Children of Men
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
4 GOOMBAS
As a twenty-three year old girl, I don't really think much about kids. Sure they're fantastic to play with, they're cute and snugly, and they're fun to observe, but how much do they really affect my life, especially if I don't have one of my own? Not much. . . . or so I thought . . .
Children of Men is a SciFi thriller set in a realistic 2027, a world where there are no children. For eighteen years all women have become infertile, and as a result, civil society is non-existent. The only country with some resemblance of control over their nation is England, and even there, it is ruled under martial law. Refugees are illegal and treated much like I'd imagine Jewish people were treated during the Holocaust; thrown into inhumane refugee camps and killed for no reason. And then there was Kee, a Fiji refugee who has to run for her life, and for humanity, because she is pregnant and everyone wants to use her and her baby.
This film is a huge commentary on the importance of children and future posterity on our society. Without children, there literally is no reason for the quality of life, no reason for art, no reason to go on living for that matter. Children of Men provides a different way of understanding the Apocalypse. There's no need for a better life. You can't have a family. No need to take care of yourself. You'll die anyway. But what's interesting is that we will all die anyway, but this time, with overwhelming loneliness, knowing that their generation will be the last to walk on earth.
*****SPOILER WARNING*****
The director's use of a handheld camera adds to the realistic qualities that this film bears. I felt like I was in the car when they were being attracted by "terrorists." I was following Theo through the battle grounds(<--a superbly choreographed 15 min uncut scene; you might not even notice that there were no cuts. Ridiculously extreme). The tinge of gray that all scenes seemed to have made despair very visual. A glimmering juxtaposition between despair and hope, I think hope wins out as the words "Children of Men" fade out to the laughter of children. Children of Men is an intense film that needs a lot of mental exercises prior to viewing. You may not want to see it today, but Tomorrow is another chance.
Children of Men is a SciFi thriller set in a realistic 2027, a world where there are no children. For eighteen years all women have become infertile, and as a result, civil society is non-existent. The only country with some resemblance of control over their nation is England, and even there, it is ruled under martial law. Refugees are illegal and treated much like I'd imagine Jewish people were treated during the Holocaust; thrown into inhumane refugee camps and killed for no reason. And then there was Kee, a Fiji refugee who has to run for her life, and for humanity, because she is pregnant and everyone wants to use her and her baby.
This film is a huge commentary on the importance of children and future posterity on our society. Without children, there literally is no reason for the quality of life, no reason for art, no reason to go on living for that matter. Children of Men provides a different way of understanding the Apocalypse. There's no need for a better life. You can't have a family. No need to take care of yourself. You'll die anyway. But what's interesting is that we will all die anyway, but this time, with overwhelming loneliness, knowing that their generation will be the last to walk on earth.
*****SPOILER WARNING*****
The director's use of a handheld camera adds to the realistic qualities that this film bears. I felt like I was in the car when they were being attracted by "terrorists." I was following Theo through the battle grounds(<--a superbly choreographed 15 min uncut scene; you might not even notice that there were no cuts. Ridiculously extreme). The tinge of gray that all scenes seemed to have made despair very visual. A glimmering juxtaposition between despair and hope, I think hope wins out as the words "Children of Men" fade out to the laughter of children. Children of Men is an intense film that needs a lot of mental exercises prior to viewing. You may not want to see it today, but Tomorrow is another chance.
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