Suggest a good movie…
Out of context: Reply #3050
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- Morning_star3
CIVIL WAR
It looks beautiful, like Magnum photos and I guess that’s the point. There are so many notable shots, camera moves, framing and compositions it’s worth watching for those alone. The soundtrack is unexpected in its attempts to sooth, like a smile from the executioner as your blindfold is put on. The sounds of war, the bullets, the explosions, the shouts and screams do some impressive heavy lifting, making a sonic soundscape that adds drama, texture and depth few films can match.
Civil War dances a precarious line between narrative progression and identifying political perspectives. The ambiguity has fucked off some viewers but I think that’s part of its success. It forces you to comprehend what war means for a country and its people without the ‘booyah’ that so often justifies inhuman behaviour in the name of a chosen cause.
By Alex Garlands own admission it takes influence from Apocalypse Now and that’s evident in its pacing and the way the acts progress. Like Apocalypse Now it’s a Road(River) Movie that happens to be set in the arena of war. It’s not about sides. It’s more about how individuals choose to act when faced with extreme circumstances that they’d never personally experience except through the monotonous spewing of fact-free news and partisan propaganda. What would you do when you discover a high school friend steeling food for his kids from your store? What would you do to ‘get the shot’ and how does the quest for that shot change the outcome because of your involvement. Is that truth?
If you go expecting obvious heroes and villains or Platoon, Glory or Gettysburg you will be disappointed. I could find very little to criticise, the performances are great. Particularly Jesse Plemons, whose just terrifying. I loved it, I think it’s a thought provoking, beautiful film that asks more questions than it answers, and that’s a good thing. Go and see it if you want.
- I felt the same. But also seeing someone I know in real life murdered was a trip and it stayed with me all weekend. I have issues with the ending thoshellie
- Do you know one of the actors. Ooo spill, which one? I did have some notes about how the 'ending' of one of the characters at the end could have been better.Morning_star
- What was your issue?Morning_star
- Nelson Lee played the guy from Hong Kong. My issue at the end was the role reversal. KD didn't need to go all childlike as she entered the final push inward.shellie
- But it was overall riveting. I couldn't look away and it's still on my mind. War movies hit different for Americans bc they're never on our turf.shellie
- There's usually nothing familiar — houses, roads, signage, make it all feel like it can't happen here. I thought painting the picture was interesting exercise.shellie
- I believe the theme stated was, "You were was about her age when you started. You have to start sometime." which was nebulous enough not to take sides butshellie
- I would have liked something like -- ending the cycle to start with embracing the truth. As members of the press, they bring the truth to the surface w/facts.shellie
- But overall, I think the movie serves its purpose to make Americans think -- not about sides but the true price of each side.shellie
- yes yes and yesrobthelad