children of men dystopia

8/10/2019 Children of Men Dystopia

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Dystopias provide for unsettling reflections on ourselves and our world. To what extent is

this idea reflected in you chosen text?

As the world became exposed to periods of war and political unrest, societys belief

in humanity has been conflicted due to the corruption and deprivation that has arisen. This

has resulted in writers to foreshadow a perverted world by further exploring the damaging

effects of such upheavals, labelling the world as a Dystopia. Dystopia refers to a fictional

society whereby the conditions of living are exceedingly low, in many cases due to

oppression, greed and prejudice. Over time, dystopian writers have evolved significantly

from a futuristic world to a world that question upon present-day references to serve as

critiques on contemporary societies and governments. This provides us greater insight upon

the unsettling reflections on our desire to retain our identity in a world depleted from

individuality and the worlds amoral desire for power and control. Such concerns upon

dystopia are thoroughly explored in Alfonso Cuarns 2006 film Children of Men. The filmtakes place in Britain in the year 2027, describing the devastation of the world due to

nuclear and environment destruction, whereby women have become infertile. Through

detailed use of the films mise-en-scene to the intertextual referencing present, Children of

Men reveals the dystopian conventions of oppressive governments, and the loss of hope

and faith, leading to a truly unsettling reflection of modern society.

The oppression of a society by its existing political system is an unsettling reflection

that dystopia provides us as the desire to gain control of others will lead to a world

becoming immoral. Today, we are frequently reminded of the overflow of refugees and the

suppressive measures governments take to filter and refuse entry of refugees. Such a notion

is deeply embedded in Children of Men, as the film explores the results of an oppressive

government and features extrapolated present day immigration systems, reminiscent to

that of Nazi Germany. The film opens with a black screen and an urgent voice of a news

reporter is heard saying The Homeland Security Bill is ratified. Although the film is set in

Britain, the mentioning of Homeland Security inthis opening sequence links the

description to the socio-political reality of the present-day United States1. The British

government depicted by Cuarn is totalitarian, fascist and anti-immigration. London in 2027

isnt unlike the present day, illustratedthrough the single long shot of the city scape with

the exterior of buildings being decked with huge video screens broadcasting the news;

electronic signs urging the public to report suspicious activity2. Having closed its borders

for eight years, hunting down illegal immigrants, rounding them up in cages like animals,

and sending them to deportation refugee camps, all of which are seen throughout the film,

suggesting it is a part of everyday life for citizens, the director has purposefully made such

scenes reminiscent of the Jewish Holocaust and Guantanamo Bay detention camps. In

understanding the political oppression of dystopian communities and by representing

1

Amago, S. (2010), Ethics, Aesthetics, and the Future in Alfonso Cuarns Children of Men, Discourse, WayneState University Press, Detroit, p. 213-2142Conlan, S., Children of Men Study Guide, accessed fromwww.filmstudies.neton 16/08/2014
http://www.filmstudies.net/http://www.filmstudies.net/http://www.filmstudies.net/http://www.filmstudies.net/


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historical tragedies in the film, Cuarn emphasises his critique on the bleak atmosphere of

the past, providing a disconcerting warning reflecting on the lack of ethical consideration of

society today.

As a result of a world devoid of morals, humanity will ultimately lose its principles of

hope and faith, revealing a society whereby individuals lack apathy due to overwhelming

futility and despair. The futuristic Britain is a world of desolation and chaos, shown through

the use of grey colour palettes and the frequent close up shots of buildings resolved to

rubble and dead bodies, emphasising the gloominess present. In this dehumanising

community, women have been infertile for eighteen years for unexplained causes, and

Cuarn states, the concept of female infertility is a metaphor for the fading sense of hope3.

The concept of infertility is not new to the science fiction dystopian genre, however

Children of Men portrays a world doomed with the imminent identity of humans.

Professor David P. Barash and his daughter Nanelle R. Barash say dystopian science fictiondemonstrates a denial of biology or humans basic needs

4. Through their statement, it can

be inferred that infertility establishes the absence of the sense of purpose, hope and faith in

society. The loss of purpose and motivation results in individuals to give up, as seen when

Theo questions his cousin Nigel the purpose in restoring renowned artworks such as

Michelagos David, What keeps you going? to which Nigel replies I just dont think about

it. Through this conversation, we can see the lack of apathy within individuals and the

absence of individuality in which the characters possess; the sense of hopelessness that has

seeped into peoples mindsets. Furthermore, the film does not present a sense of closure,

leaving the audience questioning the future of Kee and her baby. The vague ending isexplained by Cuarn as a means for the audience to invest their own sense of hope into

that ending a hopeful person will see a lot of hope, a bleak person will see a complete

hopelessness at the end5. As explored, a society void of connectivity and morals will be

directed towards an unsettling implication of the destitution of a unique identity.

In exploring the political oppression and loss of hope in Children of Men, and

portraying the film as a darker account of contemporary society, Cuarn skilfully allows the

audience to perceive themselves in this eerily distorted image of the present world.

3Wells, J. (2006), Interview with Alfonso Cuarn, accessed fromwww.hollywood-elsewhere.comon

12/08/20144Barash, D. & Barash, N. (2004), Biology, Culture, and Persistent Literary Dystopias, The Chronicle of Higher

Education, accessed fromwww.chronicle.comon 13/08/20145Guerrasio, J. (2006), A New Humanity, Filmmaker Magazine, accessed fromwww.filmmakermagazine.com

on 16/08/2014
http://www.hollywood-elsewhere.com/http://www.hollywood-elsewhere.com/http://www.hollywood-elsewhere.com/http://www.chronicle.com/http://www.chronicle.com/http://www.chronicle.com/http://www.filmmakermagazine.com/http://www.filmmakermagazine.com/http://www.filmmakermagazine.com/http://www.filmmakermagazine.com/http://www.chronicle.com/http://www.hollywood-elsewhere.com/


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BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Amago, S. (2010), Ethics, Aesthetics, and the Future in Alfonso Cuarns Children of Men,

Discourse, Wayne State University Press, Detroit, p. 213-214

2.

Barash, D. & Barash, N. (2004), Biology, Culture, and Persistent Literary Dystopias, TheChronicle of Higher Education, accessed fromwww.chronicle.comon 13/08/2014

3. Conlan, S., Children of Men Study Guide, accessed fromwww.filmstudies.neton

16/08/2014

4.

Guerrasio, J. (2006), A New Humanity, Filmmaker Magazine, accessed from

www.filmmakermagazine.comon 16/08/2014

5.

Wells, J. (2006), Interview with Alfonso Cuarn, accessed fromwww.hollywood-

elsewhere.comon 12/08/2014
http://www.chronicle.com/http://www.chronicle.com/http://www.chronicle.com/http://www.filmstudies.net/http://www.filmstudies.net/http://www.filmstudies.net/http://www.filmmakermagazine.com/http://www.filmmakermagazine.com/http://www.hollywood-elsewhere.com/http://www.hollywood-elsewhere.com/http://www.hollywood-elsewhere.com/http://www.hollywood-elsewhere.com/http://www.hollywood-elsewhere.com/http://www.hollywood-elsewhere.com/http://www.filmmakermagazine.com/http://www.filmstudies.net/http://www.chronicle.com/

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