Children of Men uses forms and conventions to ensure the opening sequence is gripping and captivating. Children of Men is a Science fiction film directed by Alfonso Cuarón and was released in 2006. The story set in London 2027 and focuses on the fact that the human race has become infertile.
The opening starts with nothing but a blank screen and the sound of a news report broadcasting news of “armies occupying mosques” and “the deportation of immigrants”. The director uses a blank screen here as it causes the audiences to listen carefully to what is being said and so is not distracted or less attentive to what is being said by images on screen. This broadcast is very important as it sets the narrative of the film and explains that the human race is no longer fertile and that the world is breaking down because of this, creating an image in the audience’s mind of what the world is like at this point in time.
The first shot we see when the screen appears is that of a crowded coffee shop. The first thing the audience notices is the immediate distraught faces of the crowd as they watch the news broadcast. This helps the audience to understand the dire situation the world is in since in the present time people would not be so upset over the death of a young man due to it being so common, but as this is the “youngest person on the planet” and people are no longer being born, people are showing great remorse. In the crowd there is a police officer wearing an English uniform which gives a clue as to where the setting is placed. The crowd in the shop are wearing mainly suits and coats holding coffee cups which show that not much has changed in culture or fashion. However when we leave the cafe we see that mode of transport has changed as among traditional London busses there are now also motorised rickshaws, which are commonly found in India. This could relate to what the news reporter said about immigrants living in the country as it could be their presence that has brought Indian culture into London. In the distance there is a large military helicopter that can be seen flying over the city of London which to the audience is very unusual as military aircrafts are not commonly seen, especially flying over London. We also see that technology has slightly improved as inside the cafe the televisions broadcasting the news report are wafer thin and upon the walls of buildings outside are huge screens playing adverts.
The colours used are very dark, dull colours consisting of mainly blacks, greys, browns and dark blues. This is also shown on the colours worn by the crowd. This adds and relates to the atmosphere of the current state the world is in by creating a feeling of depression. This image of doom and despair is shown on the world as we see that the street outside in the countries capital is grimy, dirty, and full of, smoke and pollution. However, London has this image in the present time which could mean that perhaps the economic situation has not yet caught up with this part of London.
When Clive Owen enters the cafe it is clear to the audience that he is the main character of the film and also what sort of genre this film will be from he’s history of roles as an action star. Also we can tell this by the way Clive enters the cafe. He immediately stands out from the crowd as when entering the shop he pushes through the crowd towards the counter and asks for a cup of coffee, completely unaffected by the news report which everyone around seems so distraught over. This gives the impression that Clive knows something the rest of the crowd doesn’t, which leaves the audience asking why he is so different or special. When Clive exits the cafe he sets down he’s coffee and produces a bottle of what we suspect to be alcohol, and adds this to his coffee. This makes the audience ask who this man is and he’s reason for drinking? Is he an alcoholic or suffering from depression? All of this draws the audience in as they want to know what part this character will play in this story and how he will affect it. This opening uses these methods to keep the audience’s attention drawn to the film so they continue watching in hope of there questions being answered.
The camera movements in this opening sequence consist of mostly handheld shots and are very slow and even mellow (which could possibly be a representation of how the economy has broken down and is no longer progressing) until the end when the pace is dramatically increased. The first shot is a still of the crowd in the cafe. This shot could be still because it creates the feel that the crowd has stopped there day to day routine to stand and watch this broadcast. The evidence of this is that some customers are holding mugs and some are holding plastics cups meaning customers had planned to leave but had stayed due to the news report. The camera then looks at the television from a low angle shot as if one of the customers watching. The next shot then follows Clive in a point of view shot as he leaves the cafe; this is used to show Clive going about his business and carrying on with his day despite the apparently dreadful news. The fact that the people who care about the death of the world’s youngest person are filmed using a still shot and Clive who doesn’t care is being followed in a first person shot shows how he is unbothered and is moving on in life whereas the others are not. The shot is not very exciting or fast as it would be out of place. The slow paced shot following Clive shows how he is calm and cool unlike the people around him. As he adds alcohol to his drink the camera pans around him allowing the audience to study him, although we do not fully see his face as the camera pans from side to side around his back creating a sense of mystery about him. After a bomb explodes the camera backs against the wall following Clive as he crouches to protect himself. Again, this creates a first person affect. The camera then moves towards the place of the explosion as if someone running to help or see what has happened. The handheld camera movement is jerky to create a sense of panic. This shot also takes us closer to the scene of action which is what the audience want to see as this is the first moment of action in the film. A woman hobbles out of the destroyed cafe holding her dismembered arm screaming. This last part almost labels the genre of film the audience are about to watch as it shows action and horror only two minutes into the film.
During the broadcast at the beginning of the opening the only sound that can be heard is the voice of the news reporters, this is again due to keeping the audiences concentration on the broadcast and so is not distracted since it is vital the audience hear the narrative. Non-diegetic music is played over the news broadcast as the reporters explain the death of the world’s youngest person. In contrast to the colour and expressions of the crowd, the music is slow and sad which adds to the depressive atmosphere. The sound of women sobbing and crying can also be heard over the broadcast. This non-diegetic sound has been added, which again just creates more misery and depression over the atmosphere. As Clive exits the cafe diegetic sounds immediately drown out the sad music and crying as we hear rickshaws, cars and busses as they drive past creating the theme of a busy London street, which shows that London is still an overcrowded, tightly packed environment as it is in the present day. The audience will be able to relate to this setting as busy London streets are not a foreign thing and are a part of life for anyone who lives there or has visited. Immediately after the explosion a high pitch ringing sound is mixed with a high pitched devastating scream. This non-diegetic ringing noise resembles the ringing in Clive’s ears after the explosion which further adds to the first person point of view we have over him.
In my opinion as a member of the audience, I find this opening gripping from start to finish as it creates many questions in my mind, such as why is the youngest person in the world only 18 years old, who is this man that seems to be so different from everyone else and what is happening to London? The opening has a great mix of pace which caught me off guard as I was not expecting the explosion to occur making me anticipate what was to come next. Due to the almost instant swarm of genres I understood what sort of film I was about to watch as I was given a blend of sci-fi, action and horror. These were shown by the futuristic London, the explosion (which I assume is a terrorist attack) and the aftermath of the bomb as the woman walks out holding her own arm screaming. These injected me with fear and excitement. This action kept me enticed for what was to come as I was so pumped at only two and a half minutes in.
The unusual and totally original storyline had me puzzled and looking for answers as I tried to imagine a world without children.
The use of colour is used extremely well along with sound and camera movement to create a dull, dark and depressing world which is shown by the London street and costumes which use no bright colours anywhere. The sad music creates emotion and misery as well as the slow camera movements which contrast so well with the pace we are feeling ourselves.
In conclusion, I think Children of Men uses forms and conventions very effectively to create an extremely gripping opening that grabs the audience’s attention straight from the beginning while also allowing the audience to ask their own questions and make their own assumptions of what is happening in this world we are introduced to.
