CIVIL WAR (2024) BREAKDOWN: Ending Explained & Details You Missed

Alex Garland’s Civil War (2024) from A24 full movie breakdown & analysis by Erik Voss. Thanks to Conflict of Nations for sponsoring this video - Play Conflict of Nations for FREE on PC or Mobile: 💥 con.onelink.me/kZW6/rngeq9ob Receive an Amazing New Player Pack, only available for the next 30 days!
Civil War review, ending explained, and full movie breakdown by New Rockstars’ Erik Voss. Alex Garland (Ex Machina, Annihilation, Men, Devs) moves onto a new controversial project called Civil War, which imagines a dystopian United States in a civil war against a fascist president played by Nick Offerman. Erik Voss analyzes this film scene by scene to explain some of the real-world parallels and influences on this film, and the deeper meaning we should take away from it.
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[@thepubknight6144]

17:19 That looks like the underpass near the Pnc Park stadium as well which would explain the "Go Steelers" spray painted sign

[@HybridGlobalCitizen]

Hmmmm nobody was using drones?

[@coldfate1]

I cannot believe that in this very video you perpetuated the lie of the "there were fine people on both sides" lie. The whole quote is after he said that there were fine people on both sides, "And you had people -- and I’m not talking about the neo-Nazis and the white nationalists -- because they should be condemned totally. But you had many people in that group other than neo-Nazis and white nationalists. Okay? And the press has treated them absolutely unfairly." He was referring to the people there who were not Nazis and were just there to protest the taking down of statues that the media was trying to group into the Nazi camp. The media was trying to portray the right as a monolithic racist group, but also failed to mention all the horrible people on there left in the counter protest group there that only went to incite more violence that were JUST as bad as any racist. Those being people in Antifa. They're all just as reprehensible of a human being and only came to exercise their narcissism. So if you're going to make a video and insert your little opinion on something that happened 4 years ago, at least try to be honest, or at the very least not ignorance of the facts. Because there's no excuse for not knowing at this point, that lie has been debunked a ton of times. That is all.

[@coldfate1]

I cannot believe that in this very video you perpetuated the lie of the "there were fine people on both sides" lie. The whole quote is after he said that there were fine people on both sides, "And you had people -- and I’m not talking about the neo-Nazis and the white nationalists -- because they should be condemned totally. But you had many people in that group other than neo-Nazis and white nationalists. Okay? And the press has treated them absolutely unfairly." He was referring to the people there who were not Nazis and were just there to protest the taking down of statues that the media was trying to group into the Nazi camp. The media was trying to portray the right as a monolithic racist group, but also failed to mention all the horrible people on there left in the counter protest group there that only went to incite more violence that were JUST as bad as any racist. Those being people in Antifa. They're all just as reprehensible of a human being and only came to exercise their narcissism. So if you're going to make a video and insert your little opinion on something that happened 4 years ago, at least try to be honest, or at the very least not ignorance of the facts. Because there's no excuse for not knowing at this point, that lie has been debunked a ton of times. That is all.

[@Paul20661]

just saw it and i loved it 18:02 haha lol,i am from Romania XD u said his name wrong ofc but it's okay I was not expecting to like this movie as much as i did,loved this vid too,thanks

[@zacharyhough6407]

I think they paired Texas with California so it didn't become a red vs blue topic for the film.

[@DuranmanX]

Now it's states that love Baseball vs those against

[@MobiusTrigger7]

Exactly what they did

[@legolad7477]

I think the only issue they would agree on is that nobody can agree on anything

[@theesethetron4593]

They know what they were doing

[@drgirlfriend211]

Exactly what I was thinking

[@youxknowit]

it doesnt tell you the backgrounds of the sides and factions because they dont want you "rooting" for one faction. they want you to feel like the journalist who has to be neutral throughout the situation

[@christinamarie6635]

That’s a really good point

[@wiiplaya25]

So once you get past the idea that journalists are supposed to be neutral (even tho as humans we all have leanings) what’s left? Shallow characters with some neat firefights? An abrupt ending? Some melodramatic death scenes? Meh

[@jmichaeldeane9966]

in this way, like a responsible journalist, Garland is remaining neutral as well.

[@ThePoliticalBulldog]

@@wiiplaya25 THIS

[@PureEvil1138]

Neutral journalist lol

[@dirtymartinez3692]

what made the movie great was that it didnt pick a side... it showed war is hell and no one wins

[@mariossecondcousin9376]

I’ve seen this take around and I think it’s inaccurate. The president’s forces are pretty clearly the bad guys in this film. He stayed in office after his 2nd term, disbanded the fbi, which is one of the powers keeping the president in check, and started killing innocent Americans. Although there are “bad people” on both sides the President’s faction are the bad guys.

[@jman4573]

Wym WF obviously won dummy

[@inventions178]

@@jman4573 But what side is WF on? Exactly... neutral still...

[@ok_schlatter]

@@inventions178the anti-fascist side.

[@erikschwartz1214]

I told my brother as soon as the credits rolled, and he even mentioned it, this is Apocalypse Now for the modern era

[@cc_films]

It was scary intense that the soldiers had a kill without mercy mindset

[@LilySteph1949]

In real life, it’s called the police and they did it overseas and here working with police department so that’s reality. Where have you been?

