ChildrenOfMen

The world of Children of Men is a world of sudden events. Just when you think that you know what is about to happen an event erupts, or calms, around you. These events are often shown in long take. Beware the long take, it’s just lulling you into a false sense of security.

The first example of this is when Theo leaves the café. (Watch out for the woman with her little dog, the film seems to say that dogs will inherit the world). He leaves the café and walks a short few steps down the street before pausing to fill his coffee with something a little stronger. Theo may work at the Ministry of Energy but he needs any bit of assistance he can get for his own vitality.

The camera has followed him out of the café and now slowly moves around him so that we can see where he came from. It has been moving slowly, we don’t expect anything major to happen. Everything is relaxed. Over his shoulder we see a young couple lean in for a kiss. New love in a grey world. Then the café explodes. It is sudden. The long take reinforces this suddenness, reinforces the unnerving element. This is a world where life means nothing, nihilistic. At any moment we too might find ourselves stumbling from a smoky building holding our arm. Would anyone care?

Of course the most famous long take is in the middle where Julian is killed. Cuaron goes into bravura mode as he brings us shock after shock after shock.