Alvina Phouasalit

Loren Eason

Writing 37

9 February 2017

            On December 25th, 2006, Alfonso Cuarón released Children of Men, a film based on P.D. James’ novel The Children of Men that envisioned a world in the year 2027 where women had become inexplicably infertile for eighteen years, signaling the end of the human race. While he did follow the main plot of the story, it is undeniably true that Cuarón took a different route and added his own spin when producing this movie. Audiences at first watch may not notice the satirical and rhetorical strategies Cuarón utilized, but after analyzing the details further it is evident that every choice was made to influence how the viewers understand and perceive the story. From the camera movement, to the setting, to the myriad of references mentioned throughout the film, each contributed to the relevant parallels of contemporary crises that Cuarón wanted viewers to recognize through this impressive piece of science fiction.

            First, Cuarón grabs the audience's unwavering attention by gluing us to the screen. Take a look at the opening scene when the main character, Theo enters a coffee shop with all of its customers focused on the day's news. On it airs the death of eighteen-year old “Baby Diego,” the youngest person on Earth. Shown in the crowd are a range of people, scoping from adulthood to old age, which further denotes the absence of children. The camera then shifts and closely follows Theo out of the shop, showing not only him but the world he inhabits: run down cities full of militaristic forces that reflect the world’s deteriorated state. This technique is purposely used throughout the film. It moves shakily alongside Theo exploring the setting, acting as our eyes. Viewers become continuously aware of the dreary, poverty-stricken society deprived of all hope as humanity dwindles since women can’t conceive. Over and over again the camera focuses on the background so the audience is able to experience the film as if they were there, intimately following Theo on his quest to save the human race. Not only does this allow the audience to further identify with Theo, but it intensifies every scene and incident of the movie. For example, there is a particular scene that lasts a remarkable four minutes and seven seconds. It is when Theo and the Fishes flee to the coast to deliver a refugee named Kee, the first woman found pregnant in years, to the Human Project, a scientific organization that studies the potential causes of infertility with hopes to someday cure it. The camera remained inside the car at all times, maneuvering between car seats and characters. This take took incredible amounts of rehearsal and organization, but Cuarón persisted so as to achieve a fluid and palpable effect for the viewers. In response, the audience is forced to keep their eyes on the screen, fully immersed in each scene and consumed by their emotions.

            There is also a great deal of symbolism incorporated into Children of Men. Beginning at the very first glance, we notice that dogs are everywhere. They roam around in the streets, and people cherish and cling to them dearly. Today even, pets are used as a means of comfort, especially for the elderly when they no longer have kids to take care of. They provide unconditional love, something Theo’s world lacks. It can be inferred that Cuarón added dogs to use them as a substitute for children. This allows viewers to sympathize with them, seeing that they still yearn for a sense of need after all hope has been lost. Next, when Theo visits his cousin to obtain transit papers for Kee, a mindful eye will detect various works of art scattered in the background. Banksy’s Kissing Coppers, a picture of two policemen kissing, is featured which exposes the vulnerability of authority. Michelangelo's David is displayed shortly thereafter, damaged to show the public’s indifference towards great historical treasures. Picasso’s Guernica, a painting that depicts the horrors of war is then placed precisely behind Theo at the dinner table, creating an interesting contrast with his cousin, who sits amidst a wide view of London. Included in this view floats a massive pig above the Battersea Power Station, a clear reference to Pink Floyd’s album Animals which criticizes capitalism. The pig represents the dominant class, generally implying that they do no good for society, even in the real world. Animals is reminiscent of George Orwell’s allegory novel Animal Farm, which highlights Stalinism. This can be seen as no coincidence, but why would he allude to all this? These symbols are used to narrow the gap between our worlds and to condemn war. Jenny Kijowski said Cuarón used the “iconic images to trigger the phenomenon of recognition, wherein we can no longer uphold the illusion of the hermetically sealed world unwinding magically before us” (Wilhite et al. 207).

