Gigi_sa Media: 2015

Opening Analysis

Children of Men

This is the opening scene from the Children of Men

The director uses the 4 micro-elements to help set the mood of the film and to use that mood to create dystopian world that full of crimes, mixed culture, hopeless adults, etc. The black screen with diegetic sound of news reports seem to introduce us to the new cold world where there are no solutions, no hope. Then it cuts to the angle group shot scene where people are standing looking like the world has come to an end and this is conveyed through their sorrowful face expression as well as the editing that added the grim blue filter. While camera is taking a handheld long shot without the editing, the protagonist walks in and the long shot makes us follow the protagonist movements which means we pay attention to him. Then he walks out and that is when I can clearly see the contrast of the protagonist and others because everyone seems to be facing towards television but he is facing the other way. He doesn't care while they are all care.

The news of the youngest died appear on the television follow with a diegetic mourning song and sound of people crying. However, as he walks out the camera angle is changed from high wide angle to close up until we can only see his shoulders. Camera follows him and it seems to me like the diegetic becomes louder and more resonant that it becomes non diegetic sound of composed music describing how hopeless it is in that room. The sweet melody suddenly cut off when he finally walks out and we see the outside world for the first time. The sweet melody being cut off tells us that we have to come to senses, no more sadness and it is time to face the reality. Up to this point there is very limited editing, camera seems to give us the sense of human (looking through someone's eyes) since it is handheld and it seems to be new to this world because it is a pan shot. A pan shot has suggested of how a civilized city like London has changed, there is of old and new in this mixed culture.

The lighting is overcast until we don't know exactly if it was dawn or sunset and that creates a mood of uncertainty (bomb or something bad might happen) which this scene is trying to do the opposite creating a contrast. A diegetic sound of traffic and normal conversations are trying to convey us that it is just an another one fine day with police officer walking by (suggested of security) but suddenly the bomb went off. A diegetic sound of screaming comes in right away creating a contrast and sounds are ringing in this scene. The contrasts are also created by using camera movements from the calm long shot to shaky camera that run towards the explosion.