SPOILER ALERT: The following article gives away key moments from Civil War so be careful as you read on if you have not yet seen writer and director Alex Garland’s film.
After finally getting around to watching Civil War with my Max subscription, I would definitely call the great A24 movie set in a war-torn United States one of my favorite 2024 movies so far. Yet, there was one moment that I initially found a little confusing and, soon after, I discovered that a few critics agreed with me.
The scene in question, which occurs during the Civil War ending, sees Kirsten Dunst’s typically neutral and detached war photographer, Lee Smith, suddenly suffering an emotional breakdown while covering the Western Forces’ White House raid. Upon further examination, this once bewildering moment not only makes perfect sense to me but is, in my opinion, one of the most important in the film that earned a five-star rating in Mike Reyes’ Civil War review. Allow me to explain why…
I Think Lee's Breakdown Is A Natural Character Development
When we first meet Lee Smith in Civil War – one of the best movies on Max at the moment – the photojournalist is, to put it simply, dead inside. She has little to no emotional reaction to the bleak circumstances that she, writers Joel (Wagner Moura) and Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson), and aspiring young photographer Jessie (Cailee Spaeny) encounter on their trip to Charlottesville. She even explains to her mentee after witnessing a man murder an innocent prisoner in cold blood that emotional detachment is part of the job.
Thus, when Lee starts helplessly sobbing amid the violence in Washington D.C., the change in character seems abrupt to some critics, such as YouTuber Chris Stuckmann. However, it feels like a perfectly natural progression of her character when you consider her journey up to this point which is full of tragedies, such as the death of Sammy – followed by a haunting nighttime drive sequence.
More importantly, during the trip, she becomes something of a motherly figure to Jessie, which would cause her to become more in touch with her emotions. As a result, for the first time in a long time, she actually feels scared – not just for herself but for the people she has come to consider family in a time consumed by conflict.
Lee's Death Does Not Make Sense Without Her Breakdown
I will admit that, at first, I was also not sure what to make of the moment when Lee steps in the line of fire and gives her life to protect Jessie. However, I think to explain the significance of that powerful scene, we must also go back to the moment of her breakdown.
I believe that Lee's breakdown is also a reaction to Jessie growing desensitized to the violence surrounding her. Seeing another young person corrupted by this cataclysmic conflict, especially one she knows personally, is too much to bear for her at that point.
I think that's what leads Lee to sacrifice herself to save Jessie. She knows that the young aspiring war photographer now has what it takes to assume her position while she has lost it herself after regaining her emotional sensitivity.
Jessie's Final Photo Is The Outcome Of Lee's Mentorship
Now, one common criticism surrounding Civil War that I can understand is the abruptness of the ending, which cuts to credits right after the President (Nick Offerman) is assassinated by the Western Forces. I also find the photo that Jessie snaps after the event, depicting troops posing around the fascist leader’s corpse and smiling proudly, a little bleak.
However, to be clear, I am not necessarily complaining about that. Furthermore, I think you could say that Jessie's photo of that earth-shattering moment serves as a fitting tribute to her mentor.
Everything that Lee taught her up to that point prepared her for the opportunity to take a shot that will, undoubtedly, make her a legend. It may have required her to lose some sense of her humanity to get there but that lends further to the argument that Alex Garland attempts to make with this film.
I also agree with CinemaBlend’s Mike Reyes that Civil War’s apolitical approach to the subject material is one of the strongest aspects of the film. Not only does it make the story accessible to multiple perspectives but it draws focus to the real point of the film: war is hell, and hopefully America is never consumed by division enough to lead to such a dystopian nightmare.
