1 – Genre

Introduction

• Today we start the next of our text studies.

• Many of the topics that we looked at in The Handmaid’s Tale are also very relevant to The Children of Men.

• Task: Think/Pair/Share– What is dystopian fiction?– Why would an author write in this genre? – Do you know of any films that are ‘dystopian’, if so what are

their names and how are they dystopian?

A World of ‘Dystopia’

• So dystopian fiction is…• Is the opposite of Utopia; invented futuristic

nightmare world based on current social, political and economic trends and warning against their possible disastrous implications.

• And the reasons why an author would write in this genre:– Highlight potential dangers we currently face.– Force us to look at our actions in the current time and

reason the consequence of these actions.– Contrasts the world that we currently live in.

Dystopian Films

• There have been many dystopian films created, indeed it seems that every new graduate of a film school wants to create one.

• As a film maker the idea of a created world is exciting. Think about how much freedom you would have with the material you were writing. You would not have to rely on the idea of ‘realism’, instead you are given free reign to form a fully created world. However, there are some drawbacks – can you think about some possible drawbacks to this genre?

Key Drawbacks

• Making it relevant• Building a relationship with the audience – how are

they going to relate to it?• Developing a strong narrative, without spending

hours attempting to set up the world (imagine how hard that is to translate on to film in an entertaining way!)

• Creating human characters and tapping into the idea of the ‘human condition’

• Luckily for us Cuaron and Children of Men manages to overcome many of these problems through his clever use of filmic techniques.

Some Examples

• As a ‘taster’ to analysing filmic techniques we are going to look at several clips from Dystopian films.

• As you watch look out for similarities between the films – particularly with regards to filmic techniques.

V for Vendetta

• Loosely based on George Orwell’s 1984, V for Vendetta was released in 2006.

• What follows is the trailer for the film.

Equilibrium

• Another recent dystopian film was Equilibrium. Again, it shared many of the same ideas of other dystopian fiction – world control, everyone is oppressed, one many fights back etc. etc.

The Handmaid’s Tale

• And of course…a text you know very well.

• Made into a (rather poor and sexually explicit) film in the late 1980’s.

• Again though, they do tap into the whole dystopian fiction idea.

• ..\COM Videos\ahandmaidstaletrailer.mpg

1984

• The classic Dystopian novel was made into a film (ironically) around about 1984.

Any similarities?

• Task: As a group discuss any similarities that you could think of (particularly with regards to filmic techniques)

• Some ideas:– Colour – often dark, foreboding atmosphere.– Camera – ELS, Establishing Shots used to take in the wider

world. Few close-ups, more concerned with depicting the whole society.

– Symbols – signs, colours and so on. Very symbolic films.– Themes: in all of the films the future seems quite bleak –

we seem to be being constantly warned. Each film though does tap into the idea of heroism in some way. People having the courage to stand up for what they believe in.

2 – Alfonso Cuaron

Brief Introduction

• In order to understand a film you need to begin by understanding the director behind the film.

• Unlike a novel, there are in fact many different people that are involved in the creation of a film. However, the person who is generally considered the key ‘artistic influence’ on a film is the director.

• Although we will generally spend most of the time discussing the director as the ‘centre’ of all decision making and chief creator, you should be aware that many decisions would have been made by other people on the production team.

Brief Bio

• Task: Make notes on the below:– After graduating from the National Autonomous University of Mexico,

Alfonso got a job in television, working first as a technician, and then as a director. This led to Alfonso getting roles as an assistant director for various Latin American film productions.

–Alfonso's first big screen directorial role was a dark comedy called Solo con tu pareja. Impressed by Solo con tu pareja, director Sydney Pollack hired Alfonso to direct an episode of the neo noir cable series Fallen Angels.

Brief Bio

• Task: Make notes on the below:– In 1995, Alfonso made his first United States

produced feature film, A Little Princess.– After directing Great Expectations, a modernized

version of the Charles Dicken's novel, Alfonso returned to Mexico with a Spanish-speaking cast to direct Y tu mama tambien. This controversial road comedy became a major success with critics, leading to an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay.

Brief Bio

• Task: Make notes on the below:– Alfonso's next film was Harry Potter and the Prisoner of

Azkaban. Although it was a more aggressive adaption of one of the books in the series, and Alfonso faced criticism from some Harry Potter fans for not following the books as closely as the previous two films in the series had, criitically, the film was better recieved than the first two movies.

– Alfonso's latest film is Children of Men. This critically acclaimed adaption of a P.D. James novel has gone on to recieve three Academy Award nominations including two for Alfonso himself for his involvement in the film.

Brief Bio

• Cuaron on film making:– "What I hate is when cinema is hostage of narrative...– Let cinema breathe, in which narrative is an element of the

cinematic experience, but it's [just] an element, as acting is an element, cinematography is an element. Music and decors, those are elements. But right now? Cinema becomes just about seeing illustrated stories as opposed to engaging audiences in an experience in which you don't explain much....

