|
Set
in the near future and both a war film and a road movie, "Civil
War" sees fictional Reuters photographer Lee (Kirsten Dunst) and
reporter Joel (Wagner Moura) take to the road with the aim of
reaching Washington, D.C., before it falls to a rebel faction.
To Lee's dismay, aspiring young photographer Jessie (Cailee
Spaeny) and veteran reporter Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson)
also tag along for the obstacle-ridden trip from New York.
"It is an anti-war movie, but it's really got two other
focuses," Garland said at the film's premiere in London on
Tuesday.
"It's a story about journalists and why we need them and what
they do. But it's also asking a question, which is why is good
journalism not getting the traction? What's gone wrong? And then
a very similar question about sort of polarised populist
politics, extremist politics."
Taking on the role of Lee, who is worn out from years of
covering war zones, was a first for Hollywood veteran Dunst.
"I feel like I haven't played a role like this. And it's nice to
have a woman who has this job as a photojournalist be the lead
of an action movie about war," she said.
Dunst, 41, drew inspiration from the late reporter Marie Colvin
for her performance and familiarised herself with camera
equipment.
"She (Colvin) really embodied kind of the qualities I wanted to
bring to Lee," Dunst said.
"The thing I wanted to make sure of the most was that my camera
looked like part of my hand. That was my biggest worry, that it
didn't look authentic."
Garland, director of "Ex Machina" and writer of "28 Days Later"
and "The Beach" began writing "Civil War" in 2020, at the start
of the COVID-19 pandemic and in the lead up to the U.S.
presidential election that year.
Writing helped him process the anxiety of the time and address
the questions he had.
"I see it as being a film which is trying to have a
conversation," he said.
"This is really an audience movie," added Dunst. "It's not
telling you what to think. It's not giving you sides. It's
really about you, which I think is unique."
"Civil War" starts its global cinematic rollout on April 10.
(Reporting by Hanna Rantala; Editing by Jamie Freed)
[© 2024 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
