Children of Men (the top ten shuffle)
If you’ve listened to some episodes of our CornBread podcast, or specifically episode 25, where we ranked our top ten films, you’ll know my (Harry) favourite film of all time is True Romance. I’m the first to acknowledge, while this film is brilliant, it might not be critically superior to other films on my list. For filmies, a top ten list is a serious thing, and films to be given this honour are not chosen lightly. At the time of recording, I put Children of Men at third, behind the aforementioned True Romance which was in pole position, and Jurassic Park coming in hot at second place. Recently I was lucky enough to catch a cinema screening of Children of Men. Having been slightly too young to catch it when it was originally released, I’ve only ever watched it on a television. Up until seeing it in the cinema, I’ve never had cause to reconsider the positioning of my top ten, but I feel obligated to do so now…
The big screen effect
Children of Men was made for the big screen, and seeing it this way was one of the finest experiences I’ve ever had in the cinema, and probably ever will. Films like this, not specifically the genre, but original films with large budgets, pioneered by incredible directors with a clear vision, just don’t really exist anymore. One Battle After Another, has just come out in the cinema and is amazing, but was a hugely overdue release for those of us craving big budget films, with no ties to previous films or comic books and so forth.
Everything about Children of Men, from the production, the cinematography, the sound design, literally everything, was enhanced to the highest possible measure of quality. I have seen this film at least a dozen times, but having it displayed on a cinema screen really helps this incredible film sing. From the opening bombast of the bombing in the coffee shop, to smaller details noticed as the camera pans around Jasper’s home, hinting at world-building I’d never noticed before, to the climactic tracking shot through the battle zone. Everything in the film was improved seeing it this way.
High emotions
People who know me well, know I’m a highly emotional individual when it comes to films. I get upset during a film more times than Trump says he knows more than anyone about something totally random (grass recently I believe) . Children of Men is no exception and if the recent screening I attended was any indication of this, I counted at least five to six times where I was welling up. A key component here is that I’ve recently become a father, and this was the first time watching this film since becoming one. The scene where Theo (Clive Owen) listens in on Jasper talking about his deceased son, Dylan, hit much harder than on previous watches.
Every time I’ve watched this film, I’ve got something different from it, this time was no exception. Being a parent really changes how you process films, maybe even life in general. Certain films where there might have been perils and risk for a family or children, before becoming a parent might have had impact, or might not have. Since becoming one, my reaction has hugely changed to these situations in films (and sadly, real life news) and now usually results in a scene impacting me.
The journey of Kee (Clare-Hope Ashitey) throughout the film is highly emotive. The only person alive with an active pregnancy (that we, as the viewers know about at least), seen as a miracle to the world. Kee, who just wants her and her baby to survive and find the best possible life for them, shuns the idea of her baby being used for anyone’s personal or political gain, especially for Luke (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and his merry band of dickhead hippies.
Kee’s birthing scene has always struck a chord with me. It is filmed immaculately, without pause, to illicit a response from the viewer, and Kee naming the baby, Dylan, honouring Theo’s deceased son, woah baby, get a full box of tissues at the ready. But a scene towards the end of the film, tore me down further than I’m willing to admit (but I will).
After the most unbelievable tracking shot following Theo through an active warzone within the refugee camp, he reunites with Kee and Dylan. Following a brief standoff with Luke, the three of them manage to escape (Theo taking a bullet, unbeknownst to the viewer at this time). On their way through the building, Dylan begins to cry, to which everyone stops, the rebels, the army and everyone caught in between. Everyone just stops.
This in itself is a hugely impacting moment in the film as this is where the narrative has been pushing us towards to confront this harsh reality where no one has heard a baby cry for nearly twenty years. The stunned silence in contrast from the extreme bombardment of the building which just occurred is haunting. There was another aspect of this, which formed a realisation for me and a friend whilst watching it.
Just after this scene, we both went to say something similar to each other (in the quietest of voices, we were in the cinema after all), where we both remarked a sombre thought. This scene was the biggest giveaway we were watching a work of fiction, as children crying would in no way stop an active warzone in real life. Those kind of realisations, suck, to be quite frank. We sat there contemplative about our sorry state of affairs ongoing throughout the world and this has stuck with me for a while now.
Also, I’d be remiss not to mention how the juvenile “pull my finger” has gone from light hearted fart prank, to absolute devastation for me now.
Luck be with you Theo
Something else I picked up on during this viewing, which I hadn’t taken note of before, is how much the character of Theo, is not even remotely positioned as an action lead. The film itself isn’t an action movie as such, but does have its fair few shares of high intensity sequences. Clive Owen plays Theo perfectly. This is the performance of his unfortunately spotty (at least where film quality is concerned) career.
The decision to make Theo at best a smuggler with street smarts and at worst, one lucky son of bitch (until he isn’t), works so well for the film. It grounds the setting completely and makes everything feel so real and the world so believable. There is an element of incompetence across the film from various characters, which helps purvey this grounded realism within a dystopian setting. Although how dystopian this film actually is remains to be seen, which leads me into…
The relevance of the here and now
It’s not news to anyone who lives in Britain (or even the U.S), there is a huge political divide at the moment. Immigration and those coming into Britain lawfully and unlawfully seems to be at the forefront of many peoples minds at the moment. Children of Men paints society teetering on the edge of collapse. A world without a future, this hopelessness permeates through the film.
In Children of Men’s world, the UK government is initiating mass deportation across the country. Whether this is a direct result of the films premise of no children being born, or other tensions in society, the film doesn’t explicitly say. What is clear is the hostility and lack of empathy on display and the shocking imagery of refugee’s (fugees’, as there not so affectionately known as) in terrible camps rife with extreme poverty.
This fictional political climate of kneejerk responses to refugee’s feels like an exaggerated (hopefully) version of what political party Reform are angling for (and what the U.S is actioning as you read this article). I’m not going to open up a discussion into politics here, MultiMediaVerse I would say personally are left leaning, but try not to discuss open politics on our platforms. But which ever way you lean, people are people, and as the grace of humanity slips through distrust and unease, we lose ourselves as a nation. This is what is on display, in Children of Men and is most likely just as, if not more, relevant as it’s release nearly twenty years ago.
The wrap up
There are so many things I could discuss about this film, Alfonso Cuaron’s incredible direction, pioneering in my opinion, the most stunning tracking shots cinema has ever given us. The overall story, acting, world building, set design, editing, and many other factors, are all in another league of their own. It is criminal this didn’t sell well on release and didn’t get the awards attention it rightly deserves (3 Oscars nominations with no wins, scandalous). Everyone involved deserves to be lauded for what is a true cinematic masterpiece. I could not recommend this film more and if you get the chance to see Children of Men in the cinema, drop everything and go and see it. If you haven’t seen it at all, sort it out and watch this film with immediate urgency, whilst I reconsider my top ten films…
What Harry lacks in writing credentials, he makes up for in passion for the subject at hand. The MultiMediaVerse venture isn’t something that sustains us with life’s needs and serves more as a passion project (currently) for us, so if our various contents feels a little rough and ready, that’s because it is! Any feedback is always welcome and I hope you enjoy reading our articles.
