tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23520428097366154522024-02-20T16:22:57.062-08:00Children Of Men"Is Children Of Men (Alfonso Cuaron, 2006) a typical science fiction film?"aman-jatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14331092195769285961noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352042809736615452.post-31596428937604604582008-05-01T08:20:00.000-07:002008-05-01T08:23:29.695-07:00The Excellent Final Draft - B.W.S Reppin“Cuarón has created the thinking person's action movie.”<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1">[1]</a><br />Is Children Of Men a typical science-fiction film?<br /><br />According to Neale’s work, the word ‘typical’ in this instance represents the ‘repertoire of elements’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2">[2]</a>, recurring themes which can be found in an individual genre. Since the early 1900’s at the dawn of cinema, genres have continuously borrowed elements from one another, something which has now come to be defined as ‘hybridity’. Maltby suggests, ‘genres are flexible…[and]…subject to a constant process of change and adaptation.’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3">[3]</a>, and in doing so provides an explanation to the consistent variation in their ‘syntactic cores’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn4" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftn4" name="_ftnref4">[4]</a>. This suggests genre is not fixed; rather it is a reflection of external factors such as the zeitgeist. In turn, looking at the typicality of Children Of Men (Alfonso Cuarón, 2006, USA) as a science-fiction film becomes far more complex and requires an analysis of genre as a concept first.<br /><br />Regardless of their professions and personal views, theorists, critics and film scholars alike all seem to agree on one thing: genre is not fixed. Neale highlights ‘difference is absolutely essential to the economy of genre’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn5" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftn5" name="_ftnref5">[5]</a>. Variation, as is consistently evident in the ‘syntax’ of different genres, is needed to continue attracting audiences. This is an aspect of Altman’s ‘before and after’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn6" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftn6" name="_ftnref6">[6]</a> view of categorising films in which he suggests a process involving producers identifying what from the repertoire of elements to repeat and what to differentiate. By doing this, excessive repetition is avoided whilst audiences are still able to categorise films under an individual genre.<br /><br />Audiences are likely to identify a genre through what Neale defines as ‘the semantic and syntactic cores’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn7" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftn7" name="_ftnref7">[7]</a> of different genres. The semantic elements represent distinct features of certain media language, more notably in the forms of settings, props and even actors. The syntax represents certain ideologies and narratives. In a ‘Western’ for example, the semantics would include guns, horses, deserts and cowboys whilst the syntax will usually involve a Levi Strauss type binary opposition conflict between cowboys and ‘Red Indians’.<br /><br />Altman’s theory of the ‘before and after’ combined with the ever changing syntax provides reasons for the ‘hybridity’ genre has arguably always experienced. Altman highlights this by stating ‘semantics simply hijack an existing syntactic framework from another genre.’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn8" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftn8" name="_ftnref8">[8]</a> Since as early as 1910, science-fiction films (with Children Of Men being no different) have been a prime example of this and are regularly used as case studies by theorists and critics to prove genre indeed is not fixed.<br /><br />Defining science-fiction is as complex as defining genre and to date there is no universally accepted definition. Hodgens suggests ‘science fiction involves extrapolated or fictitious science, or fictitious use of scientific possibilities, or…[simply]…fiction that takes place in the future or introduces some radical assumption about the present or past.’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn9" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftn9" name="_ftnref9">[9]</a> Here Hodgens highlights the conventional themes audiences use to categorise a film under science-fiction, ignoring the fact that other genres incorporate these features too.<br /><br />Jules Verne and H.G Wells are authors considered by many to have pioneered the science-fiction genre during the 19th century, although the term did not become fully established until the late 1920s. Their vogue ‘coincided with a second industrial revolution, a new machine age…a cult of and for scientific invention…an acceleration of colonial expansion…[that]…had already fuelled stories of territorial conquest…[and finally]…the invention of film.’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn10" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftn10" name="_ftnref10">[10]</a> The bond between ‘science fiction, special effects technology and set design’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn11" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftn11" name="_ftnref11">[11]</a> which exists to this date in sci-fi films was first established through films such as The X-Ray Mirror (1899) and Méliès’s Le Voyage dans la Lune (1902), both of which were based on novels by Verne and H.G Wells respectively.<br /><br />The notion of hybridity arguably first came to rise in Frankenstein (1910), a film which merged the science-fiction genre with horror. Different decades seemed to have adopted different inter-generic influences, with sci-fi going on to merge with ‘action and adventure, Terror Island (1920); noir, Blade Runner (1981) and countless others.’