Analyzing the Cinematography in Children of

Men
February 19, 2019 by Essay Writer
Within Children of Men, the implementation of various stylistic elements from a
cinematography standpoint allows Alfonso Cuarón to iterate subtle messages throughout the
film. More specifically, the usage of combined camera angles and extended on-screen visuals
adds together to encapsulate several themes including infertility, overpopulation, and global
capitalism. This essay will seek to establish and describe the extent to which certain
directorial and cinematographic decisions affect the communication of these themes. The
essay will also investigate the modes of both primary and secondary analysis regarding the
film’s cinematic inclusions as a way of developing an independent argument. These sources
include direct statements from Cuarón, interviews with scholars on the themes portrayed
within the film, as well as analysis attributed to members of the New York Film Academy.
Furthermore, Cuarón’s usage of an anamorphic technique when shooting on a standard 35mm
lens will be discussed in relation to how it supports the central argument. Through the
combination of analysis from distinguished scholars and self-created inductions supported by
evidence, this essay will clearly explain how specific cinematic inclusions work to support
the previously addressed themes.
Filling in as a narrative device and precise visual aid, the camerawork within Children of
Men drives the audience to concentrate on the fundamental characters of the film. This
includes the ability to demonstrate empathy towards what they are encountering, as well as
the ability to state objectively what is transpiring within the moment of action. Inside the
established story, the visual effects allow everything related to the plot to be accounted for.
Whether it be the inside of a moving vehicle, or a slither of light that is viewable through a
seemingly obscure compartment, the audience is never left unsatiated with the amount of
subject matter they receive through the film’s camera work. Several literary and cinematic
scholars, including Slavoj Žižek, have commented on the survey-esque ability of the camera
and how it’s supported both character and environmental development throughout the film.
Žižek notices how “visual aesthetics play with the tension between foreground and
background, in order to reveal grim truths about real-world life under contemporary
capitalism that otherwise would not be representable to viewers in a more “direct” fashion”
(Leow). Even the subtleties that exist within the encompassing environment, such as the the
imagery of burning livestock that exists in the foreground, serves a purpose as to the holistic
understanding of the film’s message. Cuarón’s ability to utilize these precise details when
developing his protagonist is exactly what’s necessary towards defining the film’s purpose.
Children of Men plays cautiously with the inclusion of subtleties that relate to reality, and
actual science fiction. This is observable with the way that Cuarón exhibits the foci of
characters while juxtaposing them with their interactions within their environment. At several
key moments, the films frontal qualities can tell less than what the overall camera captures.
This not only affects the chain of importance surrounding each character, but it also makes
their actions within their setting more significant. Through Theo’s perspective, an audience is
able to act omnisciently, and witness clearly the statement that Cuarón is making regarding
the potential demise of contemporary society. The film isn’t inherently selfish with its
depiction of Theo as its protagonist, though. It’s able to establish a narrative that spans
through various character arcs. Through this, the film surprises with its camerawork – a
formal viewpoint that has been very much archived, however, often under-speculated with
regards to the film’s narrative progression. Analyzing solely the methods of visual portrayal
tells much more than the characters themselves know. This is Cuarón’s way of making sure
that his camera action develops an inclination of pressure among both its characters and film-
watchers (Cuarón). Both are encapsulated through this experience, which in essence, creates
a balance between trope-expectation and genuine alteration to a predictable genre and
narrative arc.One of the most recognizable and consistent styles seen throughout Children of
Men is the presence of long, direct shots as the camera constantly pursues Theo as he
navigates through the universe. This cinematic style develops a singular based lens in which
the audience is able to observe this dystopian society
From the opening scene, the audience is able to witness Theo, singularly as an immediate
character of the cast, leave a coffeehouse that explodes and causes great panic and
controversy. With conventional Hollywood cinematography, the film could potentially depict
various wide shots to set up the area outside of the café, yet with this single-shot style, the
camera and its perspective are isolated (Dickerson). This allows the audience to witness the
distinctive subtleties of the world without constraining themselves to solely what Theo is
doing. Through eliminating continuous cuts, the audience is given a feeling that the occasions
occurring on screen are totally unscripted and, luckily enough, the camera simply happens to
be there as they are going on. Additionally, Hollywood’s traditional cinematic limits prevent
a lot of holistic capturing of scenes. This, however, appears all throughout the film, especially
through explicit segments of a room or road; the camera cuts between a several set points but
also highlights 360 degrees of a situation. This anamorphic technique creates a universality
within the film. Supplanting the cuts with a consistent shot that swivels through a whole
scene creates a feeling of transparency; the world exists wherever the camera happens to turn
and it is anything but difficult to trust that the world exists even past what is appeared or what
is simply out of the picture.