[@8johh]

it rlly makes u think what could’ve happened to let these soldiers just completely ignore the geneva convention lol

[@georgevincentcorneby4023]

Yeah, That's why I don't believe in soldiers' "I'm just doing orders" shtick. If your orders are morally questionable, and you still follow it, then you should be held accountable.

[@swann433]

Like the US troops in Vietnam who killed villagers on orders and then said they were forced to do it. Nuremburg trials beg to differ.

[@TheBwalker97]

@@LilySteph1949meds, now

[@KDEddie]

I liked that the cause of the civil war was not explained. The point is that there is a civil war.

[@tailsonrails]

YES. should be scary enough for Americans, being in a constant state of war, but had only one on their own soil.

[@chuckmoney3799]

That is the biggest complaint I have seen about this film, and I thought it was the best part. Anyone with a brain can then pick any of the events that started the war. It doesn't matter, like was it the president just declining a election for a 3rd term that started it? Or did the war start before that? What is the reasons for a 3rd term? You get to use your mind and decide for yourself

[@juanpecan7089]

those fuckin sunglasses lol.

[@rchot84]

​@chuckmoney3799 It is a horrible movie. It should make you care about something or feel something. It makes you feel nothing. Kirsten Dunce just has a resting b**** face the whole movie then gets scared at the end and gets killed. Then the president gets killed movie over.

[@Rhaenspots]

While I love worldbuilding it was great that there was no background on the “why” just that it is. Also California and Texas are economic powerhouses with immense military resources. It would make sense for them to join up (with nm, az and nv included). They have the resources to make a huge difference militarily and economically. Everyone thinks about culture war BS, but these neoliberal states would be smart to join together.

[@r2witco]

I think one of the quotes you captured from the film sums it up, "We record so other people ask."

[@protiliusproductions]

Regarding context… I think he wanted us to focus on the outcome, not the smoking gun.

[@hansolsson874]

Yes, and at the winter-ambush one of the soldiers even explains it, something like: "We don't know who is commanding us, but a sniper is shooting at us - so we shoot back."

[@inxendere]

what outcome? hurr durr war bad?

[@TheBdog2009]

What I didn't understand is why only CA and TX were the only 2 that were after the president, and the other states were just sitting it out.

[@cflash2785]

Everyone is just assuming this. It's never explained so what if it's just a rebel force built of multiple smaller forces from throughout different regions that combine with those two main states. Just because the map is shown doesn't mean it's concrete.

[@sjinadu]

The WF, Western Forces, were also after the president

[@Fatblue246]

They weren't, they are just the two they are embedded with in the end. The Florida Alliance is mentioned a bunch as well in the movie, and realistically for all we know we could have seen them in certain scenes(like the one where they are with unmarked rebels)we just don't know for sure, which is the point. You are seeing the movie from the perspective of the journalists, who likely have minimal idea of who they are really with or what is really going on as well due to the fog of war. Syria's civil war IRL was a lot like this, many many armed groups fighting in loose coalitions against a centralized authority. Often times journalists would be with who they think are one group only to find out later they are with another, etc. That shit becomes very messy on the ground. CA and TX in the film were in a coalition known as the Western Forces, and they seemed to be more centrally organized from a military standpoint. The fighters they were with earlier in the film however never identify what side they are with and seemed a lot less organized, not to mention the group of snipers they encounter in the film who outright refuse to identify who they are with at all. All of this lack of context is kind of the point, to the journalists it doesn't really matter who they are fighting for or why, it is just about the story, and that in and of itself has a ton of moral implications etc. It also from the little context we have sounded like the fight in DC was a bit of a race, Sammy likens it to the "race for berlin"(referencing the fall of Germany in WWII)where both the US and the USSR were racing to see who could get there first. It seems like the WF just happened to get there first before the Florida Alliance, not that they were the only ones going in. Some states also stayed loyal to the federal government or under their control in the film it seems, but it is unclear how much control they actually had over this area or how loyal they really were considering the first speech you see the president make in the movie is a bold face lie about them making military gains, and how PA is marked as federal territory on the map but clearly was contested as the main characters were driving through.

[@mrcrackdonald_1]

I believe the southeast (Florida) Northwest and then WF (CA and Texas) were agains the president, but everyone else was loyalist

[@burntrivercomedy9185]

The Hawaiian shirts represent a sect of doomsday preppers known as Bugaloo Boys. They are called that because they are waiting for Civil War 2: Electric Bugaloo. I know this sounds funny and I am posting this from a comedy page profile, but I assure you that is the case.

[@christopherpekel6096]

100% correct.

[@SB-ts2ro]

You are absolutely correct.

[@jasonmorgan27]

and...........

[@tylerkeller8869]

@burntrivercomedy9185: Thanks for clearing that up. Nobody knew about the militia which has had members sentenced for Jan 6th involvement as early as this year.

[@bigduke6764]

Yessir, I thought that immediately when I saw it.

[@relaxedsack1263]

I dont think Cali and Texas are aligning together to form any sort of union.They are both seceding at the same time and are the only two states who would be able to their local military bases. teaming up against the feds as a marriage of convenience.

