Opening Scene Analysis – Children of Men

Opening Scene Analysis – Children of Men

 

Summary:

At the start of the film “Children of Men” the Universal logo appears on the screen. This indicates to the audience that the film has a high budget and will use many different assets including CGI and various special effects. This is followed by the Strike logo which seems to be an independent film company since its logo is less impressive and is not as well-known as Universal, this idea is also further supported by the fact the logo is very basic compared to the Universal logo. These logos are shown through a silence which is broken during the black screen when a diegetic voice over begins to speak. During this voice over the black screen cuts to picture which reveals many people watching a news report in a coffee shop.

 

After picture appears on screen we see the main protagonist enter the coffee shop. He enters from behind the huge crowd and is portrayed as a normal person since he doesn’t stand out when he enters. It then cuts to a shot of the TV screen. This frame has juxtaposition as it shows a futuristic TV screen that appears to be floating compared to the background which is a shelf in the coffee shop. The shelf looks fairly old and therefore looks like it could be a modern shelf used now instead of the future where the movie is set.

As the protagonist leaves the coffee shop the camera follows him. This shows the audience that he is the protagonist and we will follow him throughout the movie. As he moves onto the street and it reveals a futuristic city. The audience can see this by the buildings and structures and also by the technology of the TV screen on the side of the building. This is juxtaposed by the cars on the street since they seem modern and don’t fit in the futurist setting of the film. The camera then continues to follow the protagonist and pans around him. This is followed by a sudden explosion and the camera becomes frantic, this connotes the panic in the scene.

Genre:

The genre of the film as well as the setting is quickly established during the first few seconds of the film. It is established by the news report which connotes that the film is set in the future and will be sci-fi. This is connoted by the diegetic dialogue: “Youngest person on the planet is dead” therefore hinting to the audience that no more people are being born.

Narrative/Setting:

The films narrative is established in the opening scene. The news broadcast helps to show the audience it’s based in the future through the diegetic dialogue “Youngest person on the planet”. This helps connote the setting and give an idea of what’s happening in the films world. The film also helps establish the setting when the protagonist walks outside into the street and the camera reveals the huge futuristic buildings.

During this opening scene the narrative is not really hinted and the purpose of the scene appears to be to set the scene and show how the films world is different from the present time.

Themes:

The themes in this film seem to be survival mixed with the dystopia settings. I can see this because the people in the world seem to be consistently sad and it seems that everyone is fighting for survival.

Camera:

Throughout the clip the camera follows the protagonist from the coffee shop. This helps show the audience that the man is a critical character in the film. 

The protagonist is first seen in the coffee shop and seems to be presented as a normal person connoted by his costume and the fact he doesn’t seem to stick out in anyway. It then follows him outside and starts to pan around revealing the setting.

The initial high angled shot could be connoting the fact the character could die in the film, however during the explosion the protagonist is high in the frame connoting that he won’t die during the opening scene.

Sound:

The lack of sound during the institutional logos is done on purpose and helps the diegetic news report to impact the audience when it starts. It also connotes the significance of the news report, showing its importance in setting the scene. When the sound does start it helps explain the current state of the world.

In the scene outside after the explosion only a few sounds can be heard. All the sounds connote panic, this includes the screaming and ringing noise.

Titles:

The titles in the film are very plain and seem very basic. This connects with the film the idea that there are no luxuries in this world only the basic needs that people need in order to survive.

How this will help me

This will help me since it has shown the importance of sound and how it can help carry the narrative. Additionally I also will understand the camera can be effective in presenting certain setting and timeframe where a movie is set.