… Turn out The Lights … ?
Which is possibly a bit of a bleak title for a post, but there we go.
Yes, I know, I know, in hot weather like this, you’d not expect people to be sitting indoors, watching a film …
But it’s Saturday.
And both Movie Night Adrian* and I were feeling both skint.
And bored.
And both fancied company: it’s just a shame that the rest of the Movie Night gang couldn’t make it, tonight, I think they’ve missed something that was worth watching.
The 2006, Alfonso Cuarón directed, film, Children of Men.
And I’ve got to admit that Children of Men is — if not a masterpiece — a film that got unfairly treated by the critics, at the time of is original release.
Based loosely on the P. D. James novel of the same name, Children of Men is set ini a post-apocalyptic 2027.
One where the actual apocalypse is less of a huge explosions, with aliens, mega-ships and invading spaceships, and more of a very invidious whimper.
Very invidious, actually.
Humanity stops having babies.
Reproducing.
Having children.
Nasty thought, isn’t it … ?
Which is just where the story starts …
After all, the UK of 2027 is a fascist dictatorship, living in fear of illegal immigrants, and saving up for the freely available Quietus suicide kits.
And the opening scenes of Children of Men sees Theo Faron — played by Clive Owen — find out that Baby Diego, the worlds youngest person has been stabbed to death. It goes downhill from there.
When he’s kidnapped by the activists — yes, that’s the word … ! — lead by his ex-wife, who manage to persuade him to get some false transit papers for a very young illegal immigrant called Kee, who needs to get to the much rumoured Human Project.
Kee … is pregnant.
In a world that hasn’t seen a baby born in 18 years …
•••••
You know, I’m thinking, here, of an old term that the late Alfred Hitchcock came up with: McGuffin.
A McGuffin, in this sense, is the plot device that drives the story along: and, in Children of Men, Kee and her child, in a world that hasn’t seen the birth of a baby in some 18 years is a pretty major one.
Seeing both her — and Clive Owen — chased by armed police and troops, hoping to catch an escaped foogie and the cop killer that’s with her. Chased by left wing activists hoping to use the child as a symbol of resistance to the dictatorship in charge of the UK.
And — at the film’s climax — seeing just two of the three fugitives catching a ship they’d been praying for.
•••••
Phew … !
Now, I’m going to make a confession, here …
I didn’t exactly take to Children of Men, the first time I saw it.
Admittedly, though, I did have it on, whilst I was still actively in the pub quiz game, writing two to three quizzes a week.
As background noise, as much as anything else.
That really didn’t do Children of Men much in the way of justice.
On re-watching it … ?
I’m thinking that Children of Men is …
Well …
If Children of Men isn’t a thoughtfully made, acted and written little gem of a realistic Sci-fi post-apocalypse, then I’m a lobster.
And lobsters don’t blog.
∯∰∯
* Adrian, though, will quite happily admit he spent yesterday demonstrating the ancient martial art of quarter-staffing, has the bruises to prove it, and is hoping attractive women will want to tell him how bunch he’s been. Or rub some form of lotion into the bruises … Ummm … Adrian, does that cover it … ?
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