Once the Western Forces breach the White House, Lee, Joel, and Jessie follow along.
Lee jumps in front of her to save her from the bullets.
Jessie photographs Lees death, suggesting her apparent disconnect between a war photographer and her subject.
Lee losing her mentor changed her, and the war zone near the White House put everything into focus.
Lee was still jaded, but she recognized the importance of the work.
She also didn’t want to witness Jessie’s death when she was still so young.
“It was definitely fired from the presidents Oval Office.
I know when to cross and when not to cross with the soldiers when they fire.
I know the signals and how to read them.
Image via A24
You just know when its time to move and when its time not to.
Thats something that Cailees character Jessie obviously does not know.”
In the final scene ofCivil War,Joel asks Nick Offerman’s President for a quote.
In this way, Jessie ultimately fills in Lee’s shoes as the civil war comes to an end.
But that’s part of the transactional deal that sometimes people have to make to do that thing.
In 20 years time, what would be the image that survived this?
If there was a news article that was illustrative of that moment, what would that image be?
That is the image she takes."
That leaves their future unknown by the end ofAlex Garlands film.
They had a shared goal duringCivil War: Eradicate the fascist president.
Now that their plans have come to fruition, the future of the US is up in the air.
Its possiblethe Western Forces will rejoin the greater US and reunite the country.
Whatit doesnt reveal, however, is how the country will move forward in the aftermath.
But the ending is ambiguous, since theres no confirmation regarding what will happen next.
Garland likely wanted to keep it that way, consideringCivil Warspolitics are equally undefined.
Image via A24
They likely retreated from the capital, no longer in the fight.
Greenland, though not a part of the United States, is also neutral, like Alaska.
Image via A24
Image via A24