Through Cuarón’s lens, Theo is pursued and simultaneously scopes out the city like
somebody venturing out of the blue would be occupied by the inconsequential subtleties of
the city. This free development further solidifies the feeling that the world does indeed exist,
and if the camera was to maneuver only somewhat more the audience is convinced that it
wouldn’t see a motion picture set (Cuarón). Rather than curtailing to Theo within the opening
scene, the camera turns and makes up for lost time with the spot he has halted at in the city.
The absence of cutting in this scene further develops a feeling of suddenness; here exists a
tendency of belief in the circumstances that have just occured, allowing the audience to feel
as though they haven’t missed whatever has occurred and that the precise quantity of time
that has passed since Theo left the shop is known. The audience doesn’t feel deceived by this
notion however, as the literal running motion made by the cinematographers accurately
reflects the heightened paranoia of the situation.Each scene within Children of Men leads into
another scene tailing it and no time is discarded from the progression of the story. Moreover,
flashbacks are not utilized, a traditional staple of apocalyptic fiction. Each time the film
embarks on a new scene and inevitably then onto the next, it isn’t inferred that the situations
that occurred in the middle of the scene are simply completed and the scene that s new
venture is beginning. This style likewise adds to sentiments of the audience in believing that
what is occurring is plausible; the film demonstrates an entire story from beginning to end
and nothing is forgotten. Since nothing is excluded, the audience is additionally given a
feeling that everything is occurring progressively and that a clear progression is defined with
Theo’s narrative. The camera development throughout the course of the film develops the
thought that everything is displayed in an extremely abstract way before the film’s
conclusion.
A case of this abstract camera development occurs when the vehicle Theo is entering is
assaulted and the group inside is forced to escape through driving in reverse. At the point
when the vehicle grinds to a halt, the camera gets out with Theo as he leaves the vehicle. The
camera then sweeps the street and a group of dead mercenaries are seen, which leads the
audience to have to infer through their previous understanding of character motives. Here, a
duality is established, in that Cuarón understands that he can give his audience a lot through
previously developing characters omnisciently (Cuarón). A moving camera can outline the
occurrences of a scene without much, assuming any, adjustment in the blocking of each actor.
Additionally, a moving camera can catch an assortment of shots inside a singular shot,
consequently separating explicitly seen content exclusively from the periphery (Dickerson).
In fact, it’s any small deviation in a scene, whether an actor makes a turn or not, that is
highlighted through Cuarón’s camera. While Cuarón shot his vehicle scene in one shot, he
kept in mind about shooting the necessary components that would prevent the scene from
consistently being cut up. The innovative camerawork that Children of Men utilizes holds
validity in doing beyond what is naturalized in contemporary cinema. It reaches out to the
authenticity and thrill of the action that’s taking place and sets specific arrangements all
through the film, giving an altogether successive flow.Conventionally within motion pictures,
action scenes are altered to heighten the pace of the situation, usually with some type of
musical arrangement to bolster the ongoing drama (Dickerson). This film’s action sequences,
however, are established in edginess, with the notions of death and crisis being consistently
present just through the setting.
