Have you seen the recent film Civil War?
It is certainly gripping and a good story centred around a group of press people. But from a war point of view, I did have misgivings. It is not a pacifist film for sure. The images of death and destruction being inflicted by US citizens on one another are truly horrifying, as are the costs borne by the press crew who form the core of the plot. But otherwise it seemed to me like a typical war film, the excitement keeping us on the edge of our seats. Worse was the behaviour of the crew, putting themselves in danger to get the pictures they wanted, and taking a neutral view of what was going on around them. In fact, the young new press recruit, the hero of the film, said ‘I have never felt so frightened, but never felt more alive’ – just the kind of thing military veterans, at least the ones who survive anyway, have sometimes said about taking part in combat.
Was Civil War opposing or glorifying war, a warning, or just there to entertain us?