FILM STUDY – CHILDREN OF MEN
2007 – directed by Alfonso Cuaron
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THEMES
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Faith v chance
Hope – are you an optimistic person? Or a pessimistic person? (Cuaron says he purposefully left the ending vague, if you are optimistic you will see hope in the ending, if you are pessimistic you will see failure).
Redemption – what does humankind have to do to redeem themselves for all the crime, pollution we have inflicted on the planet.
Heroes – what is a hero? What qualities do heroes have?
Xenophobia – fear of foreigners. But who is a foreigner? Note scenes of German people behind bars reminiscent of Holocaust. Racism – feeling of superiority based on skin colour. German woman does not want to be in same cell as person of darker skin. Scenes in Bex Hill of eastern Europeans, French flags (represent the French revolution where the “peasants” overthrew the monarchy).
SYMBOLS REPRESENT THEME
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Religious symbols – similarities to the birth of Jesus. Ki reveals her pregnancy in a barn. No obvious father. Ki jokes there was no father. Characters often blaspheme when they see Ki’s pregnancy or the baby (they say, “Jesus Christ”). Soldiers genuflect (cross themselves).
Fishes – the sign of the fish (icthus). Fishes will save the world. Miracles of Jesus and the fish. The icthus is seen throughout the film, note on the wall of the school, at Bex Hill, in graffiti in London.
Africa known as “the cradle of life”, the place where humanity began. Ki is African. Full circle – life ends and is reborn by an African woman.
Characters think baby will be a boy. Children of Men. What changes when the baby is a girl? Luke particularly says “we need him”.
Characters’ names: Theo (derivation of Deo, means God, also means “divine gift”, he is a gift to Ki), Luke (the apostle), Miriam and Marika (Mary, mother of Jesus). Dylan means “son of the wave” (named after Theo’s son Dylan, who in turn was probably named after Bob Dylan). What wave? Literally the wave he is left floating on, or a wave of change? Janice means “God is gracious”. Jasper means “Jewel”. Julian is also a boy’s name (Julian has qualities that sometimes are considered masculine, ie control, leadership, manipulation. Julian means “young at heart. Miriam and Marika both fulfill the “crone” element of female character.
Dinosaurs at the school – in the background, suggesting humans will suffer the same fate.
Children’s swing – very poignant “trompe l’oeil” picture (trick of the eye) of Ki, through the broken pane of glass, on the children’s swing.
Government issued “Quietus”, literally “quiet us”, DIY suicide kit.
There are literally hundreds of references to the popular culture of the 1960s, of Art, literature, music, and historical events.
CONTRASTS
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Wealth (Ark of the Arts) v poverty
Danger v safe refuge (Jasper’s house, the farmhouse, the bank in Bex Hill). Theo continually seeks sanctuary for himself and Kee, but these places only appear to be safe, they lead to danger.
Apathy (Theo, Quietus) v Activists for change (Fishes, religious groups and to some extent, Jasper)
Technology (computers, cars) v degraded environment (burning animals, rubbish)
CHARACTERS
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Theo (Clive Owen)the unlikely hero. Alcoholic and druggie whose marriage has failed, son and wife are dead, dead end job, small apartment, can’t start the car, loses his shoes. His only apparent friend (mentor) is Jasper.
Julian (Julianne Moore)estranged from her husband, who she arranges to have kidnapped so she can use him for his connections. Although she does say to Kee, that Kee can trust Theo. She is head of the terrorist group “The Fishes”. She is murdered by Luke, who becomes the new Fishes leader.
Jasper (Michael Caine)former political cartoonist. Seems to live outside mainstream society in the forest with Janice and dog. Sells marijuana to Sid. His wife Janice is a former political phographer, she has been tortured possibly by
MI6 into a catatonic state.
Kee (Claire Hope-Ashity)African woman and refugee who is pregnant. Her baby will be the first born in 18 years.
Miriam (Pam Ferris )Friend of Kee, mid-wife. She is killed on the way into Bex Hill.
Luke (Chiwetel Ejiofor) New leader of the Fishes.
Nigel (Danny Huston)Theo’s cousin, Ark of Arts
Remember Character Roles represented in fiction:
Positive Female roles:Virgin / Mother / Crone
Female characters represented less positively:Precocious Child / Temptress / Witch
Male roles:Hero / Mentor / Villain
Some of these in CoM could be:Kee / Janice & Julian / Miriam & Marika
Theo / Jasper / Luke
IMPORTANT QUOTES
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Jaspertells the joke of the stork. Long dialogue of faith and chance. Says to Miriam (about Theo) … Theo’s faith lost out to chance. So [Theo thinks] why bother if life’s going to make its own choices.
