Movie Review: Children of Men

Production Company: Universal Pictures
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Cast: Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine, Clare-Hope Ashitey, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Charlie Hunnam
Rating: R for strong language, graphic violence and brief nudity

Please be aware that the film contains extremely intense scenes of violence and frequent use of profanity.

By Gregg Tubbs

(UMC.org)—The Bible says, "faith is the assurance of things hoped for" (Hebrews 11:1, NRSV). But what is left to believe in when you remove all hope? What is there to strive for when there is no future ahead? In director Alfonso Cuarón's dark and dazzling futuristic thriller, Children of Men, we see the results of a world stripped of hope. Here, the death of a single 18-year-old is devastating world news, not because he was a prince or pop star, but because he was the youngest person on the planet. The film introduces us to a future without children or the hope of children in a world where all women are infertile and where just one birth could change everything—even the soul of man. This is definitely a nativity story of a different kind.

Based on P. D. James' dystopian novel, and directed and co-written by celebrated filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban), Children of Men transports us one generation into the future when mass infertility has plunged the world into despair, paranoia and chaos. Rioting and anarchy have overtaken the globe, with the exception of England. Although wracked by violence between warring political and racial factions, Britain has marshaled on by instituting a series of progressively repressive measures. The government installs a brutal Homeland Security force, closing borders and detaining foreign refugees (derisively called "fugees") in squalid, dangerous compounds.

As the film opens, disillusioned political activist Theo (a beautifully understated Clive Owen) is in a London coffee house watching the news of the death of the earth's youngest person at only 18. News of this unexpected death sends a grim ripple throughout the world, adding a final punctuation mark to humankind's death sentence. Theo, like millions in England, sleepwalks through a hopeless, meaningless existence. As one character eloquently put it, "Once the sounds of the playground faded, the despair set in."

Theo (Clive Owen) and his aging, hippie friend Jasper (Michael Cane) must wage a desperate race against the clock, and perhaps even fate, to deliver Kee (Clare-Hope Ashitey) to safet with tthe mysterious "Human Project." Copyright © Copyright © 2006 Universal Pictures.

Then Theo is confronted with the one thing he could never have expected—a lone pregnant woman named Kee (newcomer Clare-Hope Ashitey). Kee is a wanted woman, pursued by groups determined to claim her and the miraculous child for their own political purposes. She's also a hated "fugee" from Africa, and Theo knows that the wildly nationalistic government would never accept that the child who could restore meaning and hope to the world could be anything but British. Theo and his aging, hippie friend Jasper (Michael Cane) must wage a desperate race against the clock, and perhaps even fate, to deliver Kee to safety with the mysterious "Human Project."

Despite its sci-fi trappings, Children of Men succeeds by portraying a fully realized and completely believably alternate reality, one that echoes current reality. Cuarón eschews Hollywood's current penchant for frenetic editing and instead builds his action around intricately staged, extended shots where the camera never cuts, weaving in and out among the characters, putting the audience in the center of the action. Far from empty showmanship meant to impress film buffs, this technique has a startling, visceral impact and helps add to the story's almost overpowering emotional wallop.

No empty-headed action flick, this film is rife with social and spiritual subtext. Its theme is hope: how we thrive in its presence and wither in its absence. Theo undergoes rejuvenation—even redemption—when his hope is restored through the promised new birth. The change in his character is powerful, as is the change in everyone who encounters the pregnant woman, Kee. Her very presence-the tangible symbol of a future—restores their faith and inspires them to kindness, courage and sacrifice. The symbolism is not lost, as she walks, Christ-like, through a crowd and the people clamor to touch even the hem of her garment.

The film explores a number of societal and social ills. Mass infertility functions as a catalyst for the story, representing any cataclysmic event that shakes a society loose from its principles and shared humanity. We see how a climate of fear and despair can drive a society (and individuals) inward, erecting walls in its desperation for protection and sacrificing true freedom for perceived security. We are shown how easy it is to slip into "us and them" thinking-dehumanizing and demonizing those who are different in appearance, speech or beliefs. Issues of immigration, racism, terrorism, the environment and rampant nationalism all come into play.

It was fitting that this film opened (in limited release) on Christmas day because it represents a kind of post-apocalyptic nativity story—a rebirth of hope and new life for a lost people. And although it focuses on the birth of one miraculous human child, Children of Men also powerfully reminds us that we are all children of God.

Gregg Tubbs is a freelance writer living in Columbia, Md.

This review was developed by UMC.org, the official online ministry of The United Methodist Church.

Study Questions

Discuss the connection between faith and hope. What does the Bible say? (See Hebrews 11:1.)
How does your own faith relate to your vision of the future? What things give you hope?
Do you think it is possible to retain faith when there is no conceivable future? Or can dire situations make faith stronger?
In the film, refugees are called "fugees," which is used as a generic, derogatory term for all foreigners. How do you feel about the use of such derogatory names? Do you think using terms such as "fugees" helps dehumanize those who are different? Can you think of past or present examples when dehumanizing names were used for a group of people?
Do you see elements of today's world in the film? What are they? Do you think it is a commentary on our current state or direction? Why or why not?
The repressive government portrayed in the film severely restricts immigration and deports "fugees." Can you see echoes of that in current events?
Can issues like immigration be viewed as Christian concerns? How do you think Christians should respond? What does the Bible say about the concept of hospitality? (See Deuteronomy 10:19, Leviticus 19:33-34, Romans 12:13, Ephesians 2:11-21.)
What evidence did we see that Jasper was a peace activist? What visual clues did the filmmakers give us? Do you believe Christians should advocate for peace? What did Jesus say about peacemakers? (See Matthew 5:3-12.)
In what ways was the birth of a new child in Children of Men like the birth of Christ? How was it different? What about the circumstances of the two births? What was the impact of these births on people's hearts? On the future?

Official Movie Website

Children of Men

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