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn12" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftn12" name="_ftnref12">[12]</a> This again would suggest genre, or in this instance science-fiction is indeed a reflection of the zeitgeist as its syntax seemingly continues to evolve to both satisfy the audience and correspond with the societal issues of the time. Regardless of the constant variation in its syntax, the semantic elements of the genre had been well established as early as 1920. Pringle divided these semantics into ‘templates’ of which only ‘future cities…[and]…disasters’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn13" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftn13" name="_ftnref13">[13]</a> are relevant to the text being studied.<br /><br />Telotte describes contemporary science-fiction as going through a trend of ‘[rendering] the artificial as ever more human.’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn14" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftn14" name="_ftnref14">[14]</a> The critical and commercial success of Steven Spielberg’s A.I Artificial Intelligence (2001) and I, Robot (2004) amongst other titles certainly warrants the comment as accurate. Children Of Men, however, very much takes on a different approach. Set in a future dystopian 2027 England, the film neglects to focus on technological advances or as Pringle would better describe it, ‘alien intrusions’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn15" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftn15" name="_ftnref15">[15]</a>. Cuarón states that he ‘…didn’t want to be distracted by the future…[and that he]…didn’t want to transport the audience into another reality.’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn16" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftn16" name="_ftnref16">[16]</a> In his review of the film, Calhoun makes reference to this strikingly realistic setting by stating ‘[it is the film’s] creepy familiarity, not any wild vision on the future…[that makes]…it so involving.’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn17" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftn17" name="_ftnref17">[17]</a><br /><br />‘Many critics argue science fiction…uses its tales of alien invasion, science and technology gone wrong, and visions of the future worlds to explore the issues of contemporary significance.’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn18" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftn18" name="_ftnref18">[18]</a> This notion first came to light during the 1950s, a decade described as the ‘golden age’ of science-fiction by many film scholars. Films such as The Thing (1951) and Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) were read as a reflection of the fear generated by the Cold War which American people had at the time, indirectly playing on the fear of communism. Similarly, Children Of Men ‘[focuses] on migrancy…[in Britain]… and terrorism…[internationally]…’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn19" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftn19" name="_ftnref19">[19]</a>, two contemporary issues that have been highly publicised in the media globally and have given much cause for thought to the public, often evolving into fear. Film critic Guerrasio describes this focus as ‘a complex meditation on the politics of today.’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn20" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftn20" name="_ftnref20">[20]</a> It is perhaps these features of the film that provoked Bradshaw to label the film as ‘a thinking person’s action movie’. It is important to remember, however, that the main theme of the film, infertility, is being ignored here, although perhaps this functions as the ‘Macguffin’ (a recurring feature of Alfred Hitchcock’s directorial career), that which drives the plot forward but which ultimately is of no consequence.<br /><br />Cuarón makes it clear early on in the film that governments across the world have collapsed – with only Britain ‘soldiering’ on. To a British audience, this would seem vaguely representative of the days when the British Empire was at its peak. Due to its survival, England has become a target for many refugees fleeing from other disaster-stricken countries. The audience is shown the extent of the immigration issue through the various refugee camps where migrants have been ‘hunted down like cockroaches’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn21" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftn21" name="_ftnref21">[21]</a> and detained. Cuarón uses this to make contemporary references. The camps in the film ‘intentionally evoke the Abu Ghraib prison, Guantanamo Bay detainment camp and The Maze’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn22" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftn22" name="_ftnref22">[22]</a> whilst critic Chris Smith observes ‘symbolic overtones and images of the Holocaust’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn23" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftn23" name="_ftnref23">[23]</a> through the manner in which the refugees are treated. Most scenes where such interpretations can be made are filmed in a way in which the audience are positioned to see things from a point of view shot, often sitting in a vehicle as they pass the mayhem by. By only showing glimpses, Cuarón does enough to provoke the audience into realising that even a democratic country with liberal values can easily employ fascist-like ideologies and policies in the face of an issue growing out of control. In his political review, Blake makes reference to this by stating, ‘it shows what people can become when the government orchestrates their fears for its own advantage.’