Film Making: What You Can Learn From the Cinematography in Children Of Men

Last year the movie Children of Men provided a twist of the usual conventions of the science fiction genre. Instead of lavish sets and greatly disconnected images of the future it had a gritty, down to earth and even realistic vision of what one day might become. If you haven't seen the film basically it goes to say that in the near future humankind, for some reason or another, has become infertile. The story itself centers on the disillusioned Theo, played by Clive Owen, who has to escort the first pregnant woman in eighteen years to safety while being chased by a group that wants to use the pregnancy to advance their own cause. Basically what starts out as a dystopian Sci-fi movie becomes a road-action-thriller. Basically if you haven't seen it go out and rent it right away and watch it at least twice. The first time watch for the story the second time watch it for the cinematography and shot selection which, quite frankly, knocked me on my ass.

The entire film was shot with very long takes where the camera doesn't cut but moves from set up to set up often lining up three or four set ups in one take. While this occurs throughout the entire movie there are two shots in particular that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up and changed the way I look at filmmaking as an art. The first of which was the car chase sequence near the beginning of the second act. As we begin the shot we are outside the front windshield of the car looking at the five main characters slowly but surely we are hypnotized further and further into the scene with smooth camera movements which were created by a revolutionary Doggicam systems rig which allows the camera to fly around the inside of the car while it is being controlled by the camera men who are actually on top of the roof. The shot slowly drifts in as you watch Julian and Theo play a disarmingly light hearted game when suddenly the car is ambushed, and as the camera whip pans to the front windshield to show the danger that lies ahead. It is in this camera move that we are suddenly pushed into the action we are no longer spectators we are in the car and we are in danger. It happens so quickly that I barely noticed the first time I saw it. The shot sets up everyone in the car and then smoothly settles us in the middle of the action where we stay for the rest of the action. Conventional filmmaking tells us to shoot the action between the ambushing mob and the hero car from the outside showing everything, but putting the camera, and therefore us, inside the car without ever cutting away creates the feeling of anxiety that the characters themselves must be feeling. It is this shared sense of anxiety that creates the true impact of the scene rather than trying to create excitement by showing the action and adding energy through cutting move and more quickly.

The second shot is near the end of the film, by now it is probably best known as the "blood on the lens" shot called this because blood splatters on the lens halfway through the shot and stays there for around two minutes. Once again there is one long take where the camera follows Theo as he tries to get into a building (saying anything more would give away a plot point in the movie so I'm keeping a little vague). This time instead of the smooth camera moves which could have been created by using a steadicam device the shot is all hand held as we run after Theo to get into the building. Once again going against conventions by not shooting coverage on large action elements such as tanks rolling in and shooting down large pieces of the surrounding buildings but rather to stay focused on Theo and to follow him completely. Theo hides behind a wall we hide behind a wall, Theo ducks into a trench we duck into a trench, when Theo runs through a tight spot and gets blood splattered onto him we get splattered as well. This imbedded reporter feel is created which once again pulls us into the action and creating excitement by focusing on character and not on action.

This movie should be taught in film schools as how to bend the rules and to never loose focus on what is really important in any movie which is character and story. 'Children of Men' defies the conventions of filmmaking and shot selection and that is part of what makes this movie worth watching.