Other publishers that have studied the interviews believe Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy had something to do with the delay due to his vague answers. This attack was not a rebellion reeking havoc on government territory. It does relate to the idea of “Civil War” since America seems to be divided into two groups.
Trump Guilty On 34 Counts
We’ve all heard the latest news at this point. Donald Trump was put on trial before the election and was found guilty for fabricating business records. As the democrats raise their glasses to Trump’s loss, the republican party wonders if the election is built in the democrat’s favor. If Trump can be found guilty during the election, how come other presidential candidates get a free pass?
For example, Hillary Clinton’s history with her private emails was nothing but controversy during the election. If Trump can get convicted before the election, why is Hillary’s illegal scandal any different than Trump’s? Despite Trump’s conviction, he remains a presidential candidate during the election. According to the constitution, the only requirements to be president is to be a U.S. citizen, to have lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years and to at least be 35 years old.
Both Donald Trump and Joe Biden fit those categories. They also have an extreme amount of popularity already. This makes it especially hard for other candidates to rise above these two. That being said, every American has saved the date of June 27 in their calendars awaiting the presidential debate between Trump and Biden.
Trump Vs. Biden Recap
To review their last debate, one of the main topics was about the coronavirus and how to handle the pandemic since it took place in 2020. They also challenged each other about the economy and accused each other of counterfeit votes with foreign entities. These two candidates presented almost polar opposite views on each topic, especially economic affairs. Biden’s view typically stands from the perspective of lower class citizens of America. Trump’s mindset is based through the perspective of businesses and corporations.
Now, with current times comes with current topics. Although the coronavirus chapter is close to ending, the economy has exponentially declined over the past four years. As prices skyrocket, the wealth of the American people plummet, placing a big gap between the upper and lower class. This is arguably our biggest issue right now, and as noted before, our candidates have two completely separate views on the matter. Having two sides to the story has the possibility of sparking a war between the American people.
The U.S. Divided in Two
Despite this dystopian film seemingly acting as a premonition it should not be taken as the definition of the United States. Americans should takes this movie as a warning more than anything. All republicans and democrats need the ability to understand the other side of the political spectrum in order to not end in chaos, similar to the “Civil War” ending. If we continue to separate as a nation our future will become more physical than intellectual.
“A house divided against itself cannot stand.”
Abraham Lincoln, June 16th, 1858
The outcome of the 2024 year will be difficult to face but there is no need to panic. The film “Civil War” was about most of the nation rebelling against the president, not the other half of the US. In our reality it’s highly doubtful that the U.S. will randomly ensue in chaos once the name of the president is announced. While this film is definitely nothing to stress about, it is something this nation should keep in mind going forward into this new four year term.
