nan | 楠木

Children of Men is an impressive  accomplishment. It is a cold and gritty science fiction set in a dystopian future, and it is also a biting commentary of our current world affairs. The cast, lead by a weary and unlikely protagonist in Clive Owen, is low-key and on the ball. Technical-wise, it also offers some very impressive cinematography.

It’s 2027, a mere 20 years on, and the entire human civilization is in trouble, as humans have been sterile since 2009. The reason for this infertility is not given; but without any newborns, mankind is slowly but unavoidably crawling to its death. In other parts of world, riots and anarchy have taken over, but “Britain soldiers on”, under a tight military control and hauntingly xenophobic. Rebel factions use terrorism to fight the government.

Our unlikely protagonist, Theo (Clive Owen), is a nobody. He’s approached by his former lover Julian (Julianne Moore), from 20 years ago. The two have an uncomfortable past, which we soon learn: their young child’s death was also the death of their relationship. Julian, now a revolutionary, wants Theo to help them smuggle a young woman, Kee, out of Britain. Theo hesitantly agrees. Things go wrong however, and Theo ends up on the run with Kee, trying to protect her from both the rebels and the government. This is because Kee holds a most valuable prize: she is pregnant.

The film is essentially a chase film, but it is also so much more than that. Theo’s journey, which is also the audience’s journey, is like a surrealistic path through hell. His surroundings get more and more chaotic as his situation gets more and more desperate. This journey is also full of messages, fiercely political. The government’s xenophobia (foreign immigrants are sent to detention-camp like refugee shelters under the control of “Homeland Security”) is clearly directed at current affairs. Inside the refugee shelters, the refugees march around in black hoods armed with automatics, chanting slogans – resembling common news images of the Middle East.

Unlike many films of the same genre, Children of Men is very low-key in its depiction of the future. There are few eye-catching gadgets, and all of them are subtly placed in the background, perfectly blending into the environment instead of jumping out at the audience. This fits with the film’s general tone, of a future with no future – there is no place for fancy gadgets as humans age and die.

The cinematography deserves special credit. The film sports several well-done long shots, each lasting several minutes long. These long shots are technically impressive (the audience is eye witness to an ambush, as well as accompanying Theo through a chaotic war-zone), and they also contribute to building the film’s gritty, realistic style.

All said, this is a great film that demands several viewings. It takes time to get absorbed into the story, but once you’re in, you’re in for an unnerving trip.

8/10