Civil War ending spoilers follow.
Civil War ends with a bang, quite literally, as an armed conflict in the US reaches its peak at the hallways of the White House.
From the get-go, Kirsten Dunst's new movie is not easy to swallow and will surely prove divisive with viewers.
Should writer and director Alex Garland pick a side, show the story's political colours, or offer more details about its central conflict? Are these journalists at the forefront heroes of the free press, or questionable opportunists? Is the movie's brutal imagery meaningful and impacting, or rather alienating?
The answers to those questions are not as interesting as the conversations that are created by formulating them.
Civil War is full of thought-provoking ideas, and it's definitely not what some might expect it to be. Beyond the brutal action display of its last half hour, the ending confirms the movie is a deeply complicated portrayal of war reporters and journalistic ethics.
Civil War's ending will leave you haunted
Experienced photographer Lee (Kirsten Dunst), reporter Joel (Narcos' Wagner Moura) and newcomer Jessie (Priscilla's Cailee Spaeny) make their way to the Washington, DC after losing the most veteran member of their group, Sammy (Dune's Stephen McKinley Henderson).
They reach the outside entrance of the White House, where the president's (The Last of Us star Nick Offerman) forces and the Western Front are engaged in a violent battle. It's a last (and futile) attempt from the president to save himself, since his opponents are getting stronger and have promised to execute him on sight.
A car tries to escape the White House, drawing the attention of the soldiers and journalists gathered outside. However, Lee (who just had a momentary breakdown) has a hunch that the president is not in that car, but inside the now wide-open building.
Lee and her colleagues go into the White House, a group of soldiers quickly following. The armed forces kill every government supporter that comes their way, leaving corpses in their wake and the sound of gunshots only accompanied by the clicking of the cameras.
Before they reach the Oval Office, Jessie puts herself in danger to get one perfect shot, and Lee pushes her out of the way to save her. Lee gets shot, and Jessie photographs the moment despite her shock.
With no time to lose and no tears to cry, Joel and Jessie follow the soldiers, who have now apprehended the president.
Joel stops them before they open fire, saying he needs "a quote" for his piece. The president blurts something out in desperation, which Joel deems good enough before the leader is executed.
As shocking as that whole final sequence is, the most haunting moment is Lee's death.
Early in the movie, Jessie asks the veteran war reporter if she would photograph her death if she happened to be caught in the crossfire. Lee stares at her and simply replies: "What do you think?"
During the movie, the dynamic between both characters is fascinating, with Lee quickly becoming a mentor for Jessie, perhaps even an older sister.
They are also representative of two different generations of journalists. Lee is exhausted, suffering through a seriously unaddressed PTSD from her time working in foreign conflicts and now facing mayhem in her own country. She seems unfazed by the violence, as she effectively finds the right angle and efficiently takes photographs without fanfare.
In contrast, Jessie is new, excited and a bit reckless. She takes black-and-white photographs with an old camera, a vintage touch for a growing professional who is meant to represent the future. Lee is burdened in a way Jessie is not. The young photographer still smiles through the insanity of the war, an adrenaline junkie occasionally aware of the solemnity of her job.
At the end of the movie, Jessie's earlier question to Lee resonates as their roles are reversed — it is Jessie who photographs Lee's death. Although she didn't really answer when asked, we know Lee would have done the same. It's the curse of the journalist, to report no matter what.
There is something about that slow-motion death, captured for eternity by Jessie's camera, that will stay in the viewers' minds long after the credits have rolled.
For all the heated debate the movie's politics (or lack of) created before it was even released, Civil War is first and foremost a fascinating exploration of the ethical dilemmas journalists face during turbulent times.
It's an immersive experience into the harsh realities of war correspondents that is never idealising nor damning, but filled with exciting complexities.
In an exclusive interview with Digital Spy, writer and director Alex Garland explained why he decided to focus on the journalists for this story.
"Journalists' work is important, it has always been important," he said.
"The thing about a free press is that it's not a luxury, it's a necessity. You really have a very serious problem in any state if there isn't a free press. I think the press have been under attack for a long time, in various ways they have been under attack, and there is a price we will pay for that."
"There is a price we are already paying for it, and then the question is how serious does that price get," he added.
"So I think partly just wanted to show journalists as heroes, because we need them."
Civil War is now out in cinemas.
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Deputy Movies Editor, Digital Spy
Mireia (she/her) has been working as a movie and TV journalist for over seven years, mostly for the Spanish magazine Fotogramas.
Her work has been published in other outlets such as Esquire and Elle in Spain, and WeLoveCinema in the UK.
She is also a published author, having written the essay Biblioteca Studio Ghibli: Nicky, la aprendiz de bruja about Hayao Miyazaki's Kiki's Delivery Service.
During her years as a freelance journalist and film critic, Mireia has covered festivals around the world, and has interviewed high-profile talents such as Kristen Stewart, Ryan Gosling, Jake Gyllenhaal and many more. She's also taken part in juries such as the FIPRESCI jury at Venice Film Festival and the short film jury at Kingston International Film Festival in London.
Now based in the UK, Mireia joined Digital Spy in June 2023 as Deputy Movies Editor.