[@bigduke6764]

Exactly: the Balkanization of the US.

[@juanguzman7939]

California and Texas aligning isn't to big a stretch considering that it's mentioned that Offermans character forced himself into a third term. I think it was a "the enemy of my end is my friend" type of alliance.

[@ThePaddyandtheFag]

Also two large standing military joint forces in both states. Both with large National Guard troop numbers, which seems to be the majority of their force in the film

[@thepubknight6144]

That makes sense and that definitely would happen as the director said

[@constructking8850]

Plus they where both there own nations, have the biggest economies in the nation, plus are just the largest of the continental states.

[@juanguzman7939]

@constructking8850 City states. I never thought of it like that. Old school like Sparta and Athens.

[@christopherpekel6096]

Or maybe the history in this fictional world is totally different to our own? Maybe California is still a conservative state?

[@bdon175]

My biggest question is why the POTUS of this movie didn't take refuge in the bunker under the WH? I mean, I have a lot more to pick at but that whole WH scene just lacked logic for me. Movie was decent but not some groundbreaking controversial film it is depicted as.

[@tdrewman]

I think he was trying to escape because he knew the end was near and he got caught before he could escape.

[@AuralesseX]

Maybe the bunker under the White House is just a myth.

[@KG-Brozylad]

I’m guessing the WF had intel on the escape tunnels and either destroyed them or blocked them. They had captured several loyalist generals days earlier and the attack came sooner than expected likely because of the intel from the captured generals.

[@Jake-dh9qk]

I think the bunker is only good if you KNOW there will be a relief army coming to save you. But in the movie those secret service guys are probably the very last of the last defense they have left. If they hide in bunker they'll just slowly die of starvation. They also have secret tunnels to use but I'm assuming some of the WH defectors leaked the info out and those tunnels were also under siege and blocked off.

[@alfredmohammed9197]

Despots are usually huge narcissist. Because, of this they suffer from delusions of grandeur (they don’t believe that they will ever get caught or that they will still win a war that is clearly over.) You can see his narcissism during the drive to D.C where he is still saying that we will win, and that victory is close when clearly it isn’t. Also someone mentioned that the generals surrendered. They probably gave up the locations of the bunkers and other places.

[@HaloDieHard]

They don't tell you the whole story because a lot of the times journalists don't know the whole story

[@PureEvil1138]

or they purposely leave things out because journalism is dead

[@fusser935]

Wouldn’t journalist be the most informed?

[@jasonmorgan27]

@@fusser935 LMFAO have you been under a rock the last 7 years???? They are propagandist and activist now. You obviously choose the blue pill Neo.

[@gups4963]

But they will happily make on up

[@inventions178]

@@PureEvil1138 Not really but k

[@samuelwilliams8575]

I found it weird that Joel was really upset when Sammy was killed, but, at the start of the film when Lee told Jessie to wear a helmet and everyone was ok when, helmetless, Lee, was shot.

[@reyesreviews]

That's somethin a lot of people have been talking about, but I think we can just assume he didn't notice because they were so close to the president

[@vickster5001]

I think the point was meant to be that their jobs mean that in the moment the job takes priority. And that was getting to the president. His emotions were turned off in the moment. When Sammy died he had the time in the moment to focus on it.

[@brianng8350]

To be fair, Joel did not mourn Sammy until they were safely in camp. He could be mourning Lee later. At the end of the movie, he had one job to do , which is to make their deaths mean something. This is how each one of them operated in the movie. It is pretty consistent.

[@joelanthonylim6792]

I think it's important to note that he and Lee were there to interview and grill the president, but when Lee was killed, Joel was visibly upset and asked for a quote instead before letting the soldiers kill the president. His mood and motive definitely changed after his friends started dying and eventually his partner was killed

[@Fatblue246]

to be fair Joel didn't process Sammy's death until the work aspect was done and they were at camp, and then he immediately went back to working right after. Very similar situation in the white house, and it is clear by the way he interacted with the president he was reeling with it in that moment as well. No questions, just a quote. He didn't want to interview him anymore, he wanted him dead. A lot of the stuff in this movie was subtle IMO and would require a second watch through.

[@B3ASTBOi_]

I'm bummed out they didn't give Nick Offerman more screen time

[@andydwyer6627]

As Someone in the military, I noticed The soldiers having their hair and nails painted as well as Jesse Plemons character being overweight is a representation of when the armies of middle eastern countries in our timeline start to focus less and less on military standards/regulations and soldiers start to become more individuals, committing crimes in uniform, smoking weed and other atrocities because their superiors lack coordination which leads to their overall downfall.

[@Americanbadashh]

"smoking weed and other atrocities" Are you having a laugh?

[@theonlydiego1]

@@Americanbadashh Using drugs while on a job is not professional.