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn24" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftn24" name="_ftnref24">[24]</a><br /><br />When looked at in more detail, the film’s focus on politics becomes far deeper and more obvious to the evidence. Speaking about the breakdown of democracy in the film, Fabrizio Eva controversially suggests that ‘inequality brings richness’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn25" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftn25" name="_ftnref25">[25]</a>. When put into context, it becomes evident that Cuarón’s cinematography is filmed in a way that places emphasis on this concept of inequality. The long shots used when concentrating on the different settings are regularly juxtaposed with close up shots of the refugees who are presented as strikingly poor through their costumes. In his interview, Eva attempts to provide a reason for why these groups of people are treated in such a harsh manner, stating; ‘in the capitalist system, inequality is acceptable…it’s the engine of production.’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn26" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftn26" name="_ftnref26">[26]</a> If the economy is healthy and production is steady, it would seem that the condition of the people is of no interest to the government, and Cuarón seems to highlight this in its extremist form through the chaotic manner in how places such as the suburbs are presented.<br /><br />Like many other successful science-fiction films, ethical questions are inevitably raised. Here, Cuarón challenges the audience to question the morals behind the acts of terrorism which take place in the film. The first encounter with a terrorist attack comes during the beginning of the film as a café Theo was in is bombed immediately after he leaves. The unexpected timing and shock reflects both the September 11th attacks in America and the July 7th bombings in London. In his review of the film, Bradshaw describes the scene as ‘a punch in the solar plexus’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn27" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftn27" name="_ftnref27">[27]</a>, reinforcing the element of surprise. However, as the film progresses the audience learn that the terrorist group behind the various attacks are known as the ‘Fishes’, a group in reality fighting for immigrant rights. Here, Cuarón places the audience in a position where they must decide whether the acts of terrorism are warranted. He further adds to this moral question when Luke, leader of the group, accuses the government of orchestrating some of the bombings. Ridley Scott’s cult classic, Blade Runner (1982), uses a similar technique in which the audience are first put in a position where they view conscious androids as villains, yet as the plot unfolds are forced to question whether they deserve to die or not as ‘their…[only]… crime…[is]…wanting to be human.’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn28" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftn28" name="_ftnref28">[28]</a><br /><br />Cuarón intelligently uses the issue of terrorism to incorporate elements from another genre into the film, in turn giving rise to its hybrid nature. In contemporary society, the media has closely linked terrorism with Iraq. The coverage we see on television is regularly filmed in a documentary-style manner, more commonly known as ‘cinèma vèritè’. Perhaps the most memorable scene in the film comes at the end, a six minute-long single shot sequence in which Theo, the protagonist of the film, struggles through a gun battle between the ‘Fishes’ and the British Army. Cuarón intentionally shoots the scene in a cinèma vèritè style. The camera follows Theo in a way reminiscent of a tracking shot and as a result the audience are put in a position where they feel they are part of the action on screen. Calhoun supports this, stating ‘it’s the film’s nervous and energetic vèritè style…that makes it so involving.’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn29" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftn29" name="_ftnref29">[29]</a> The camera’s movement throughout this scene reflects that of a handheld one, in turn encouraging the audience to view the action as if they were watching a documentary. Cuarón suggests that ‘without the human connection (Theo and Julian)…[the film]…would be a documentary.’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn30" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftn30" name="_ftnref30">[30]</a> It is through these aspects of the film that comparisons can be drawn between the coverage of gun battles in Iraq and the action on screen. The documentary feel to the film undoubtedly represents art-house elements, and in turn arguably provides reasons as to why advancements in technology were rejected so vigorously in this futuristic dystopian world.<br /><br />Close attention is given to the dystopian element of the film as the 2027 London setting proceeds to challenge Susan Sontag’s classic view that ‘science fiction films invite a dispassionate, aesthetic view of destruction and violence-a technological view.’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn31" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftn31" name="_ftnref31">[31]</a> The lengthy single shot sequences combined with ‘the detailed mise-en-scenè to rival the vivid, lived in quality of Blade Runner’ <a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn32" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftn32" name="_ftnref32">[32]</a> engage the audience dramatically as they are able to identify the futuristic setting which appears near identical to the landscapes of today. Furthermore, the dystopian London appears strikingly similar to the one portrayed in the cult-classic, A Clockwork Orange (1971). In his interview, Zizek accurately states that ‘the true focus of the film is in the background.’