Movie rec: Civil War

[StrawberryBlondie]

I saw Civil War today and it's incredible. You all should go see it.

It's a movie where the US is at a civil war, but told from the perspective of a group of photojournalists.

[moreace01]

I saw it. It was very well done, but absolutely horrifying.

I thought they did a good job keeping it apolitical.

I can't think of another war movie in modern times on American soil where the threat was from within. I thought that was a very interesting, thought provoking take. Usually there's an "us" and a "them". Additionally, telling the story from a photojournalist's perspective takes out that us/them distinction due to their impartiality as reporters. It was interesting to see the story told in that way.

[StrawberryBlondie]

Yes, moreace01 horrifying is a really good description. I was on edge the entire film.

I really liked that we got basically no details of the war. No clear why, no clear good side, no clear bad side, etc. Just that there's war, and here's what the journalists see.

[basilosaurus]

Apr 23, 2024 16:15:15 GMT -5 moreace01 said:

I saw it. It was very well done, but absolutely horrifying.

I thought they did a good job keeping it apolitical.

I can't think of another war movie in modern times on American soil where the threat was from within. I thought that was a very interesting, thought provoking take. Usually there's an "us" and a "them". Additionally, telling the story from a photojournalist's perspective takes out that us/them distinction due to their impartiality as reporters. It was interesting to see the story told in that way.

how can a war sit see opening be a political, I'm not criticizing you, but I have a hard time understanding this.

[StrawberryBlondie]

Apr 23, 2024 17:25:37 GMT -5 basilosaurus said:

Apr 23, 2024 16:15:15 GMT -5 moreace01 said:

I saw it. It was very well done, but absolutely horrifying.

I thought they did a good job keeping it apolitical.

I can't think of another war movie in modern times on American soil where the threat was from within. I thought that was a very interesting, thought provoking take. Usually there's an "us" and a "them". Additionally, telling the story from a photojournalist's perspective takes out that us/them distinction due to their impartiality as reporters. It was interesting to see the story told in that way.

how can a war sit see opening be a political, I'm not criticizing you, but I have a hard time understanding this.

It's inherently political because obv, a civil war is inherently political, but it doesn't choose a "side." You don't even really know what the war is about. You just see what's happening.

[moreace01]

What StrawberryBlondie said.

When I first heard about this movie (before I read anything), I assumed it would be a red vs blue state thing, which I am sure no one really wants to see. They didn't go there and I'm glad they didn't. Looking at the audience when I went, I am guessing some folks assumed it would be a big blockbuster type movie - it definitely wasn't that either. It felt very dystopian in parts. It was very A24.

[picksthemusic]

Pod Save America/Jon Favreau interviewed the director on their 'So You Think You Can Be a Trump Juror' episode from 4/19, and it was a good interview. He's British, so he has an interesting take on how our politics work. But he goes into why he kept it apolitical. I suggest you listen to the interview if you're on the fence about watching it. Jon said he loved it and is telling everyone to go see it. FWIW, I have not seen it. If we do watch it, it will be on streaming.

[pugz]

See I have to know allll the backstory in dystopian stories. That's why I like Handmaid's Tale, they actually go into it.

[StrawberryBlondie]

Apr 24, 2024 11:03:19 GMT -5 pugz said:

See I have to know allll the backstory in dystopian stories. That's why I like Handmaid's Tale, they actually go into it.

It's really only dystopian in the most technical sense. Basically it's just a war movie.

[bugandbibs]

There has been a lot of discourse on twitter about this movie among POC folks, and most of it has been negative. People I am typically align with who came away from it feeling like it was very white centered and that POC characters were graphically hurt to further aid the story of the white characters. There is a pretty sharp divide on my timeline around the movie.

I typically like what A24 puts out, but I have decided to pass on this for the time being. Just a heads up for others.

[picksthemusic]

Apr 24, 2024 14:59:20 GMT -5 bugandbibs said:

There has been a lot of discourse on twitter about this movie among POC folks, and most of it has been negative. People I am typically align with who came away from it feeling like it was very white centered and that POC characters were graphically hurt to further aid the story of the white characters. There is a pretty sharp divide on my timeline around the movie.

I typically like what A24 puts out, but I have decided to pass on this for the time being. Just a heads up for others.

Quite honestly, based on the interview on PSA, this doesn't surprise me. It seemed the director has a very white-centered lens (and himself leans center-right politically - his own words), so I believe this take.

[StrawberryBlondie]

Apr 24, 2024 14:59:20 GMT -5 bugandbibs said:

There has been a lot of discourse on twitter about this movie among POC folks, and most of it has been negative. People I am typically align with who came away from it feeling like it was very white centered and that POC characters were graphically hurt to further aid the story of the white characters. There is a pretty sharp divide on my timeline around the movie.

I typically like what A24 puts out, but I have decided to pass on this for the time being. Just a heads up for others.

Hmm... This is interesting. I'll have to read those when I have more than 5 spare minutes.

[basilosaurus]

Apr 24, 2024 12:09:42 GMT -5 StrawberryBlondie said:

Apr 24, 2024 11:03:19 GMT -5 pugz said:

See I have to know allll the backstory in dystopian stories. That's why I like Handmaid's Tale, they actually go into it.

It's really only dystopian in the most technical sense. Basically it's just a war movie.

oh. I'm not a fan of war movies generally. The background is what's interesting

[nothingcontroversial]

Apr 25, 2024 10:08:28 GMT -5 basilosaurus said:

Apr 24, 2024 12:09:42 GMT -5 StrawberryBlondie said:

It's really only dystopian in the most technical sense. Basically it's just a war movie.

oh. I'm not a fan of war movies generally. The background is what's interesting

Then why are you responding in a thread that's clearly about a war movie?

[basilosaurus]

Apr 25, 2024 11:10:22 GMT -5 nothingcontroversial said:

Apr 25, 2024 10:08:28 GMT -5 basilosaurus said:

oh. I'm not a fan of war movies generally. The background is what's interesting

Then why are you responding in a thread that's clearly about a war movie?

I thought it was about a documentary.