CHILDREN OF MEN – TRAILER ANALYSIS

CHILDREN OF MEN– DYSTOPIAN SCI-FI

Children of Men is a 2006 film co-written, co-edited and directed by Alfonso Cuarón. It is

loosely based on P.D. James’ 1992 novel of the same name. Set in 2027 when all women

are infertile, and no woman has been pregnant for eighteen years, civil servant Theo Faron

(Clive Owen) must help a pregnant West African refugee to avoid the riots and the mayhem and

get to The Human Project.

NARRATIVECHARACTER TYPES:

PROTAGONIST:THEO FARON

HELPER:JASPER PALMER

DISPATCHER:JULIAN TAYLOR

PRINCESS:KEE

NARRATIVE STRUCTURE:

1. EQUILIBRIUMThe scene is set, and the dystopian idea of ‘normal life’ is represented in the opening scenes of the trailer.

2. DISRUPTIONThe disruption of equilibrium is shown, in this case Julian kidnaps Theo and sets him on his task to assist Kee to safety.

3. HINT AT RESTORATIONShowing the actual restoration would ruin the movie, so instead it is only hinted at. We see Theo helping Kee to meet the boat sent by The Human Project, however we do not see if they make it.

Although the trailer loosely supports Todorov’s narrative structure, an interesting point to note is that the equilibrium may be considered a negative one (a world in which women are infertile) and the disruption is an arguably positive one (the discovery of a pregnant woman). To mix up the conventions of narratives is very common in postmodern films.

CAMERA / MISE-EN-SCENEOne of the features of the camera work

that we see in the trailer is the use of negative space; much like is used in thriller films, this creates a sense of

tension and unease, indicative of the dystopian society of the film.

It is important for the trailer to explain the fact that the film is set in the future. However, to keep an air of realism it is often preferred to be done subtly. The use of futuristic machines and devices help to do this in the Children of Men trailer

Another key feature of the mise-en-scene is the gloomy and overcast weather that seems to run through the whole trailer. This helps create a mood for the film; namely a bleak one which represents the societal view of hope that Theo talks about right at

the very start of the trailer.

EDITINGThe use of slow motion helps emphasize the vital importance of revealing that Kee is pregnant.

In the latter stages of the trailer, when hinting at a restoration, there are lots of fades to black, which almost suggests that we’re not seeing the end of these shots.

The camera cuts generally match the feel of the events in the trailer. They are of medium length

in the calmer parts, and shorter in the more climactic scenes. There is a less steady pattern than in other trailers though; for example there

are fast camera cuts when Theo is being kidnapped by Julian, and then it returns to mid-

length.

SOUNDNON-DIEGETIC:There are multiple non-diegetic sounds, such as bassy heartbeat-like drum sounds matching on the titles throughout the trailer. These are most likely used to emphasize the ‘human’ element of the film. However the main non-diegetic element is the music.

MUSICThe music in this trailer changes to represent different parts of the narrative:•A symphonic arrangement of ‘Gimme Shelter’ by The Rolling Stones is played in the equilibrium section, reflecting the strange mixed up society.•The middle section has a faster more unsettling song which accompanies the disruption.•The climactic, uplifting ending is accompanied fittingly with ‘Hoppipolla’ by Sigur Ros.DIEGETIC:Tare title inserts between the opening shots to establish the basic plot and to introduce the dystopia. Theo acts as the narrator at the beginning, but it’s only to the extent of what he knows. As the trailer progresses, Theo stops narrating. Also there are diegetic sounds of gunshots and explosions; unsettling and very dystopian.