Children Of Men

The opening scene is in a London Café in 2027. There is a group of all middle aged, dazed viewers looking up at a television monitor which is breaking the news of the death of the world’s youngest person, Baby Diego, who is 18 years old. The lighting is dim and low key which establishes the mood of the film. It is unsettling and melancholic, full of dark clothing. It is full of mourning and depression. The opening shot is a medium close up shot which shows the crowd from the shoulders up. We can clearly see the reactions of the people. It is a low angle shot so we are looking up at the screen like the characters so we can relate to them. The opening represents life throughout the world. Immediately we are introduced to the idea that the world is collapsing through infertility, and aggressive actions. There is a totally negative feel- there is no hope. The silence of the crowd throughout shows the importance of the report.

The weather is overcast which foreshadowed events.

The use of long takes allows the audience to see how events closely follow each other.

We are introduced to the main character and the camera follows him. Theo goes through the crowd, gets a coffee and then walks outside. He has no interest to the news in contrast to all the rest of the characters. This connotes his strength – possibly a hero.  He walks down the street fiddling with the lid of a coffee. Then a bomb blows up the café he has just left. Someone stumbles out of the café, screaming, badly injured.

There is a very detailed mise -en -scene. The scene is a ruin, full of bleak scenes and urban chaos.

There is a wide range of camera shots which keeps the audience’s interest.

Text is edited over the action. This gives us the date so we know the film is set in the future, and other necessary information.

Throughout the editing is smooth and continuous – there are no cuts or pauses.

Throughout the opening scene there is ambient sound – there is traffic noise, people crying, which gives atmosphere and realism.

There are many stereotypical shots of London – red London buses and skyscrapers. These are interspersed with non- stereotypical shots of a Tuk Tuk. This suggests a change in the future. There is a great deal of sophisticated technology which also suggest the future.