            Religion plays a prevalent theme in the movie, like it was in the book, although some critics contend it was significantly downplayed. In critic Anthony Sacramone’s view, Cuarón was more focused on displaying his own “personal political screed,” calling the film an “act of vandalism.” Sacramone is correct that Cuarón aimed his attention towards his own interests, he even reported in an interview with Filmmaker Magazine that it “was more important to explore the thematics that are shaping our contemporary world” but he seems on more dubious ground when he claims that the film was “severed from its Judeo-Christian roots.” There are actually quite a few biblical references in the movie. For example, spiritual followers crowd streets holding signs that read “Infertility is God’s punishment!” They proclaim, “In His anger [God] He has taken away, His most precious gift to us” (00:17:09-00:17:12) and believe repenting is the only answer to infertility. To continue, Kee reveals her pregnancy in a barn surrounded by cows, a symbol of fertility, and the same place where Mary gave birth to Jesus. When this happens, Theo, shocked and almost speechless, utters “Jesus Christ,” a phrase voiced by multiple characters as no profane remark. And when asked who the father of her baby was, Kee jokingly responds that she is a virgin, alluding once again to the Virgin Mary. Kee’s baby can also be perceived as Jesus, the savior of mankind because the child signifies hope. These religious undertones send a message that insinuates that mankind, on its journey to seek progress through technological innovations, has neglected faith, and in consequence lost the divine privilege of bearing children, so we can see that religion was still a prevailing factor in the movie.

            Cuarón further parallels the movie with today’s world by alluding to real historical events such as the Abu Ghraib torture and prison scandal. In 2003, when the US invaded Iraq, military personnel was found torturing detainees in various ways. One method included forcing them to stand on a box, hooded with arms splayed and connected to electrical wires that shocked them if any movement was detected. There is a moment where audiences can see an exact portrayal of this form of torture when Theo, Kee, and Miriam, Kee’s caretaker are passing through a refugee camp in Bexhill. Moreover, the camp greatly resembles Nazi Germany’s concentration camps during the Holocaust. Refugees are lined up on their knees with hands behind their heads surrounded by a massive police force. By using these references, Cuarón forces viewers to connect this science fiction film with the world as we know it, and all of a sudden, one finds the movie’s events more and more feasible. New York Times writer Manohla Dargis raised this frightening question: “What if instead of containing Iraq, the world has become Iraq, a universal battleground of military control, security zones, refugee camps and warring tribal identities?” After all, police brutality, immigration issues, and a totalitarian regime are all relevant topics to modern life. Even after Children of Men was produced their issues are have become our issues. Take President Trump’s travel ban for instance. It prohibits seven Muslim countries from entering the United States, resembling the immigration policy enforced in the movie. Obviously Cuarón couldn’t have predicted that then, but he did attempt to warn us about the potential consequences war could impose. In an interview with IGN, Cuarón claimed that “The film was not supposed to be...a science fiction film, it was a film about the present, it was about the state of things.” Produced only five years subsequent to the 9/11 attack and at the peak of the Iraq War, Cuarón used this movie to express his disagreement towards the policies that the Bush administration implemented that had the ability to worsen the world's conditions.

            Cuarón wanted to bring awareness to the war in Iraq, show why it was a bad thing, and urge us to open our eyes to see the possibilities of the future. To achieve that, he changed and omitted certain parts of the book so it fit his beliefs. War reaps immoral behavior, causes thousands of casualties, and destabilizes societies. Cuarón doesn’t want that, he doesn’t want our planet to be headed towards the bleak, messy, unstable society Children of Men illustrates. He purposely added relevant references to say that if countries don’t act rationally, that could be the ultimate turnout. Having said that, Cuarón also wanted to instill hope, hope for the future and hope that our present generation will lead the world towards peace. In the end, when Theo, Kee, and her baby finally get to the coast, in their uncertainty about whether the Human Project is real, through the fog shines a beacon of light, and ship, Tomorrow, emerges. They finally made it.

Works Cited

"Abu Ghraib Torture and Prisoner Abuse." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2017.

“Alfonso Cuaron – Children of Men Trailer Commentary.” Youtube, uploaded by IGN, 7 November 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-Qef1meUkc

Children of Men. Dir. Alfonso. Cuarón. 2006.

Dargis, Manohla. "Apocalypse Now, but in the Wasteland a Child Is Given." The New York Times. The New York Times, 24 Dec. 2006. Web. 10 Feb. 2017.

Guerrasio, Jason. "A New Humanity." Filmmaker Magazine. Independent Filmmaker Project, 22 Dec. 2006. Web. 10 Feb. 2017.

Sacramone, Anthony. "Children of Men." First Things. Institute on Religion and Public Life, 8 Nov. 2008. Web. 10 Feb. 2017.

Wilhite, Keith. The City since 9/11: Literature, Film, Television. Madison: Fairleigh Dickinson UP, 2016. Print.