Children of Men
Children of Men
ENC 1143 Jennie Ziegler 20 September 2012
Children of Men Viewers are dropped smack dab in the middle of a dystopian future, 2027, of war, infertility, fear of government, and total and utter chaos. The human race can no longer reproduce and governments have collapsed. The only “strong” government left is the United Kingdom’s, which is quickly crumbling. There are “terrorists” all over who call themselves ‘the fishes,’ talking about some sort of an uprising. All the while, bombs are exploding, and the world’s youngest human being was just murdered. In Children of Men, there is a meaning far greater than the actual story that is viewed on screen. As a team, director, Alfonso Cuarón, and the author of the original novel, P.D. James, intertwine fictional and futuristic events with nonfictional, modern, and/or historical events and beliefs to create the theme that the government is too harsh with their immigration laws. The writers and director go to great extremes to reflect the strict anti-immigration feelings that much of the developed world has these days. There are many similarities between 2027 United Kingdom and present day United States. In the film there are ads on big screens placed all around to encourage everyone to “Report Illegal Immigrants,” which is definitely something familiar to those living in the Southwest, although it may not be in print right in front of them. Citizens living in states such as Arizona, California, New Mexico, or Texas deal with these immigration laws on a daily basis. These people do not have virgin eyes when it comes to the large immigration buses transporting detainees to be deported. The name “Homeland Security” is even used all throughout the film, on the buses, and in the immigration camps. Director Cuarón is from Mexico and is no stranger to crossing the United States border, so he is able to capture the essence of how crazy hard and how strict
ENC 1143 Jennie Ziegler 20 September 2012
Children of Men Viewers are dropped smack dab in the middle of a dystopian future, 2027, of war, infertility, fear of government, and total and utter chaos. The human race can no longer reproduce and governments have collapsed. The only “strong” government left is the United Kingdom’s, which is quickly crumbling. There are “terrorists” all over who call themselves ‘the fishes,’ talking about some sort of an uprising. All the while, bombs are exploding, and the world’s youngest human being was just murdered. In Children of Men, there is a meaning far greater than the actual story that is viewed on screen. As a team, director, Alfonso Cuarón, and the author of the original novel, P.D. James, intertwine fictional and futuristic events with nonfictional, modern, and/or historical events and beliefs to create the theme that the government is too harsh with their immigration laws. The writers and director go to great extremes to reflect the strict anti-immigration feelings that much of the developed world has these days. There are many similarities between 2027 United Kingdom and present day United States. In the film there are ads on big screens placed all around to encourage everyone to “Report Illegal Immigrants,” which is definitely something familiar to those living in the Southwest, although it may not be in print right in front of them. Citizens living in states such as Arizona, California, New Mexico, or Texas deal with these immigration laws on a daily basis. These people do not have virgin eyes when it comes to the large immigration buses transporting detainees to be deported. The name “Homeland Security” is even used all throughout the film, on the buses, and in the immigration camps. Director Cuarón is from Mexico and is no stranger to crossing the United States border, so he is able to capture the essence of how crazy hard and how strict
Cited: "The Holocaust: A Learning Site for Students." The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2012. <http://www.ushmm.org/outreach/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007745>.