One example of the contemporary parallels is early on the film. A group of British soldiers demands that several young men, about the same age as the soldiers, stand against a wall to be questioned. One of the young Irishmen response to questioning in Gaellic causing the soldiers frustration at his refusal to answer in the language the soldiers understand. The soldiers establish a sense of control by beating the Irish youth to death. Later, refusing to accept that some women may not have the information they seek, the British soldiers burn down a house and humiliate a young woman by shearing off her hair. For some of the soldiers, fighting the Irish is simply a continuation to the battles fought in "The Great War". Some of the younger soldiers seem bewildered by their mission much as many young soldiers in future wars.

Anyone who has seen previous films by Loach can anticipate where his sympathies lie. Loach and writer Paul Laverty may be against the British presence in Ireland, but they also show how divided the Irish were (and are) in not only dealing with the British but each other. In one scene there is an argument about a shop owner who exploits the poverty of his customers, but also has supplied guns on behalf of the rebellion. The film concludes by showing that the Irish who accepted the treaty with Britain being as brutal as the occupation army they had previous fought, distinguishable only by the change of uniform. As in Loach's other films, the real enemy is the one who profits from war, and Civil War is never, ever civil.