[@technicolordiode9891]

they literally use adderall in the navy seals and they were smoking straight up weed in Vietnam lol

[@Americanbadashh]

@@theonlydiego1 It's a plant, this ain't the 1960s anymore

[@raymonds8354]

Once California and Texas are separate republics and can do what they want internally with their sovereign selves (blue or red), they could have ties to each other with trade and even a military alliance for mutual benefit (using that two-star flag like a UN or NATO flag for their joint cause). And as the two most powerful ex-states (with big populations, economies, militaries, and worldwide clout), the two juggernauts and their allies would be fearsome… Also, two very different countries sometimes align for a bigger common cause, like America and Russia in World War II…

[@jmichaeldeane9966]

Thank you 100%

[@Jake-dh9qk]

Yep. Cali and Texas being red vs blue is irrelevant when a bigger problem is afoot. In the movie, it's no longer red vs blue. Now it's anti-government vs pro-government. Texas and Cali care more about replacing the corrupt government than fighting over democratic or republican differences.

[@TheOldVeganDude]

I watched it on IMAX. WOW. So... I have to say as a veteran and a photographer, this is a motion picture about photographers covering highly dangerous situations. As a veteran I can say that the script, and cinematography was outstanding. This flick had me remembering things I didn't really want to remember and was highly convincing as far as effects go. All in all this movie was vary thought provoking. The fact that a civil war was exploding everywhere was a prop. The story is all about capturing history and trying to not get yourself killed, or becoming the center of the action. Good flick. Once is enough for me. The Sony Alpha 7 was a nice touch too. Thanks for posting.

[@heyheyhey520]

Jesse Clemons delivered a performance of the life time. One of the best scenes I’ve sene this year.

[@noahb3ll958]

I’m glad he lost all that weight, he looked terrible in El Camino, the breaking bad movie

[@matthewhallberg8256]

I understand the lack of context can be frustrating, but we're meant to focus on the journalists and what their thoughs and motivations are. And NOT doing a big exposition dump or telling us every detail helps keep the focus where it should be. Very intense film, but a very good film

[@wiiplaya25]

Would’ve helped if the characters had depth

[@jmichaeldeane9966]

What added depth in the characters are viewers looking for? Can’t one infer much about the characters from what we are shown of them?

[@leeporwoll2380]

@@wiiplaya25 Kirsten Dunst had it in spades. Where were you?

[@Fatblue246]

yea the film was definitely about the morality and implications of journalism in war time, the civil war in America was very much just a setting to make the feelings one would feel more visceral for the American market. One could have easily set this movie in the Syrian civil war and it would largely be the same, the American component was just to drive home the surreal nature of the work etc. that is often lost to the American perspective when it takes place somewhere so far away. Was very smart from a film producing stand point tbh

[@jonskywalker2899]

The problem is they marketed this film off of a “Civil War” and what that would look like. You can’t promise your audience a specific story and not deliver.

[@AtlasBliss]

"what kind of American are you?" = the entire nature of consciousness and love triumphing over war, boiled down to one brilliant movie scene

[@braxtonmyers2744]

I think the Hawaiian shirts allude to the "boogaloo boys"

[@humansvd3269]

They are.

[@ekkthree]

Ca and tx are allied in the film because the studio wants to sell tickets in more than one half of the country 😂

[@TheSimonHxC]

As an European, my point of view on this movie is that America is scary AF and if a civil war were to break out it would be hell, and I think the movie portrays this uncertainty of who's fighting who and for what reason from the point of view of someone that is not American. At least that's how I see it. It feels like you Americans seem to understand the whole plot of the movie (even though it seems to be very vague) better because it is based on your country. I hope my explanation makes sense. In the end I thought the movie was very good from an artistic point of view and it really made me feel scared. I think it did its job!

[@jameskelley5918]

I totally agree and I’m American. I kept coming back to “this was made by a Brit”. it’s very voyeuristic

[@destruxionshop]

y'know what freaks me out? how northern France is littered with fields still toxic from the war to end wars. I'm less afraid of a civil war than i am of the shellings empires give to one another.

[@dnajournal4321]

Lol, when "civil war" broke out in Europe twice in the 20th century, everything that happened in this movie happened on a massive scale. Did you remember WW1 and WW2?

[@SinKeez]

I would argue that “antifa massacre” is also vague. Because everyone keeps interpreting that as Antifa getting massacred, but it’s said so open ended that it could also mean that Antifa was doing the massacring…

[@ShannonR1969]

. . . which is more likely, frankly.

[@randomarcgunner4543]

I choose to believe it was antifa getting massacred since it ties in with the authoritarian things we see referenced, such as how the US government is described as bombing their own people.

[@lucaspapadopoulos3063]

Makes sense considering they had that more socialist factions in the north US in the movie.

[@SinKeez]

@@lucaspapadopoulos3063 they literally tell you in the movie that the president is a far right dictator on his third term. Do you people not pay attention to the movies you watch?

[@damionknt]

i saw this movie yesterday . im glad they left things without background because why would the people who lived it for years most likely talk about the hard things and this was about the photo evidence not the written word so pictures are worth more in this context. but all around loved it

[@crystalcausey2681]

I assumed that California and Texas both wanted to secede from the United States as two separate nations and they were only teaming up to fight for the right to do so. Not that they were going to secede together as a united nation. And yes, they give zero context on what the Florida Alliance or the northwest states motivation is.

[@KG-Brozylad]

I could see that except for they’re fighting under one flag, if they had no plans on forming a nation/state/republic together they would might be allied but they would have separate flags.