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn33" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftn33" name="_ftnref33">[33]</a> Cuarón uses various long shots of London throughout the film to emphasise the condition it is in. He further manipulates the manner in how the audience respond to these images by using low key lighting whenever possible in an attempt to create the grimmest setting possible, although not to the extent of Blade Runner (1982) (where the film succeeds in creating a neo-noir effect). Regardless, such techniques are reminiscent of those used in Steven Spielberg’s remake of War Of The Worlds (2005) where contemporary settings are destroyed to generate a dramatic dystopian effect.<br /><br />Blade Runner (1982) used a futuristic setting with various technological advances – flying cars amongst other things. George Lucas also portrayed an unrecognisable setting in his sci-fi epic Star Wars (1981) where humanity had expanded across the universe. Despite being set in the year 2027, Cuarón portrays a London as it would look today if it was repeatedly bombed and law and order was defeated. Colin Covert of the Star Tribune points out that ‘in most sci-fi epics, special effects substitute for story…[yet]…here they seamlessly advance it.’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn34" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftn34" name="_ftnref34">[34]</a> With audience theory in mind, it can be suggested from this that Children Of Men is likely to attract an active audience rather than a passive audience as the focus of the film is on the themes which play on the fears people have in contemporary society. Cuarón’s decision to portray a futuristic London in an alarmingly realistic way perhaps explains why he has put so much emphasis into the storyline and the themes associated with it. The grim setting adds to the shock the audience experience in retaliation to the themes raised in the film. Bradshaw suggests ‘the cinema screen…is like an opened window on to a world of Arctic fear and despair.’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn35" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftn35" name="_ftnref35">[35]</a><br /><br />The cinèma vèritè style cinematography and lengthy single shot sequences (otherwise referred to as a hybrid aspect of the film) are both products of the auteur. Until the mid 1970’s, film ‘authorship’ (otherwise known as the ‘auteur theory’) was the primary critical tool used by film scholars when studying genre. ‘They identified auteurs within the commercial film industry and noted that many of these [individuals] tended to work within one or two specific genres.’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn36" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftn36" name="_ftnref36">[36]</a> An example of this is Martin Scorsese, a director renowned for working in the ‘gangster’ genre with classic titles such as Goodfellas (1990) and Casino (1995). Cuarón first established himself as a rising director with the art-house film Y tu mama también (2001). He then went on to direct Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004). Whilst both these films are of a completely different style and genre, they both provided him with the opportunity to express his own distinct style of directing, another feature of the auteur theory. The art-house elements of Y tu mama and the emphasis on setting in Harry Potter are two techniques which Cuarón uses throughout Children Of Men.<br /><br />However, it is the use of an anti-hero that draws the most attention to Cuarón’s distinct directorial style. Clive Owen portrays Theo, the protagonist who was a former political activist but who has now become an alcoholic who lacks enthusiasm towards his profession and life in general. In his interview, Owen makes reference to this by stating, ‘[he] isn’t your big Hollywood obvious hero…[he’s]…a flawed character.’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn37" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftn37" name="_ftnref37">[37]</a> It would seem Cuarón’s motive behind using an anti-hero was to coincide with his aim to not alienate his audience from the future dystopian setting. Owen supports this notion by further adding, ‘he’s an ordinary guy in an extraordinary situation.’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn38" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftn38" name="_ftnref38">[38]</a> This is a refreshing contrast to the typical masculine, all-action male hero sci-fi audiences have become accustomed to over the years (e.g. Luke Skywalker from the Star Wars trilogy and Deckard from Blade Runner). Owen acknowledges that ‘the last part of the movie is…a sort of action movie and Theo is the most unlikely guy taking you through it.’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn39" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftn39" name="_ftnref39">[39]</a> By this point, the audience has been placed in a position where they identify with Theo as an everyday middle class individual, so by following him through the gun battle, the documentary feel to the film is stronger and more obvious. Furthermore, Cuarón rejects the use of low angle shots when filming Theo and this significantly contributes to his ‘everyday’ persona that is gradually created throughout the course of the film.<br /><br />As Pringle would suggest, Children Of Men incorporates two templates of the many others which are used by an audience to categorise the film under the science-fiction genre. Science-fiction has thrived on its semantic elements, yet Cuarón rejects the conventionally recognised ones; both the scientific proposals of a futuristic setting, commonly in the form of artificial intelligence, and a dystopian society as a result of an ‘alien intrusion’. Regardless, like many other science-fiction films, contemporary issues and their consequences are explored. It would seem that Children Of Men would have been the ideal film for Neale to use as evidence when he stated, ‘it is more productive to think of genres as difference in repetition; films repeat themselves in different ways.’