Children of Men Analysis

[Eugene]

The year is 2027 – for the last two decades, no women has ever been able to conceive a child. No children, no future. This is the Children of Men.

Cauron thrust us into a realistic dimension in film only recently explored by war movies by filming the movie like a documentry. In a sense, this is the mis-en-scene of the film. Cauron wants us to connect with the characters in this movie as if we had the capability to witness the conflicts Theo, the protagonist, have with militants, ex-wife, or himself. As the movie progresses, we slowly realize the very reason Theo is committed to his job. On a superficial level, it is because he is threatened by the Fishes. But deep down, Theo revisits his dedication and faith to the cause – the search for humanity’s solution – and eventually sacrifices himself by protecting the key to the future.

No shots in this film have ever been without some form of movement. The camera always tracks Theo, centering all attention on the protagonist. However, it is the handy-cam that creates this overall effect of reality that the audience feels as if it was another character witnessing the actions first hand in the film.

I will be evaluating the scene in which Theo saves Kee from the Fishes.

The scene establishes (or should I say continues) with Theo entering a half-demolished building.

The previous shot in which the British army slaughtered innocent refuges suggest that Theo is in a helpless situation.

The tension loosens as Theo enters a safer environment (building) but we continue to hear a diegetic ringing sound with a muffled background noise to suggest that Theo is still in grave danger. The area is piled with dead bodies. A man with his lower half severed from his upper begs Theo for help, but Theo cannot help. Theo though ducks for cover behind the stairs. He is framed between natural lights from the window on the left with cold hard concrete on the right: this implies that he still has hope with his mission against all odds of danger.

Theo begins walking up a spiral of stairs. This shot “feels” continuous because the cinematographer at instances shows the audience the environment of the scene to add to the realistic effect of the movie. The next shot, which is a long shot, continues from the previous shot, but is used to introduce us into a different environment – one with broken walls, cracked windows, and debris. This style continues throughout the entire scene. Some shots are literally 2 – 5 minutes long. Cauron again wants to create a gateway in which the audience can become a character who is engaged in the environment. This way, we will understand the difficulties and dangers Theo is facing during his mission.

After Theo finds Kee and her baby, they merely escaped from an explosion in the room that Kee was held captive by Luke. There is a subtle transition between the diegetic sounds from the explosion to the non-diegetic angelical music that is edited into the scene. This becomes important in suggesting the remaining scenes in the movie. As Theo escorts Kee out of the building, most of the shots were shot by tracking their movement as they leave the building. But, Cauron wants to add scope in this scene by using reaction shots of bystanders who are witnessing the scene. These reactions shots are often cut between shots that track Theo’s movements. Without the reaction shots, there will be an emotional void in this movie. The reactions of the bystanders are crucial in developing the sense that humanity founds it cure to extinction. Thegesture of the bystanders reaching out their hands to touch the baby, even if they have to remove themselves from safety, is an implied form of gratitude for humanity’s salvation.

When they reach the bottom floor, the angelic music grows louder. A long shot is used instead of the tracking shot. Not only does it encompass the entire setting, it is also important to take note of the refugees who are crawling towards the baby from their safety to witness the event. The strong natural light fills the room from the left of the frame. It complements the music because the light serves as a symbol of a protective shelter for the baby. In fact, the exchange of violence between the militants and the British army momentarily halts in this part of the scene. The baby, despite being in the same environment, is much safer.

The music stops when Theo exists the building. The only sound we hear is the diegtic noise of the baby crying. In a moment when the audience, and even the characters, thought that there no longer is danger that lies ahead of Theo’s journey, a RPG blasts a tank. Cauron plunges us back into the grim reality of the movie.

[Cailin L]

Wow, Eugene this is a very thorough analysis! I need to watch this movie. Just a couple things I noticed:
-I think you meant "non-diegetic," not "non-diuretic" (that means "causing increased passing of urine") :)
-While you did an effective job noting the lighting and cinematography, there are numerous other aspects you could have mentioned, like costumes, color choice, shots (i.e. long shot, medium shot) and why they were chosen
-There seemed to be a bit too much focus on storyline as opposed to analysis

But really, well done.