[@SheevX66XPalpatine]

I do think there is validity to being vague as to whom started/why it started. It shows the nature of war, that indeed, it would be a crap shoot to run into anyone with an agenda.

[@HookEm21]

Why is the directed obligated to alienate half the audience like many Hollywood films. It was refreshing that this movie did not. If you really think about it, the point was that you should be on the side of "Lets not have a civil war". I thought that was excellent. We all should be on the same side watching this movie.

[@CypherDivine]

15:25 the boogaloo boys were known to wear Hawaiian shirts

[@yeshayahu8358]

You are correct. That scene takes place in Virginia and that’s where there HQ is at in real life.

[@johnrivers9393]

I don’t know about them all being Boo’gs. They may have former Alphabet Soup Agency operators. Example: Josh Brolins character in Sicario.

[@Bluis5445]

We still wear them

[@yeshayahu8358]

@@Bluis5445 😊😊😊😊😊

[@82stuntman]

Call the ODNI, we got another chief intelligence analyst here folks 😂

[@parkerhughes434]

Not sure how people are confused how the war started? The scene where Joel wonders what questions he should ask the president gives all the clues we need. 1. President forced third term. 2. President dissolved FBI, presumably to keep himself from being investigated for crimes. 3. The President ordered an airstrike on his own citizens.(Which I wouldn't be surprised was the catalyst for Texas and California to unite.) A lot of things are left ambiguous in the movie, like what the deal with the Florida Alliance is(most likely white supremacist faction as evident by Jesse Plemons character), but I thought the domino effect for what caused the civil war was quite clear after that questions scene.

[@albertsegura6034]

Technically, those all could have happened after the war started.

[@timesup6302]

I don't think he was a white supremacist.

[@Quetzalcoatl_Feathered_Serpent]

Perhaps. Although I don't think its a white supremacist faction but likely is deploying a variety of soldiers or militia like Plemons character that is supposed to push into enemy territory and cause chaos and fear. We don't know much of his character. Its possible he is a ex-convict the faction deployed for the sole purpose of causing destruction and chaos, well regular troops deals in more important issues.

[@Tony-Soprano]

Defund the FBI😂

[@randomarcgunner4543]

There is also the mention of the Antifa Massacre, which could indicate the government cracking down on groups like Antifa.

[@nelsonthedestroyer5262]

I feel like Garland really wanted to say no matter what side you are on,this would be horrific if it were to happen, and I feel like thats why he gave us no side to root for, and I think that was the right move.

[@NikkoBalbedina]

Joel laughing with the rebels isn’t a weird thing to do for war journalists (or any journalist for that matter). We’ve been told to bring packs of cigarettes and a flask of whiskey even if we don’t smoke or drink just so we can either use them to make a subject feel more comfortable or we could use them as bribe to get out of sticky situations. Journalists don’t also usually talk about the news with each other while they cover it.

[@tsparc2]

Wow - the Andy Ngo take.... guess they should have shown "mostly peaceful footage"

[@johnnyboy3864]

That's what I'm saying

[@billsnyder1494]

Yeah, his bias was apparent early on in the video so no surprise

[@coolichka42]

"Summer of Love"

[@tychostation2423]

@@coolichka42the summer of love. Over 100 days straight of peaceful destruction

[@lucaspapadopoulos3063]

Ironic while talking about a movie thats theme is around journalism, he openly discredits a journalist that records evidence of violence from a politically charged group 🤦‍♂️

[@symphorienmi6]

IMO keeping the reason for the start of the vague is great. Having experienced waryself it doesnt matter what or why it started when you're in the middle of it. I felt the point the director was trying to make was that war is hell no matter what the lines are or who is fighting it

[@chination1796]

Hold up why would the president be hiding under the desk instead of an underground bunker? Why didn't he leave the white house period? It just didn't make any sense 😂

[@phoenixhorn-nc7tk]

Hollywood

[@Akunda4]

I was thinking the same dang thing. Just take the pres out of the back door. Or anywhere else literally anywhere else. Or in a bunker like 80 floors deep and just hole up for a few weeks

[@gsfouroone5045]

There are tunnels and bunkers in DC everywhere. The only reason a POTUS would stay in DC during a civil war would be because it was secure. Not hiding under a desk.

[@Snarf_Le_Wombat]

You tell me why Boe Jiden made the fence 13 feet tall around the White House 😮😂😂😂

[@brianng8350]

X2 made sense because Nightcrawler imitated the attack. But if the war is on the front lawn of the White House in a civil war, it is a leap of logic why he is not in a bunker or something. But the director wanted that final capture and execution, which otherwise would not happen. Can’t be perfect.

[@MJC1891]

28:37 well that’s the problem journalists should be unbiased

[@mikescialdone]

Journalism is supposed to be unbiased. Opinions are supposed to be editorial pieces.

[@v4valencia1]

tell that to basically any mainstream "Journalist" nowadays

[@mikescialdone]

@@v4valencia1 reporting with opinion, side, slant or spin isn't journalism it's propaganda. Yes people eat it up yes there are networks devoted to it and created for it but it's not news or journalism.