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn40" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftn40" name="_ftnref40">[40]</a> Regardless, with Altman in mind, the repertoire of elements needed for an audience to identify the science-fiction elements are kept, and the film does enough in terms of incorporating elements from other genres to keep the audience interested and engaged.<br /><br />Word Count: 2,924<br /><br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1">[1]</a> Children Of Men review by Peter Bradshaw<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2">[2]</a> Neale, Steve (2002), Genre and Contemporary Hollywood<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3">[3]</a> Maltby, Richard (2003), Hollywood Cinema, UK: Blackwell Publishing Ltd S (1980) cited in An Introduction to Genre Theory by Daniel Chandler<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn4" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftnref4" name="_ftn4">[4]</a> Altman, Rick (1999), Film/Genre, London: BFI<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn5" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftnref5" name="_ftn5">[5]</a> Neale S (1980) cited in An Introduction to Genre Theory by Daniel Chandler<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn6" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftnref6" name="_ftn6">[6]</a> Altman, Rick (1999), Film/Genre, London: BFI<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn7" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftnref7" name="_ftn7">[7]</a> Neale, S (1980), London: BFI<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn8" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftnref8" name="_ftn8">[8]</a> Altman R (1989) cited in Generic Conventions and Genre Evolution by Stephen Rowley<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn9" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftnref9" name="_ftn9">[9]</a> Sobchack (1987) Cited in the course of a chapter on definitions of sci-fi<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn10" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftnref10" name="_ftn10">[10]</a> The Cinema Book (p 192)<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn11" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftnref11" name="_ftn11">[11]</a> The Cinema Book (p 192)<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn12" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftnref12" name="_ftn12">[12]</a> Rahoul A (2005) Is Minority Report a typical science fiction film (pg. 2)<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn13" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftnref13" name="_ftn13">[13]</a> Pringle D (1997, pg. 21-37) The Ultimate Encyclopaedia of Science Fiction<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn14" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftnref14" name="_ftn14">[14]</a> Telotte (1995) cited in The Cinema Book<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn15" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftnref15" name="_ftn15">[15]</a> The Cinema Book (pg.192)<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn16" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftnref16" name="_ftn16">[16]</a> John H (2006) There’s no place like hell for the holidays<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn17" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftnref17" name="_ftn17">[17]</a> <a href="http://www.timeout.com/film/newyork/reviews/83505/Children_of_Men.html">http://www.timeout.com/film/newyork/reviews/83505/Children_of_Men.html</a>, Dave Calhoun<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn18" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftnref18" name="_ftn18">[18]</a> Unit 6 – Critical approaches to genre booklet<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn19" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftnref19" name="_ftn19">[19]</a> <a href="http://www.timeout.com/film/newyork/reviews/83505/Children_of_Men.html">http://www.timeout.com/film/newyork/reviews/83505/Children_of_Men.html</a>, Dave Calhoun<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn20" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftnref20" name="_ftn20">[20]</a> Guerrasio, Jason (2003) A New Humanity, Filmmaker Magazine<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn21" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftnref21" name="_ftn21">[21]</a> Horn, John (2006), There’s no place like hell for the holidays<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn22" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftnref22" name="_ftn22">[22]</a> Vo, Alex (2007) Interview with ‘Children Of Men’ director Alfonso Cuarón<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn23" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftnref23" name="_ftn23">[23]</a> Smith, Chris (2006) Children Of Men Review<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn24" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftnref24" name="_ftn24">[24]</a> What If…? Article in ‘America’ (2006)<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn25" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftnref25" name="_ftn25">[25]</a> Official Fabrizio Eva interview in Children Of Men DVD<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn26" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftnref26" name="_ftn26">[26]</a> Official Fabrizio Eva interview in Children Of Men DVD<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn27" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftnref27" name="_ftn27">[27]</a> Peter Bradshaw (2006) Children Of Men