Films that deal with the apocalypse have been rampant in cinema, and storytelling in general, for as long as we can possibly comprehend. I mean even down to the days of early civilization: every society has had an apocalyptic tale to put a certain amount of fear into someone’s heart. Some of these tales, while overtly bleak, do have moments of hope, or some form of positivity to keep the audience going, while some others are so dark and soul-crushing that it just makes you give up on humanity and lose hope for our future. These stories are usually tied into realistic situations, or events that could easily happen to our world. The greatest 21st century example of a story like this would be Alfonso Cuarón’s masterpiece, Children of Men. Taking place in the “not that long from now” year of 2027, Children of Men shows a world in which the women have grown infertile and nobody knows why. As the last remaining children are growing up, and all hope seems gone in the world, our main character, Theo (Clive Owen), is tasked with bringing the only pregnant woman left in the world to a sanctuary. In this journey, Theo and his companions see the world fall to pieces as they carry humanity’s last hope with them.
What makes Children of Men absolutely terrifying is just HOW real of a world it is. Not only is the actual apocalyptic event grounded and technically realistic, but the world’s response to everything that happens is just so hard to watch. Terrorism and war are rampant, and no one is working with each other. The world presented in this film is painted with every ounce of cynicism imaginable. That’s really the reason why Children of Men is such a hard film to watch and, overall, process. It shows just how terrible the whole human race is, and how much hate and violence we are capable of just to ensure our survival. With the state of the world at the moment, a film like Children of Men doesn’t seem that unrealistic. The feeling of fear and terror in the current political climate might make Children of Men even harder to watch, but it also makes it more important. These themes are pushed even further with the inclusion of some PHENOMENAL film making. From the sweeping shots, to all the cool-as-hell one-shot takes that Cuarón loves so much, all the way to the incredible performances by Clive Owen, Michael Caine, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Julianne Moore, and so many others. This film is the true definition of a masterpiece, tying in real world themes with exceptional film making. You’re honestly doing yourself a disservice by not watching Children of Men.
Children of Men
2006
dir. Alfonso Cuaron
114 min
Screens Saturday, 2/10, 2:00 & 7:00 @ Brattle Theatre
Double feature w/ A Clockwork Orange
Part of the ongoing series: This Week in Dystopia
35mm!