[@PureEvil1138]

There's no such thing as unbiased journalists anymore

[@Anarchist_communist]

Nothing can be unbiased journalism

[@ShannonR1969]

@@Anarchist_communist Not true. We're just used to bias everywhere now.

[@Corvetjoe1]

There has always been pictures of troops posing with corpses in hot zones. Just something some do in the heat of battle. This happened from the real civil war, WII, Korea, Nam and during other select “real-world” contingencies.

[@aleaanderson6600]

I think Full Metal Jacket has a scene of soldiers doing it for fun.

[@mnk9073]

You know how slavery-loving Maryland really really wanted to join the CSA but the Union straight up went "oh hell no you won't" and dragooned them into being unionist with all the Union troops assembled around DC? I could picture that for Arizona and Nevada who probably wanted to join the Western forces but couldn't due to loyalist troops present.

[@thenateblack]

The Hawaiian shirt guys on the college campus are a nod to the Boogaloo Boys in real life back in 2020

[@goodcitizen3027]

I think the comparison of the Jake Gyllenhall character to Jesse is apt. They are both despicable characters.

[@benhenderson8952]

Jesse Plemons was chilling 🕶️❤️

[@chination1796]

Evil Matt Damon was chilling 😂

[@pontiacGXPfan]

Channeling Todd Alquist

[@overundersidewaysdown]

What kind of American are you?

[@jessica.L.edwards]

The pastel nails and hair aren’t the first example of that color scheme. It’s also against the wall earlier in the movie at the college. Jessie collapses against it after the action there.

[@ashyabbos]

Yes, thank you - was hoping someone else caught that! The wearing of those colors/usage of them on the wall is very much intentional.

[@KyloRenRadio]

I saw that too - are they in the same faction/militia?

[@mytruecrimelibrary]

Militia group the Boogaloo Boys wears Hawaiian shirts. That's probably who Garland was referencing.

[@datalorev]

I think this movie’s point was how we cease to see each other as human beings when at war.

[@obtadventures]

I believe the most important piece no one seems to discuss is this is not a movie detailing the end of a civil war, but the beginning of one. This was a coup that was ended by another coup. The civil war begins after, when the opposing factions have to determine who will decide the America that continues.

[@legolad7477]

The only issue that Texas and California would agree on is that nobody can agree on anything

[@ThePoliticalBulldog]

It really seemed like the western alliance was the governmental forces of the two states rather than the citizenry.

[@johnrivers9393]

Errrrrrbody agrees on money though.

[@jmichaeldeane9966]

Remember when Kevin Durant went to the warriors? Sometimes you just want the other best player on your team

[@Fatblue246]

not really. If both state's goals were to secede from the federal state why wouldn't they cooperate in that goal? They would be going their own separate ways at the end of the fight, all they would need to agree upon is that the federal government has to be gone lol, which clearly they would both agree on if their goals were secession. It would be more weird if they refused to work together on achieving that goal strictly off of ideological differences. Germany and the USSR were ideologically opposed in the 30's yet they both cooperated in their mutual goal of splitting Poland up lol. The enemy of my enemy is my friend is a really simple and old concept in human interaction, don't see why so many people here don't get that. Also Texas and Cali have incredibly linked economies and populations the same way FL and NY do lol, arguably even more so. ideological differences do little to change these socioeconomic and logistic facts.

[@ThePoliticalBulldog]

@@Fatblue246 but that was not the western alliances goal - quite the opposite they seem to be fighting to keep the union together.

[@jps0117]

I think JC Penney is ahead of its time, because they kind of look that way *now*.

[@anthonydemeo1620]

When they swap cars during the drive, it frustrates me so much. No one would do that shit in a warzone

[@viniciusmaiasilveira616]

Wagner Moura acting is impeccable

[@abelhapedras]

muito orgulho né

[@vopogon3248]

Fun fact: the California flags star represents Texas. Not a joke. Look it up. Just two old comrades coming together again, nothing weird there.

[@humansvd3269]

California is only blue because of the cities. You leave LA, San Fran and it becomes Red, real fast.

[@kennyfnpowers707]

Not really, the star represents becoming a state without ever being a territory like Texas. It doesnt represent Texas but has the same meaning behind the Texas lone star.

[@brownenerdygurl]

Think about it. Texas and California have a lot in common; large land mass, crucial technologies (oil, tech, agriculture) migrating populations etc. I think this movie is about what war would look like for us, how we would treat each other.

[@noahsilvey4928]

The part about the fence being added to the power plant is simply the fact the movie was filmed in Georgia and thats very common there

[@DougAnderson-tv1jd]

Context of the big picture over view of the movie: - The movie creator just filmed “it” leaving the viewers to ask the questions…. Exactly like the press did in the movie. Not to give every little reason behind every tid-bit in the movie. He set the stage and let’s the audience interpret the back drop.

[@mkdemigodzillawarrior]

Of course...with them leaving it up to us, don't blame us for asking what the heck was going on.

[@nicksues1695]

This movie in my opinion was amazing. It exceeded my expectations. Filming it through the eyes of the journalist/press that have to courage to cover wars was a great idea.

[@Dragonfist12185]

How many of the Loyalists states are loyal by choice? How many do you think tried to secede and got conquered in the early days of the war?

