The Chonnam Tribune publishes this feature in collaboration with CNU’s student clubs. The club featured in this issue is the “English Speaking Union,” whose members practice English conversation. This club screens and discusses movies featuring diverse social issues. – Ed.
By English Speaking Union
Lee: Are you gonna take the photo?
Jessie: You told me not to rush.
Lee: Yeah, but there’s a sweet spot*, and you’re missing it.
From Civil War (2024)
*Sweet spot: The optimal point or area on a bat, club, or racket where it makes the most effective contact with the ball. In general usage, it can also describe an ideal situation or a person’s key strength. This expression is often used in situations such as job interviews or self introductions, where individuals highlight their strongest skills or most favorable attributes.
“Civil War” is a dystopian action film about journalists journeying across a near-future United States during a nationwide conflict. During a second American civil war, journalists head to Washington D.C. to interview the president.
REVIEWS
★★★★★
Lee Seong-un: It highlights the brutality of war and political turmoil, while emphasizing the importance of preserving history through the recording of truth. As the film concludes, it leaves viewers a lingering question: “What are we fighting for?”
★★★★★
Lee Seo-jin: Wars caused by ideological conflicts, like the one depicted in the movie, are painfully ironic. Ideologies, the beliefs and values of a given group or political party, are theoretically created for the betterment of humanity yet end up being the cause of massive suffering and death.
★★★★☆
Kim Woo-jin: Watching this film was an intense experience. Despite its many horrifying scenes, I found myself completely immersed, realizing that this could one day become our reality. The tension and realism made the story even more gripping.
★★★★☆
Seo Hyeong-won: The brutal nature of war and the merciless slaughter heightened its sense of immersion. Scenes of journalists, compelled to capture these violent spectacles on camera and becoming desensitized to death as people killed one another, were particularly striking.