Julian(to Theo) it’s hard for me to look at you. He had your eyes.
That ringing sound you hear, that ‘eeeee’, that’s the sound of the ear cells dying, that’s their swan song. Enjoy it while it
lasts because once it stops you’ll never hear that frequency again.
NigelI just don’t think about it. (in response to Theo, who asks what’s the point when in 100 years there won’t be one sad f* to look at it)
Luke (to Theo) How can it be peaceful when they try to take away your dignity.
We need the baby, we need him.
Miriam(to Theo) It’s very odd what happens to the world when there are no children’s voices.
I was there at the end.
Theo (to Miriam) Now you can be there at the beginning.
Syd(to Kee on seeing the baby) Jesus Christ
SPECIAL EFFECTS
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Blowing up of Cafe
CGI – birth of the baby, motorcycle attack
Long shots with no cuts: initial scene of café blowing up; car scene where Julian is shot was done in one take; Bex Hill when Theo is chasing Ki through the rubble and up the stairs
Splash of blood effect on camera in Bex Hill (was an accident but Cuaron decided to leave it on)
Lots of steady cam (camera balanced on the shoulder to follow Theo – gives realistic / documentary effects)
MUSIC
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Goodbye Ruby Tuesday – played around Jasper’s wife Janice. Ruby scarf. Played when Jasper gives Janice and the dog the Quietus.
Eternity’s Sunrise played in Ark of Arts, on the staircase at Bexhill and again when boat arrives
Lots of Beatles and Pink Floyd (rebelling against authority type music)
Court of the Crimson King – played in the Rolls Royce on the way to Ark of Arts
SOUND
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Note how sound and absence of sound are used to emphasise themes.
Note especially the use of the high pitched ringing sound – which is intended to reproduce what Theo hears after the bomb at the coffee shop. The ringing is repeated for Theo at moments of great stress, ie when he leaves the refuge at Bex Hill with Ki.
NOMINATIONS AND AWARDS
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Nomination Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing - 79th Academy Awards
Nomination Best Visual Effects, Award Best Cinematography, Best Production Design – 60th British Academy Film Awards
Award for Best Cinematography – 21st American Society of Cinematographers Awards
2007 International Award for Cinematography – Australian Cinematographers Society
USC Scripter Award for screenplay
Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film – Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films
Nomination Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form – World Science Fiction Convention
WORK FOR EXTENSION
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Research predictions in terms of global warming, population growth
Consider what would happen in NZ if we had a sudden influx of refugees, how would NZ control its population and borders
Explore issues raised in the 1960s, of rights of freedom, free speech, sexuality, pop culture
Explore the meaning of characters’ names
WEBSITE REFERENCES
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Internet Movie Database
Wikipedia
LYRICS
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Goodbye Ruby Tuesday – by the Rolling Stones 1967 [in CoM the cover by Franco Battiato is played]
She would never say where she came from
Yesterday don't matter if it's gone
While the sun is bright or
In the darkest night
No one knows
She comes and go
Goodbye Ruby Tuesday, who could hang a name on you?
When you change with ev'ry new day
Still I'm gonna miss you
Don't question why she needs to be so free
She'll tell you it's the only way to be
She just can't be chained to a
Life where nothing's gained and nothing's lost at such a cost
Goodbye Ruby Tuesday, who could hang a name on you?
When you change...
"There's no time to lose"
I heard her say
Catch your dreams before they slip away
Dying all the time
Lose your dreams and you will lose your mind
Ain't life unkind?
Goodbye Ruby Tuesday, who could hang a name on you?
When you change...
The Court Of The Crimson King - by King Crimson 1969
Translation in progress. Please wait...
The dance of the puppets
The rusted chains of prison moons
Are shattered by the sun.
I walk a road, horizons change
The tournament's begun.
The purple piper plays his tune,
The choir softly sing;
Three lullabies in an ancient tongue,
For the court of the crimson king.
The keeper of the city keys
Put shutters on the dreams.
I wait outside the pilgrim's door
With insufficient schemes.
The black queen chants
The funeral march,
The cracked brass bells will ring;
To summon back the fire witch
To the court of the crimson king.
The gardener plants an evergreen
Whilst trampling on a flower.
I chase the wind of a prism ship
To taste the sweet and sour.
The pattern juggler lifts his hand;
The orchestra begin.
As slowly turns the grinding wheel
In the court of the crimson king.
On soft gray mornings widows cry
The wise men share a joke;
I run to grasp divining signs
To satisfy the hoax.
The yellow jester does not play
But gentle pulls the strings
And smiles as the puppets dance
In the court of the crimson king.
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