Review<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn28" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftnref28" name="_ftn28">[28]</a> Blade Runner (1982) DVD Cover<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn29" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftnref29" name="_ftn29">[29]</a> <a href="http://www.timeout.com/film/newyork/reviews/83505/Children_of_Men.html">http://www.timeout.com/film/newyork/reviews/83505/Children_of_Men.html</a>, Dave Calhoun<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn30" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftnref30" name="_ftn30">[30]</a> Official Alfonso Cuaron interview in Children Of Men DVD<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn31" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftnref31" name="_ftn31">[31]</a> Susan Sontag cited in http://www.cineaste.com/articles/review-children-of-men.htm<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn32" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftnref32" name="_ftn32">[32]</a> http://www.cineaste.com/articles/review-children-of-men.htm<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn33" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftnref33" name="_ftn33">[33]</a> Zizek, Slavoj (2007), Children Of Men DVD<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn34" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftnref34" name="_ftn34">[34]</a> Colin C (2006) Future Shock in Children Of Men<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn35" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftnref35" name="_ftn35">[35]</a> Children Of Men review by Peter Bradshaw<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn36" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftnref36" name="_ftn36">[36]</a> Introducing Genre booklet, Unit 1<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn37" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftnref37" name="_ftn37">[37]</a> Official Clive Owen interview in Children Of Men DVD<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn38" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftnref38" name="_ftn38">[38]</a> Official Clive Owen interview in Children Of Men DVD<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn39" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftnref39" name="_ftn39">[39]</a> Official Clive Owen interview in Children Of Men DVD<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn40" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2352042809736615452#_ftnref40" name="_ftn40">[40]</a> Neale, Steve (1980), London: BFIaman-jatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14331092195769285961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352042809736615452.post-10926130650053474452008-02-03T18:17:00.000-08:002008-02-06T19:54:11.574-08:00First Draft, So Far...“Cuarón has created the thinking person's action movie.”<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1">[1]</a><br />Is Children Of Men a typical science-fiction film?<br /><br />According to Neale’s work, the word ‘typical’ in this instance represents the ‘repertoire of elements’, recurring themes which can be found in an individual genre. Since the early 1900’s, genres have continuously borrowed elements from one another, something which has now come to be defined as ‘hybridity’. Maltby suggests, ‘genres are flexible…[and]…subject to a constant process of change and adaptation.’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2">[2]</a>, and in doing so provides an explanation to the consistent variation in their ‘syntactic cores’. This suggests genre is not fixed; rather it is a reflection of the zeitgeist. In turn, looking at the typicality of Children Of Men as a science-fiction film becomes far more complex and requires an analysis of genre first.<br /><br />Regardless of their professions and personal views, theorists, critics and film scholars alike all seem to agree on one thing: genre is not fixed. Neale highlights ‘difference is absolutely essential to the economy of genre’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3">[3]</a>. Variation, as is consistently evident in the ‘syntax’ of different genres, is needed to continue attracting audiences. This is an aspect of Altman’s ‘before and after’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn4" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftn4" name="_ftnref4">[4]</a> view of categorising films in which he suggests a process involving producers identifying what repertoire of elements to repeat and what to differentiate. By doing this, repetition is avoided whilst audiences are still able to categorise films under an individual genre.<br /><br />Audiences are likely to identify a genre through what Altman defines as ‘the semantic and syntactic cores’ of different genres. The semantics represent distinct features of certain media language, more notably in the forms of settings, props and even actors. The syntax represents certain ideologies and narratives. In a ‘Western’ for example, the semantics would include guns, horses, deserts and cowboys whilst the syntax will usually involve a Levi Strauss type binary opposition conflict between cowboys and Red Indians.<br /><br />Altman’s theory of the ‘before and after’ combined with the ever changing syntax provides reasons for the ‘hybridity’ genre has arguably always experienced. Altman highlights this by stating ‘semantics simply hijack an existing syntactic framework from another genre.’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn5" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftn5" name="_ftnref5">[5]</a> Since as early as 1910, science-fiction films, Children Of Men being no different, have been a prime example of this and are regularly used by theorists and critics to prove genre indeed is not fixed.