– The principle of cinema is that you are looking at that screen. A lot of reviewers nowadays, they fall into that vice: they want stories. They want explanations, they want exposition and they want political postures. Why does cinema have to be a medium for making political statements as opposed to presenting facts, presenting elements and then you making your own conclusions -- even if they are elusive? There's nothing more beautiful than elusiveness in cinema."

Analysing the Director

• Task: Think/Pair/Share• What are you expecting?• From what Cuaron has said, and what you have learnt about him,

what do you think are going to be some of the ‘particular’ traits of his films?

• Cuaron – common elements of films:– Technically sound – particularly in terms of camera work.– Works from a distinct colour palette – often dusky yellows, and bleak greys.– Precise in his use of technique (thoroughly though out – every element is

targeted).– Interested in the ‘whole’ film and not just simply accurate and explicit

narratives.– Always attempts to connect with his audience – either make us feel

uncomfortable (usually) or connected to the characters, feel empathy for them.

– Key adjectives: stylish, sharp, precise, gritty, realistic, contemporary, thought-provoking.

In His Own Words

• What follows is a clip that outlines Cuaron’s thoughts about selecting film projects and begins to outline his thoughts about the idea of film making.

3 and 4 – Pre-Theme

Teaching

Key Questions

• “Film as dream, film as music. No art passes our conscience in the way film does, and goes directly to our feelings, deep down into the dark rooms of our souls.”

•  Ingrid Bergman quotes (Swedish born American film and stage Actress, 1915-1982)

• Knowing the power of film, we need to start looking at the way therefore, that it can be used to show us ideas about the world that we are a part of and our own humanity.

• This idea of getting the audience to “think” is central to Cuaron and what he believes a good film will do.

Solve the Problems

• Task: Group Presentation• What follows is a situation that ‘potentially’ could occur.

Read through the situations and then as a group come up with a ‘plan’ of how you would solve these problems.

• No-one has been born for 7 years. Mass infertility has taken hold, no-one knows why, nor can it be reversed.

1. What are the ramifications of this scenario – how would life change? Think about politically, socially, economically, as well as how it would affect the ‘man on the street’

2. How would a society set about protecting itself? Pretend you are the government of the time. Outline how you are going to solve the problems facing this society.

What Would You Accept?

• Task: Think/Pair/Share• If one person holds the key to solve

the problems of a whole community – should we accept that that person may have to suffer for the betterment of others? – If so, to what extent are we willing to

have that person suffer? – If not, how do you justify the suffering of

the many others?

Selfish or Survival

• Big Question: How much suffering of other people are you willing to accept in order to feel safe and protected?

• Guantanomo Bay – • Iraq – • Palestine – • Northern Ireland – • Tuhoe –

The Power of Fear

• President Roosevelt on addressing the American public that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

• What does this statement mean?

• How could it be considered relevant in this day and age?

Hope

• Hope is…– a desire for something to happen, while

expecting or being confident that it will come true. Hope also implies a certain amount of perseverance, believing that something is possible even when there is some evidence to the contrary. Hope may be directed toward something minor or towards something extremely significant. "False hope" is hoping for something that is extremely unlikely or unrealistic.

Its Importance

• One of the key special features that is included with Children of Men on the DVD Special Edition is a documentary entitled The Possibility of Hope. This documentary goes someway to allowing us to better understand Cuaron’s central concerns, and provides a solid base of ideas that underpin the entire film.

• Task: Take Some Notes– As you watch the documentary make some notes about

interesting ideas that are raised.– At the end of the documentary we will have a discussion of

some of the ideas raised.

So…

• Are we all doomed?

• Why are we doomed?

• What is the way out of the current problems that we face?

• Why is it so important that we are made aware of these problems now?

5, 6, 7 – Active Viewing

Active Viewing

• One of the keys to being successful with the analysis of film is to be an active viewer.

• This means that you do not simply sit back and let the film ‘wash’ over you like you are at the Tuesday Night Special at Reading, instead you watch the film closely, paying attention to the way that you are being manipulated by the director.

• Remember the key at Level Two is to be analysing techniques – this means that you need to have a very good knowledge of how the film has been ‘put together’ and why it has been put together this way.

Active Viewing

• Techniques to look out for:– Camera Work (shots used, camera movement – pan, tracking, tilts etc)– Editing (shot order, length of shots, cuts)– Costumes– Sets (choice of sets, way organised, what is seen)– Lighting (shifts in lighting, shadows, glare etc)– Colour– Acting (facial expressions, movement)– Diegetic Sound (sound effects, background noise – any sound within the

picture)– Dialogue– Non-Diegetic Sound (narration – any sound outside of the picture)– Music– Symbolism

• While watching make some brief notes of anything that particularly jumps out at you.