“Children of Men” Directed by Alfonso Cuaron. Is set in the year 2027, in a chaotic world in which humans can no longer procreate, Theo Faron a former activist, agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman, Named Kee, to a sanctuary located out at sea, where her child’s birth could help scientists save mankind. In the film Children of Men, there are many crucial scenes to help convey the idea of the film, however I find one of these scenes particularly important; namely the apartment scene. In this scene Theo is being driven through the streets of London to the Ark Of Arts to visit his cousin Nigel. The director uses a number of techniques to help portray the themes and ideas, such as music, setting, lighting and mise-en-scene.
During the apartment scene, the song “The Court Of the Crimson King” by King Crimson is playing in the background; The lyrics in this song help portray the idea of mankind’s demise. Crimson is the colour ascribed to someone who is furious, for example how God must feel toward mankind for its sins. But the wise never refer to God directly, for it seems nutty and conjectured. Instead they refer to God’s ordained agents, in this age personified as crimson-seated monarch. All the diabolical-sounding protests at the beginning of the sequence is bone-chilling with detail of various biblical verses predicting the end of the world. It implies that infertility is God’s punishment for man’s sins as humanity approaches the grand finale. I.e. the final coming to a head culmination of the human saga.
Also during this scene the lighting plays a significant role in creating the mood which the audience feel. It directs the viewer to what the character is feeling, drawing the viewer into the film. The scene starts with Theo being driven though the busy and crowded streets of London, full of cars, people and protesters. The weather throughout the first part of the scene is quite cloudy emphasising the dim mood in the scene.