<br /><br />Defining science-fiction is as complex as defining genre and to date there is no universally accepted definition. Hodgens suggests ‘science fiction involves extrapolated or fictitious science, or fictitious use of scientific possibilities, or…[simply]…fiction that takes place in the future or introduces some radical assumption about the present or past.’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn6" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftn6" name="_ftnref6">[6]</a> Here Hodgens highlights the conventional themes audiences use to categorise a film under science-fiction, ignoring the fact that other genres incorporate these features too.<br /><br />Jules Verne and H.G Wells are authors considered by many to have pioneered the science-fiction genre during the 19th century, although the term did not become fully established until the late 1920s. Their vogue ‘coincided with a second industrial revolution, a new machine age…a cult of and for scientific invention…an acceleration of colonial expansion…[that]…had already fuelled stories of territorial conquest…[and finally]…the invention of film.’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn7" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftn7" name="_ftnref7">[7]</a> The bond between ‘science fiction, special effects technology and set design’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn8" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftn8" name="_ftnref8">[8]</a> which exists to this date in sci-fi films was first established through films such as The X-Ray Mirror (1899) and Méliès’s Le Voyage dans la Lune (1902), both of which were based on novels by Verne and H.G Wells respectively.<br /><br />The notion of hybridity first came to rise in Frankenstein (1910), a film which merged the science-fiction genre with horror. Different decades seemed to have spurned different inter-generic influences, with sci-fi going on to merge with ‘action and adventure, Terror Island (1920), noir, Blade Runner (1981) and countless others.’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn9" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftn9" name="_ftnref9">[9]</a> This again would suggest genre, or in this instance science-fiction is indeed a reflection of the zeitgeist as its syntax seemingly continued to evolve to both satisfy the audience and correspond with the societal issues of the time. Regardless of the constant variation in its syntax, the semantics of the genre had been well established as early as 1920. Pringle divided these semantics into ‘templates’ of which only ‘future cities…[and]…disasters’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn10" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftn10" name="_ftnref10">[10]</a> are relevant to the text being studied.<br /><br />Telotte describes contemporary science-fiction as going through a trend of ‘[rendering] the artificial as ever more human.’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn11" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftn11" name="_ftnref11">[11]</a> The critical and commercial success of Steven Spielberg’s A.I Artificial Intelligence (2001) amongst other titles certainly warrants the comment as accurate. Children Of Men very much takes on a different approach. Set in a dystopian 2027 setting, the film neglects the use of technological advances, or as Pringle would better describe it, ‘alien intrusions’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn12" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftn12" name="_ftnref12">[12]</a>. Cuarón states that he ‘…didn’t want to be distracted by the future…[and that he]…didn’t want to transport the audience into another reality.’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn13" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftn13" name="_ftnref13">[13]</a><br /><br />‘Many critics argue science fiction…uses its tales of alien invasion, science and technology gone wrong, and visions of the future worlds to explore the issues of contemporary significance.’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn14" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftn14" name="_ftnref14">[14]</a> This notion first came to light during the 1950s, a decade described as the ‘golden age’ of science-fiction by many film scholars. Films such as The Thing (1951) and Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) were read as a reflection of the fear generated by the Cold War which American people had at the time, whilst at the same indirectly playing on the fear of communism. Similarly, Children Of Men ‘[focuses] on migrancy…[in Britain]… and terrorism…[internationally]…’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn15" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftn15" name="_ftnref15">[15]</a>, two contemporary issues that have been highly publicised in the media globally and have given much cause for thought to the public, at times even evolving into fear. Film critic Guerrasio describes this focus as ‘a complex meditation on the politics of today.’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn16" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftn16" name="_ftnref16">[16]</a><br /><br />Cuarón makes it clear early on in the film that governments across the world have collapsed – with only Britain ‘soldiering’ on. To a British audience, this would seem vaguely representative of the days when the British Empire was at its peak. Due to its survival, England has become a target for many refugees fleeing from other disaster-stricken countries. The audience is shown the extent of the immigration issue through the various refugee camps where refugees have been ‘hunted down like cockroaches’ and detained. Cuarón uses this to make contemporary references. The camps in the film ‘intentionally evoke the Abu Ghraib prison, Guantanamo Bay detainment camp and The Maze’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn17" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftn17" name="_ftnref17">[17]</a> whilst critic Chris Smith observes ‘symbolic overtones and images of the Holocaust’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn18" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftn18" name="_ftnref18">[18]</a> through the manner in which the refugees are treated. Most scenes where such interpretations can be made are filmed in a way in which the audience are placed in a point of view shot, often sitting in a vehicle as they pass the mayhem by. By only showing glimpses, Cuarón does enough to provoke the audience into realising that even a democratic country with capitalist values can easily employ fascist ideologies in the face of an issue growing out of control. In his political review, Blake makes reference to this by stating ‘it shows what people can become when the government orchestrates their fears for its own advantage.’