“Children of Men” Behind the scenes of a long take that depicts the overwhelming “situation”

*This article touches on the ending of the story, so if you haven't seen it yet, we recommend that you enjoy it after watching the movie.

*Information as of August 2018 article publication.

"Children of Men" synopsis

The year is 2027, 18 years have passed since the last human child was born. For humans who are no longer able to produce descendants without knowing the cause, is there no choice but to perish? In a world that has lost hope, violence and disorder are spreading without limit. While countries around the world are in turmoil, the British government is barely maintaining public order by closing borders and cracking down on illegal immigrants. One day, Theo, a bureaucrat at the Department of Energy, is abducted by the anti-government organization "FISH" led by his ex-wife Julian. Julian's goal is to obtain the "pass" needed to hand over an immigrant girl to an organization called "Human Project." Although Theo initially refuses, he eventually cooperates with Julian, but...

Index

• Eliminate explanations and tell a story with a thorough depiction of the situation
• Crowded cars, attacking mobs, and long takes
• Long climax and miraculous gore

Eliminate explanations and tell a story with a thorough depiction of the situation

This movie, released in 2006, was full of rawness and horror that left viewers stunned. Normally, when it comes to science fiction movies set in the future, they try to quickly convey the worldview at the beginning with subtitles, or show visuals of a big game that says, ``This is the future!'' to capture the audience's interest. There are many cases where efforts are being made to take control efficiently.

However, on the other hand, ``Children of Men'', which is set in England in 2027, has no explanatory parts or scenes that make you think, ``This is it!''. No, rather than saying "no," it's as if the creator consciously excluded them.

So what is there instead? In one word, it boils down to the overwhelming "situation." What kind of situation are humans and the earth involved in in this world? I don't understand that at all and have no idea. The people who live there probably don't understand the truth at all. However, there are no scenes in which the characters search the internet to find out anything, nor do they communicate with each other on cell phones. TV news is the only way to get information, but I don't know how reliable it is.

"Children of Men" A UNIVERSAL PICTURE(c)2006 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

In short, the future depicted in this movie is a chaos in which it is impossible to tell what is right or left, let alone what is going forward or backward. In such a situation, the only thing you can rely on is your innate survival instinct. We must integrate our senses with the main character, understand the situation based only on what we see with our eyes and touch, and desperately survive the 109 minutes.

Crowded cars, attacking mobs, and long takes