[@joeyclemenza7339]

To me, it’s quite easy to understand Texas and California being in a union. There’s is a union of necessity, not of ideological support. They’ve both more than likely succeeded as two individual sovereign countries, and now fly a confederate like flag of two countries united under one common goal… the complete dissolution of the USA.

[@gideonplays814]

Being from Central, Pennsylvania, when the go Steelers was on the screen, there were a few cheers in the theater, including from myself 😂

[@boltspeedman35]

i think the fact that we are so frustrated with the lack of context and the need for more lore just proves how immersed it was, for me at least

[@mkdemigodzillawarrior]

It is, but at the same time I can’t enjoy the film with all of those questions in my head because the lack of any clarity or context makes it frustrating to understand the world. I mean, that’s world building 101 after all.

[@Fatblue246]

@@mkdemigodzillawarrior the point is to not have world building though. You are seeing it through the fog of war and the eyes of a journalist in said fog. There isn't supposed to be an explanation because the movie isn't about the conflict it is about morality of war correspondence and the consequences surrounding it etc.

[@boltspeedman35]

@@mkdemigodzillawarrior For me, having all of these unanswered questions made me feel like I was just as confused as some of the citizens would feel having no access to information or communication services, only able to focus on what's right in front of them at any given moment. Maybe try rewatching with this sort of mindset once it hits streaming

[@nicholasspence3691]

Cali and Texas has the most military bases, reserves, guard, active, and militia, more then any other states

[@stephenwood6663]

Given that the WF even think the Secret Service is militarily relevant, I tend to imagine that it's evolved into some kind of paramilitary force in its own right - a kind of Praetorian Guard, if you will.

[@shulker2469]

A paramilitaire force or not, they are still wearing suits and having only some MP5 with them.

[@LelekPLN]

Gen Zer more tech savy than a Millenial? That's a stretch

[@FigmentForever]

Seriously. The number of Gen Z people I know who can’t navigate anything outside social media when it comes to tech is ridiculous. Throw them in front of a PC & they are more confused than Boomers.

[@LelekPLN]

​@@FigmentForeverexactly

[@supersaiyanbino]

Crazy how much a beard makes someone look like a totally different person

[@LaughingPlanetMusic]

Gas lighter to Gas attendant ???

[@Jonathon283]

Bright colors on hands/hair hints at a faction. Can see the paint at college too.

[@absolutecomics]

I'm peruvian and watching this movie from and outsider's perspective... it was the perfect movie. I didn't feel the need for more context cause I understood that's not the story and that it kinda makes you feel like you were just thrown into the situation, which made me feel even more terrified about what might happen next. Of course, having studied journalism as part of my career helped a lot by adding some extra layer of significance to the way the protagonists behave. This movie shooked me in ways I haven't been shook in years.

[@rpd3327]

When I first saw the trailer for Civil War, I laughed thinking that Texas conservatives and California liberals would join forces together. But then I started thinking, there would have to be a huge reason for both sides to put aside their ideologies and join forces. And sure enough I was right! In the movie this President breaks the constitution by serving three terms and ordering airstrikes on American civilians on US soil.

[@choatican]

Andy ngo must have pissed in this guys Cheerios....Jesus.

[@kindenigma4119]

Considering Andy is a mockery of journalism and integrity....

[@moicus29]

​@@kindenigma4119Bc dem journo's 2015-2020 were so objective?

[@colbyrhea6069]

​@@moicus29exactly

[@DuranmanX]

As a Tejano I welcome our Californios allies

[@LilySteph1949]

Please don’t turn the movie into something of real life

[@DuranmanX]

@@LilySteph1949 our revolution will not be divided by state but by class

[@dewaynealston9522]

🙄

[@chination1796]

Good luck with that 😂

[@witchdoc5075]

As a Texan, I felt nauseous seeing that california made the second star on the flag. I 100% agree that would never happen. ALL of the south from Texas to Florida banning together makes WAY more sense.

[@GruntProof]

what a ridiculously special ed movie

[@brooks.anderson6742]

I'm going to see Civil War this afternoon in India. I'm glad I watched your video before seeing the film. I'm surprised you could say so much about Civil War without mentioning Oliver Stone's movie Salvador, which was also about journalists on a road trip in a different civil war. I'm pretty sure the helicopter in Vietnam was on top of a CIA base, not the US Embassy.

[@zhaupt]

Not a movie I thought you would cover but I am happy you did.

[@ShelbieMua]

The scene where Lee was laying in the grass and staring at the flowers with Jesse on the other side said a lot too. Was definitely foreshadowing

[@johnathanprince1977]

OMG YESSS!! 100000% agree with what you said at the end about there being NO context to the conflict. This bothered me throughout the entire movie. Would have LOVED to have seen some sort of build up explanation at the beginning. Even the purge franchise was able to give explanation.

[@ez1lla]

Texas and California are two states that have historically followed their own path. I agree with the rest of your review though.

[@toneriggz]

I liked the movie overall. Not my favorite Garland flick tho.

[@cortexexpansion1248]

They destroy the Lincoln memorial with a javelin, which I don't think is considered an RPG. Not a big deal it just made me pause for a second. Excellent analysis and excellent film in my opinion.

