Children of Men (2006)

Film: Children of Men

Director: Alfonso Cuarón

Country: Mexico

Released: September 2006

Runtime: 109 minutes

Genre: Thriller

Studio: Hit & Run, Strike Entertainment

Influenced: Denis Villeneuve, Neill Blomkamp, Lucrecia Martel, Robert Zemeckis, Ava DuVernay

Based on P. D. James' 1992 novel of the same name, Children of Men is a dystopian thriller by legendary Mexican director Alfonso Cuarón, who came to fame on the back of his stunning road movie Y Tu Mamá También (2001), which then led to him directing the best film in the Harry Potter franchise, Prisoner of Azkaban (2004). In 2005, the world was grappling with the SARS outbreak and the lingering fear of pandemics. Cuarón, a father of two young children at the time, was deeply affected by these events and the growing sense of global uncertainty. Inspired by the writing of P. D. James, who was best-known for her detective novels, Cuarón sought to explore a key theme in Children of Men – the profound impact of infertility on humanity, and a world where the human race is on the brink of extinction. Set in 2027, the film portrays a bleak and chaotic future where many governments have collapsed, and the UK is one of the last functioning nations, maintaining a fragile order amid widespread social decay.

In this dystopian landscape, Theo Faron (Clive Owen), a cynical ex-activist, is reluctantly drawn into a dangerous mission by his estranged wife Julian (Julianne Moore) to transport Kee (Clare-Hope Ashitey), the first pregnant woman in 18 years, out of the oppressive regime that controls the last vestiges of civilisation. Their mission is to reach a sanctuary called "The Human Project" that promises hope for humanity's future. In a brief respite from the relentless tension, Theo and Kee find refuge at a peaceful farm, where they encounter a utopian community living in harmony with nature. Jasper (Michael Caine) provides them with food, shelter and access to his extensive library, which becomes a valuable source of information and inspiration. Caine has revealed that his character's eccentric personality and love for music were inspired by John Lennon, and the character of Jasper comes to represent an element of the old hippie left, whose self-indulgence represents some of the worst tendencies of the counterculture movement of the 1960s.

Jasper also demonstrates a deep commitment to education, knowledge and social justice, while the character of Julian stands as a symbol of hope amid the gloom of the infertility crisis. Julian leads The Fishes, a group of rebels who fight for those silenced and marginalised by the government's authoritarian rule, especially refugees. One of the tensions at the heart of globalisation is that, at the same time as freedom of movement across borders has grown, the desire of states to build walls and elites to hide away in gated communities has also increased. Climate change, which adversely affects those in the poorest corners of the globes, will further drive mass migration and a similar theme of deep inequality is at the heart of the film. Cuarón was incredibly prescient about the rise of populism in the second decade of the 21st century, and Children of Men has clearly been the inspiration for various movies and video games – notably The Last of Us (2013) – which explore similar dystopian territory.

Children of Men received critical acclaim for its direction, cinematography and performances. While it didn't achieve significant commercial success, it garnered three Oscar nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography and Best Film Editing. BAFTA rightly awarded the film with the Best Production Design and Best Cinematography awards, recognition of the fine work of cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, notably the movie's famous car ambush scene that was filmed in a single continuous shot. Cuarón's masterful use of the Steadicam camera contributes significantly to the film's immersive atmosphere, while the film's cinematography and art direction evoke the gritty aesthetics of neo-noir films, particularly in its use of shadows and rain-soaked cityscapes. Also notable is the movie's unconventional sound design, using silence and dissonance to create a sense of unease and foreboding. Since the release of Children of Men, his masterpiece, Cuarón has continued to direct some of the finest films of recent times, notably Gravity (2013) and Roma (2018).