Children of Men Opening Scene analysis

Children of Men Opening Scene Analysis

The opening of 'Children of Men' begins in a futuristic London during the year 2027, as seen by the high tech adverts used on the buses and the large television screens on the office buildings. From the beginning, the audience is immediately introduced to the collapse of the world through the news report aired in a coffee shop in central London. The audience is introduced to the issue of worldwide infertility with the youngest person on earth murdered at the age of 18. The world is represented as having a collapsed state and government and undergoing a turmoil of destruction; portrayed through the bombing of the coffee shop. This representation of the future world is wholly negative; with no hope of curing the infertility of the current generation there is no hope of future generations to continue human life - a dystopia world. As well as this, the future of London is represented in a bad light by showing rickshaws drive past conveying the idea that London will be over populated (shown by the overcrowded cafe) and highly polluted (rickshaws).

We are introduced to the main character, male, we know he is the main character by the tracking camera shots of him and the various close-ups of his actions and facial expressions. Also because he gets the most camera time. He is also shown to have little interest in the death, unlike the rest of the people at the coffee house whom all seem startled and saddened upon the death of Baby Diego. This could represent this character as being different to the rest of the people. He also escapes from the explosion of the coffee house, of which we see a disfigured women after, showing the audience the character's difference to the rest. We see the main character pour what looks like whisky into his coffee. This helps the audience to further understand his frame of mind. How he stays disconnected from the goings on and/or is just an alcoholic.