[@destruxionshop]

Rookie mistake am'i'right my boys?!

[@iceak907]

I love that Alaska is seen as a neutral area. As an Alaskan at least that means I will be chilling up here.

[@themojoverse]

There's an infinite number of random occurrences that led to the current state of America in this movie. Knowing the particulars doesn't have any bearing on the point of the film so it really doesn't matter.

[@WoogieboogieOG]

Wish it could have been a mini series. Then maybe the last 20 mins wouldn’t of been the best part 🤦🏻

[@KerrySayers-vm6vm]

I’ve seen 5 reviews of this movie, yours is definitely the best, thank you.

[@Freedom0rBust]

Andy Ngo is an actual journalist. That's why they used his footage.

[@keanuwamae9262]

Journalist is a stretch

[@ALE199-ita]

@@keanuwamae9262 Last time I checked being there and recording footage was what actual journalists do instead of going over a green screen and tell people "This is a mostly peaceful protest"

[@keanuwamae9262]

@@ALE199-ita Didn’t know that journalists were supposed to deliberately provoke violence and coordinate their acts with far right terrorist groups but ok.

[@LotkaVolterra]

I think Erik's approach to this video encapsulates the responsibilities of a journalist better than the movie did. It's not just a fact-finding mission; it's a truth-finding mission. Civil War seemed a bit afraid to commit to a side, and its depiction of journalists rang false as a result. They wear their ideology on their sleeves, but the ones in movie never let us in on their real agendas.

[@Fatblue246]

domestic journalists do but war correspondents seldom spin a narrative. not the ones actually there at least. They mostly just record, which has a lot of ethical implications and questions within itself, which the film 100% was addressing. You're conflating all journalism with a specific niche of journalism.

[@LotkaVolterra]

@@Fatblue246 That's an important distinction. Thank you.

[@LibertyPrime1982]

Yeah, but then he shows his bias and shits on another fellow journalist at the end of the video

[@slickrickcm]

The star over the bear that is in The California flag is inspired by Texas because they fought for their freedom. So I do believe those two stars could be on the same flag.

[@just1guy]

I thought it was cool that it was released on April 12th, which was the same day the first civil war started. And as for context of the movie’s civil war- i think back these last few years. It’s enough for me to believe we are heading in that direction.

[@christopherpekel6096]

People need to try and understand this this storyline is fictional, and the leadup to the factions could have had a totally different history than ours for the last few decades leading up to it

[@thebossthusiast1960]

Andy Ngo did nothing wrong. Actually he's the very kind of journalist the movie is telling us to respect, someone who takes risks (and has sustained debilitating injuries from it). Videos like this are a lot better when people leave their personal biases out of it.

[@PublicRecordsGeek]

It's a classic "If THOSE TWO agree" situation, plus "Who has Seaports" question. Close enough to DC, they could take away your seaports.

[@thenateblack]

Also Texas and California sides together because they have the most amount of military bases in the US Cali (123) and Texas (59) followed by Florida with (56)

[@Bryaniskey]

The crazy thing about it is that I can actually see this happening in the future

[@germany456]

I think we all can, I would believe that we can get drafted soon, fighting in the urban of DC IS CRAZY

[@dnajournal4321]

Hopefully.

[@PVAPlayy]

Anything to restore sanity to this country. The left has gone too far.

[@chickrepelant]

the snipers nail polish, and the splattered paint at the college seem pretty intentional. Also, the aloha shirts were a reference to the "boogaloo boys" I kinda liked that they DIDNT explain the WF, or the cause for the civil war as usual, team, great video, and friends: DO NOT FEED THE TROLLS

[@nicholasbarao3358]

Okay my thoughts while watching this movie was that something like this would make a great video game. Trying to take news worthy photos during the middle of war while dodging bullets. sign me up.

[@thWlfpack]

Me and my dad had a conversation about this movie during the ride home. But his question about the movie is similar to that of "why did the civil war start or how", but what he asked is how it escalated to the fact that Californian and Texan Forces managed to even reach Maryland/Virginia.

[@nickolasdavis4]

As a person from Atlanta there were so many shots that were clearly Atlanta I was very confused throughout the film but alas I found it very interesting I just wish it was more photographed for the areas that it was trying to portray maybe I’m just biased because I’ve been in a lot of these places that these scenes were shot and it threw me off really bad.

[@swann433]

My mom lives in Smyrna and I've been to Atlanta a lot and weirdly enough I didn't recognize it as Atlanta at all.

[@nickolasdavis4]

@@swann433 u not from here twin

[@swann433]

@@nickolasdavis4 atl used to be fun back in the 80s...now its just another overcrowded shithole....

[@edboy-jo1hk]

Thanks for this video. I enjoyed the movie. Though wished they had worked more on the worldbuilding aspect, specially how the war might have started in the first place.

[@TacticallyFitOfficial]

Imagine how amazing California could be if it flipped red. Would possibly be the greatest state ever.

[@katrinawinbornmiller4820]

That was tough for me to watch, but as always, a great summary. I appreciated it all, thanks for all of it.

[@ragubrandtomatosauce9889]

I appreciate this video thank you