Children Of Men

Children Of Men

Use of Camera:                                                                                                                                        The scene starts off with a high angle shot in the cafe looking down on the extras as they focus on something we can only assume is a TV.  As the characters look ahead, we see a man who is pushing through the crowd to get to the front. He is not fazed by the news story that is being told on TV, to get to the front, this shows us he is the main protagonist as he pushes right to the center of the scene. The camera then follows him outside where the audience sees a long shot of a futuristic London which they can relate to, and be taken out the film for a second to imagine and wonder. The camera then pans across and starts to follow the main character once again, he then stops and the camera then pans around him into a long shot in which the explosion happens in the background. The camera quality becomes quite natural after this as it looks like the camera man is running giving that natural, realistic effect, this then turns into a long shot where we see a girl holding her own arm walking out the explosion.

Sounds:

At the start of the scene the audience can only hear diegetic sounds coming from the world of the film, such as the news report on TV, which is the main focus of everyone attention and gives an indication of what the film could be about. Also in the background we can hear cars and traffic which gives the effect of making the audience feel like they are in the film and are experiencing this event. We also hear some dialogue from the main protagonist which is very faint but noticeable as every other person is silent. The man then walks outside and we follow making us feel like the audience is there with him experiencing everything that he hears, sees or feels. During this we also hear traffic and the usual commotion that you would expect from an early morning. The audience also hears an explosion which captivates their attention as they wonder what’s happening, this is then followed by screams which tells the audience people are hurt and creates tension and fear. Also the audience can hear an alarm which also alerts them and others to what’s happening. During the scene every sound used is a diegetic sound and has no non diegetic, this is because by only using diegetic sounds it gives an effect of realism and makes the audience feel like they are.

Narrative:

From the clip the audience can tell that the main protagonist is disaffected from society and not fazed by the news in which the youngest person has died, this makes the audience question that he is and what is his back story. The man then leaves the coffee shop and goes outside where he adds what we can only assume is alcohol to his coffee which gives the impression that he is under stress and not following the norm of society. Soon after this there is an explosion which leaves the audience wondering why and if it was connected to the news story they just heard a second before.

Genre:

The genre of this film is a thriller sci-fi, it has mainly connotations of a thriller but also the setting is set in a futuristic London. This film is clearly a thriller as by the end of the opening scene the audience is left questioning everything that has just happened in the scene. Also thrillers normally have a plot focused on a disaster such as in this case the youngest man dying at age 18, also the whole realism aspect of the film gives the effect of a thriller as the audience feel involved and the plot becomes more literal and they become more involved within the film.