A standout example of this, amongst the many scenes of action in Children of Men, occurs
near the end of the film, in which Theo is escaping from the commotion of a firefight and
advances up the stairs of a building to discover Kee with the infant. Again, here the absence
of cuts in this arrangement makes the scene progressively powerful. Through observing this,
the audience is centered totally around Theo and his survival as he evades an overwhelming
flame. Cutting to various shots of battle or dramatic bursts of fire would draw consideration
far from Theo and highlight the war itself, which holistically is irrelevant to the story. The
absence of slices likewise enables the watcher to feel like they are going close by Theo
progressively. Promptly following this scene, which is the longest shot in the film, is where
altering is utilized to make importance between different pictures that wouldn’t exist in a
solitary long take. With the broad utilization of long takes amid thrillingly poignant set
pieces, the film makes a collection of juxtaposing cinematic decisions to convey the scenario
at hand .The camera is essentially another performer here, transmitting data and responding
to the occasions of the story similarly to how Theo must respond. It’s in the camera’s steady
movement and looming dread, often in close spaces, where excitement builds up. The camera
often winds up startled and displaced from the effect of a nearby, which encompasses focal
point of progression previously iterated (and stays there all through the whole succession).
Even blood on the camera is a decision that shakes the audience. It creates room for the
question of “Did that really happen?” to be pondered. Each scene is intentional with both this
individual touch and this abundance of detail.This is eventually one of the film’s persisting
qualities; utilizing hyper-minute subtleties to establish the credibility of this critical reality for
the audience. Within the film, capitalism is still thriving and the economy has only
perpetuated the continuation of consumerism (Dickerson). For example, advertisements
exists for clothing for animals, despite the widespread understanding of global population
decline on the horizon. Another subtly that raises intrigue and suspicion can be observed
when Theo calmly inquires as to whether Julian’s family was “in New York when it
occurred”. “It” is never directly clarified, and it’s this substance, or lack thereof, that Cuarón
uses to his advantage in creating suspense for his audience. Another notable scene in which
the audience is left questioning what exactly happened occurs when an elderly, eastern
European woman utilizes her native tongue to angrily sob and plead for her liberty. Once
more, the audience does not comprehend everything, rather its feeling is emanated
throughout. It’s through these simple moments of the unknown that allows the film to speak
upon profound truths.
The camerawork of Children of Men, while expertly weaving through both what occurs
within the imagination of the audience and what is displayed on screen, allows for room for
discussion on the sociopolitical oddities of reality through the perspective of inspecting its
own setting. A conundrum is thus created regarding the sociopolitical structure within reality.
While free enterprise itself knows no outskirts, individuals and countries attempting to
develop their own identities often must adopt a sectarian mindset. This involves confining
and segregating people, especially through a unified mindset of discrimination of oppression.
The outcasts within Children of Men are progressively uprooted by battle and are ready to
face adversity together. This brings into question just how necessary actions like isolating
groups within moments of international crisis is. In the film, these components are for the
most part personally interconnected, which in turn has a lasting effect on the audience. It’s
vital to distinguish this occurrence from what is front and center, which adds to Cuarón’s
point. Is the audience actually observing what’s going on (detectable through the subtleties of
cinematography) or do they think they know entirely what’s occurring? Children of Men acts
more than just a cautionary tale: it makes its audience question the morality of the
circumstances, especially if they occurred within reality.
The cinematography of Children of Men demonstrates the extent to which filmmaking can
outline the fate of the world. This allows its audience to look inward and to speculate as to
the choices and decisions made in a moment of crisis. Through the incorporation of an
anamorphic lens, Cuarón gives the audience an omniscient understanding of what exactly is
taking place. Cuarón leaves it up to the audience to notice the minutia and distinguish it as an
imperative towards the narrative’s purpose. Through several long, unabrupted shots mixed in
with expertly timed moments of realism and intrigue, Cuarón has created a contemporary
masterpiece that calls all its spectators to have a moment of self-reflection