Children of Men

There are many dystopian films and movies, and all of them portray a different, bleak future. I would argue that Children of Men presents one of the most unhappy visions of the future because of the eventual demise everyone knows is upon them. They also know that there is nothing anyone, even the people in power, can do about this situation. Even in an apocalyptic situation, as long as the human race can reproduce, there is some sort of hope because the buildings can be rebuilt and hope can be regained.

I think the premise of our current environmental state causing these issues that we sometimes take for granted provides an important perspective on what might happen at any time if we continue to change and abuse our living conditions. Because our population is rapidly expanding and we have inhabited almost every part of the earth, we do not think about infertility being an immediate or pressing issue. In fact, we ourselves create permanent and temporary infertility as a form of birth control. To set this movie so close to our current era makes these worries much more real

The unification of the army and the rebels in the refugee camp when everyone found out about the baby was a very inspiring. Everyone set aside their weapons and was respectful and in awe as the baby, Theo, and Kee made their way to safety. All of the turmoil and anger and hatred was put on hold for one ephemeral moment, and then the fighting continued. I think this says a lot about the human condition than it seems. This infertility problem had been going on for so long that it became more about people's vested interest in their side of the fight than about the actual solution. Yes, people stopped and stared, but they were so scared and worn down and out of hope that no one actually helped. In the end, with the future of the world in her arms, Kee was still refused help by people who were waging war on the issue she was fixing.

As in V for Vendetta, there are many hidden parallels to modern-day issues. There are many people worrying about whether scientists should 'play God' and delve too much into genetic experiments and expose people to so many radioactive materials. Pollution could have also been a cause for the infertility in Children of Men, and we all know that there are more toxins in our food, air, and water than any time in history other than the Industrial Revolution. However, the most terrifying and well hidden comparison is that of the refugee camps to Abu Ghraib, a torture facility in Iraq which was used to 'prepare Iraqis for interrogation'. The methods were not specified, and many human rights abuses were committed there by US soldiers. Many of the scenes in Children of Men mirrored footage from inside Abu Ghraib, such as people with bags over their faces, in various states of undress, and being forced to stay in uncomfortable positions for long periods of time. The general distress and the treatment of the refugees by the guards, who considered the fugees as less than human, reflected the treatment of suspected Iraqi criminals by treating and referring to them as dogs.

The shaky camera movements, the blood on the film, the panicked change of perspective during the penultimate scene conveyed the terror and confusion that was present in the fighting between the army and the Fishes. The colour scheme of a bleak gray and the dirty, grimy setting that is common in dystopian movies paints a vivid picture of the dark mindset and lifestyle that the residents are living in. When this setting is conflicted with the pristine high life one of Theo's friends lives in, it emphasizes the general disarray of the rest of the world.

I liked the optimism at the end, but I do realize that it came as a price. There were sacrifices made in the name of progress, and one of them was Theo's life. He helped save the human race from ruin, which is more than anyone could have imagined. Although he did not survive to see fertility completely restored, he can rest knowing he made a huge contribution.

Children of Men was an excellent movie, artfully displaying an alternate future that, for all we know, could be a very near reality. The realism mixed with the very specific, sacrificing brand of hope that it portrays makes for a bittersweet but very engaging film.