Children of Men- Your thoughts *Spoilers*

[Lapis Exilis]

I enjoyed Children of Men very much, so I read the book as well. In it, the infertility of the world is likewise unexplained - because no one in the story knows why it has happened. It's a fundamental part of the disorientation and hopelessness that possesses the created universe that babies have stopped coming and no one knows why, despite mandatory fertility testing for everyone. Both book and film are great examples of science fiction, though of the HG Wells, social thought experiment type, not the Asimov, hard tech type.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

I think it never explained the infertility problem because it wanted the viewer to come up with their own conclusion. I could be pollution, the stuff that we eat these days (hormones and chemicals), or it could just be plain and simple evolution. Maybe we were supposed to stop breading and die out.

Yeah, none of those really worked for me. Maybe big chunks of the population would be affected by any one of those things, but not everyone on the freakin planet.

Maybe I'm just too much of a science nerd, but that premise was just too much of a whopper not to have a better explanation. It would be like if everyone in the future had suddenly learned how to fly, and the movie didn't bother to explain it. We'd all be going "Huh? Just how exactly did THIS happen?!?"

I understand your issue with this, but for me I loved the ambiguity of the infertility.

 

[Trent Roman]

The book also specifies that it's the men who have become infertile. So while Ki's pregnancy is remarkable, it's the unknown father who probably would have been the best to study. It also makes the sex of the baby an issue, because a daughter would just be in the same boat as all the other women of this future, fertile, but incapable of finding a mate who is as well. I think they left that out of the film largely because we've since progressed to the point where there would actually be fertility options available even if all the men started shooting nothing but blanks - frozen sperm that can be duplicated, embryonic self-cloning, maybe even stem cells that could be encouraged into male gametes.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[stj]

The Children of Men is first and foremost an action movie. The infertility is just a way of amping up the stakes. The richness of background detail makes the world feel real. If you can suspend disbelief, it makes for an exciting two hours.

 

[Rÿcher]

ehhh, I don't know about that. I think without the action sequences, it would have held its own. I think it was more a futuristic, dystopian fantasy with action elements throughout.

It was no more an action movie than Munich or Syriana.

 

[Gaith]

This occasioned one of Roger Ebert's more philosophical reviews, and he addresses many of these points. I highly recommend it.

 

[Steve Roby]

My reaction to seeing Children of Men was, that was the best movie I never want to see again. It was just too depressing. But I will buy it on DVD one of these days, because it's rare to get an intelligent, emotionally affecting, well-acted, amazingly designed and filmed science fiction movie for literate adults. With a good soundtrack, too.

 

[Evil_Kirkneivel]

I think some people might find it too relentlessly sombre, even though there is a big redemption element to it - you just have to wait for it. Personally, I liked it, although I think it was just a little short of being great. Michael Caine was very good, but I think somehow Clive Owen didn't create a character that I was concerned about - and that would have made a big difference.

My full review is here

 

[Mr Light]

I truly loved this movie; it's one of those rare times when I went to theater not knowing what to expect and was completely blown away. It's got to be one of the most brilliant visual films ever made. The scene where the crying baby stops an entire army dead in its track is definitely one of the most moving scenes I've ever seen.

This reminds me, I have the book sitting on my shelf. I need to read it!

 

[Reverend]

For me the most memorable scene is the one in the car where Julian Moore gets knocked off. It was so seamless and visceral you'd almost believe it was actually happening.

As far the explaining the infertility, I fell it's vital to the film that we don't have it explained because IT DOESN'T MATTER! Also, for those that question how the wold could fall apart so much "just" because the babies stopped being born, I'd point out that wasn't the sole factor. There's mention of pandemics, nuclear terrorism, economic collapses and mass migration. Add to that the knowledge that the world will end with the current generation, then I'm surprised it managed to hung together for those eighteen years. I mean, what makes you think the human race would suddenly discover rationality in a climate like that? Still, if the global crisis still bothers you, remeber that we saw everything from Blighty's POV, an island nation that has become vermently isolationist. If there was a social utopia developing in South East Asia, do you think they'd be telling people about it on state TV?

Suffice to say it's easily one of my favourite films of the last decade. As far as the direction and cinematography goes...put it this way, if anyone ever makes a film out of Half-Life 2, I want it to look and fell like Children of Men.

 

[Harvey]

My reaction to seeing Children of Men was, that was the best movie I never want to see again. It was just too depressing.

I'm curious, have you seen United 93? That's exactly how I'd describe that film.

 

[JacksonArcher]

^Absolutely. I think that's more of an adept description of that movie than Children of Men which I've seen far too many times. Yes, it's depressing, but I actually think the movie is kind of uplifting, towards the end, in a very subdued way.

 

[bigdaddy]

United 93 I couldn't watch it, I had to keep changing the channel.

I love this movie, and it's Children of Men because men were the problem, however we no longer need men in todays science, literally.

 

[JacksonArcher]

I love this movie, and it's Children of Men because men were the problem, however we no longer need men in todays science, literally.

It's great to be a man these days isn't it?

 

[Saul]

Jaws: The Revenge.

Heh, I loved the fact that he actually survived the Shark attacking his plane at the end.

 

[Frontman]

I think that "Children of men" shows pretty accurately how earth future is going to look like. Probably not that all women will be barren, but that chaotic world I think is near.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

For me the most memorable scene is the one in the car where Julian Moore gets knocked off. It was so seamless and visceral you'd almost believe it was actually happening.

That was very shocking moment for me because I had no idea Julian was going to die because I thought Julianne Moore would be in the entirety of the film. I also loved that sequence for the reasons you pointed out and it goes along nicely with the other two big single shot sequences (Theo, Miriam, and Kee fleeing the Fishes' camp and the battle in the immigrant camp).

My reaction to seeing Children of Men was, that was the best movie I never want to see again. It was just too depressing.

I'm curious, have you seen United 93? That's exactly how I'd describe that film.

Yeah, same here. United 93 is incredibly written, directed, and acted, but I don't know if I'll be able to watch it again.

^Absolutely. I think that's more of an adept description of that movie than Children of Men which I've seen far too many times. Yes, it's depressing, but I actually think the movie is kind of uplifting, towards the end, in a very subdued way.

And I think that's the key difference between Children of Men and United 93. Yes, the passengers acted heroically in the end, but it still in ends in tragedy.

 

[Steve Roby]

My reaction to seeing Children of Men was, that was the best movie I never want to see again. It was just too depressing.

I'm curious, have you seen United 93? That's exactly how I'd describe that film.

No, I haven't, and I'm not sure I'm going to.

 

[bigdaddy]

I love this movie, and it's Children of Men because men were the problem, however we no longer need men in todays science, literally.

It's great to be a man these days isn't it?

Oh yes, just a few months ago they found a way to have two woman have a child that is truly both of theirs using fake sperm. Truly scary.

Plus "The Pill" (birth control pill) in England is populating the water and making men's favorite part not work. They can't filter it out.

I think it is a way for women to slowly take over the world! They must be stopped now!

 

[Klaus]

I think it is a way for women to slowly take over the world! They must be stopped now!

...well they couldn't do a worse job with it than we men have!