Civil War Christian Review
Civil War is a film that shows a dystopian America where civil war is going on. Four journalists risk their lives to reach Washington D.C. so that they can interview the president, when he has turned against his own people. In a way, the film is shown through the eyes of war photographers, but when you look at it from a Christian perspective, it seems a bit more intense and unsettling.
The basic idea of the film is to show the wind that blows after the civil war. These people set out on their journey and all they see is violence and destruction. This movie tries to show you the raw, brutal side of war but it exaggerates the intense tension and hopelessness too much. As it says in Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers,” but this movie does not focus on the peacemakers but only on the people who are simply surviving, no matter what is happening.
Watching the character of Jessie, one wonders how a person can lose his humanity when he is witnessing violence all the time. This film shows just that – people lose their morality when they see only pain and destruction everywhere. Where is that hope? Where is that redemption that we should all expect? This film does not give that answer.
If you can tolerate violence, then you will find this film quite intense. Some scenes are so graphic that you will think “was this necessary?” Whenever there is a little violence in films, it makes the story realistic in a way. But this movie exaggerates everything and makes every scene so disturbing that it seems it is being shown just for shock value. Philippians 4:8 reminds us that we should focus only on the things that are pure, that are good, but this movie ignores those very things.
There is no moment in the movie where you feel, “Now everything will be right.” You see characters like Sammy and Lee lose their lives and other characters, like Jessie, just become even more emotionally numb after their death. Where is that growth, that spiritual awakening? This film only shows you that in a brutal world, all there is to survive. So what a Christian needs – hope, redemption, peace – he cannot find it here. The character of Jessie, who is losing her innocence, is just one more reminder of how war distances a person from his humanity.
This also raises the question, why do we watch all this? When we watch scenes of war, are we watching them just for entertainment, without any deeper meaning? According to Christianity, we work for peace, justice, and reconciliation, but this film does not explore those things.
Civil War is a raw and gritty film that shows the real side of war, but there is a little hopeless and dark angle in it which seems difficult from a Christian perspective. The excessive use of violence and the despair in every scene is quite troubling. If you watch films that glorify destruction, then this film will definitely engage you. But if you want films that provide hope, redemption, and spiritual insight, this film does not go in that direction.
Civil War is a strong visual experience, but when viewed from a Christian perspective, this film seems quite morally and spiritually empty. The constant focus on violence and hopelessness is the opposite of our Christian call to pursue peace and love. Therefore, I give this film a 2/5 rating. This film is intense, but the lack of a moral and redemptive message makes it a challenging and unsettling experience.
