Includes SPOILERS for Civil War’s Ending!
Civil Warinverts the arcs of its two main characters, creating a genius juxtaposition that pays off at the end of the film. Alex Garland’s 2024 movie could’ve fooled anyone with its trailers into thinking it would be an action-packed war movie with a generic political allegory, but what actually unravels is a highly character-centric tale about the horrors of wartime.At the head of theCivil Warcast are the magnificent Cailee Spaeny and Kirsten Dunst, who play Jessie and Lee, respectively. Their highly effective dynamic is the film’s emotional core, building towardCivil War’stragic ending.
Out ofAlex Garland’s movies,Civil Waris perhaps the most emotionally intense, choosing to avoid examining the complex world and war it constructs, instead focusing on those at the center of the conflict. Sure, the movie highlights the dangers of the war photography profession and the psychological aspects of working in proximity to explosive violence, but there’s alsoa crucial central study of humanity through each character’s approachto the shock of what’s happened. Only by understanding their feelings can the audience form a perspective on the fictitious war at hand.
Lee & Jessie Have Opposite Character Arcs In Civil War
Jessie Becomes Desensitized To Violence While Lee Regains Her Humanity
Lee and Jessie are the two main characters inCivil War, and their character arcs run in opposite directions.Jessie starts the film new to war photography, and though she’s determined to pave the way for herself, she’s inexperienced and fearful, even missing an opportunity to take photos due to the extremity of the situation. Lee, on the other hand, is a veteran in this career and has essentially grown numb to the horrors she’s experiencing. It’s only when she meets Jessie and later loses her mentor that she starts to see the terror in it once more.
Why Lee Only Deletes One Photo In Civil War & Which It Is
Kirsten Dunst plays a hardened veteran war photographer in Alex Garland’s Civil War who only deletes one tragic photo in the entire film.
By the sequence in the White House at the end of the film, both characters have changed significantly. Jessie operates like a hardened pro, having come close to death now on multiple occasions. She’s rushing into combat, taking dangerous shots, and nearly dies once more, getting her final money shot. Oppositely,Lee is having an anxiety attack throughout the whole experience and seems far more concerned with the violence at stakethan capturing good photos. This leads to her eventual sacrifice, despite her saying earlier in the movie that getting good photos was her top priority.
Kirsten Dunst & Cailee Spaeny Make Civil War’s Lee & Jessie Arcs Work
Civil War’s Stars Make Their Characters Easy To Resonate With
Kirsten Dunst is one of the most brilliant actors of the past three decades, and Cailee Spaeny is a rising star who brings humanity and relatability to every role she takes.The combination of these two extraordinary actresses makes the central dynamic work, as their affection and admiration for one another are wholly believable. Jessie is compelling as a somewhat naive beginner who’s driven by a sense of curiosity and passion for her work, and her admiration for her older mentor is entirely conceivable.
“What Kind Of American Are You?": Jesse Plemons' Civil War Scene Explained
Jesse Plemons question to the protagonists in A24’s Civil War highlights the danger and spreading divide they must contend with throughout the film.
Meanwhile,Kirsten Dunst is stellar in how she demonstrates Lee’s early coldness, as there’s always an apparent layer of warmth beneath it all.Civil War’swriting style is very naturalistic, looking to capture candid moments, such as the scene where Lee is trying on a dress, to present these characters as real people. That scene doesn’t necessarily drive the plot forward, but it shows the care these two women have for each other, and how quickly their relationship has become profoundly meaningful to both of them.
Why Lee & Jessie Switching Roles Is So Important For Civil War
Jessie Fills Lee’s Shoes By The End Of The Movie
Civil War’spolitical conflictis one component of the movie, but what makes it so compelling is that it’s mainly just a story about a human connection forming during a terrible time. At the center of the story,Lee is the mentor character who’s seen her own humanity slowly dwindle over the course of decadesin the business. Her main goal at the start is that she wants to continue her work, as it’s all she really knows. But after meeting Jessie, Lee realizes that she wants to save this young woman from falling victim to the same things that took her.
It’s a sad ending, knowing that Lee has sacrificed herself to save Jessie’s life, but the younger woman still seems to have lost her humanity.
Jessie ultimately succeeds in the end ofCivil Warby taking what’s likely the most important photo in US history. But she isn’t as emotionally struck by Lee’s death as she should be. In fact, she doesn’t demonstrate much emotion at all, seeming as if she’s fully stepped into Lee’s shoes. It’s a sad ending, knowing that Lee has sacrificed herself to save Jessie’s life, but the younger woman still seems to have lost her humanity.
Civil War
Civil War is a 2024 action thriller from writer and director Alex Garland. Starring Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, and Stephen McKinley Henderson, Civil War takes place in the near future and shows the United States entering a new Civil War after California and Texas attempt to separate from the country.