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn19" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftn19" name="_ftnref19">[19]</a><br /><br />Like many other successful science-fiction films, ethical questions are inevitably raised. Here, Cuarón challenges the audience to question the morals behind the terrorism which exists in the film. The first encounter with an act of terrorism comes at the beginning of the film as a café Theo was in is bombed immediately after he leaves. The unexpected timing and shock reflects both the September 11 attacks in America and the July bombings in London. In his review of the film, Bradshaw describes the scene as ‘a punch in the solar plexus’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn20" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftn20" name="_ftnref20">[20]</a>, reinforcing the element of surprise. However, as the film progresses the audience learn that the terrorist group known as the ‘Fishes’ are actually fighting for immigrant rights. Here, Cuarón places the audience in a position where they must decide whether the acts of terrorism are warranted. He further adds to this moral question when Luke, leader of the group, accuses the government of the bombing. Here, audiences can draw comparisons with the terrorist group IRA. Ridley Scott’s cult classic Blade Runner (1982) uses a similar technique in which the audience are first put in a position where they view conscious androids as villains, yet as the plot unfolds are forced to question whether they deserve to die or not as ‘their…[only]… crime…[is]…wanting to be human.’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn21" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftn21" name="_ftnref21">[21]</a><br /><br />Cuarón intelligently uses the issue of terrorism to incorporate elements from another genre into the film, in turn giving rise to its hybrid nature. In contemporary society, the media has closely linked terrorism with Iraq. The coverage has regularly been filmed in a documentary-style manner, more commonly known as ‘cinèma vèritè’. Perhaps the most memorable scene in the film comes at the end, a six minute long single shot in which Theo, the protagonist of the film, makes his way through a gun battle between the ‘Fishes’ and the British Army. Cuarón very much shoots the scene in a cinèma vèritè type style. The camera follows Theo in a way reminiscent of a tracking shot and as a result the audience are put in a position where they feel they are apart of the action on screen. It is through this that comparisons between the coverage of gun battles in Iraq and similar places can be made. The documentary feel to the film undoubtedly represents art-house elements, and in turn arguably provides reasons as to why advancements in technology were rejected so vigorously in this futuristic dystopian world.<br /><br />Close attention is given to the dystopian setting as the film proceeds to challenge Susan Sontag’s classic view that ‘science fiction films invite a dispassionate, aesthetic view of destruction and violence-a technological view.’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn22" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftn22" name="_ftnref22">[22]</a> The lengthy single shot sequences combined with ‘the detailed mise-en-scenè to rival the vivid, lived in quality of Blade Runner’ <a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn23" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftn23" name="_ftnref23">[23]</a> engage the audience dramatically as they are able to identify the futuristic setting which appears near identical to the landscapes of today. Furthermore, the dystopian London appears strikingly similar to the one portrayed in the cult-classic A Clockwork Orange (1971). Cuarón uses various long shots of London throughout the film to emphasise the condition it is in. He further manipulates the manner in how the audience respond to these images by using low key lighting whenever possible in an attempt to create the grimmest setting possible, although not to the extent of Blade Runner (1982) in which the film succeeds in creating a noir effect. Regardless, such techniques are reminiscent of those used in Steven Spielberg’s remake of War Of The Worlds (2005).<br /><br />The cinèma vèritè style cinematography and lengthy single shot sequences, otherwise referred to as the hybrid aspect of the film, is a product of the auteur. Cuarón first established himself as a rising director with the art-house film Y tu mama también (2001). This provided him with the opportunity to express his own distinct style and the art-house elements found in Children Of Men demonstrate his own style of directing.<br /><br />Blade Runner (1982) used a futuristic setting with various technological advances – flying cars amongst other things. George Lucas also portrayed an unrecognisable setting in his sci-fi epic Star Wars (1981). Despite being set in the year 2027, Cuarón portrays a London as it would look today if it was bombed and law and order was defeated. Colin Covert of the Star Tribune points out that ‘in most sci-fi epics, special effects substitute for story…[yet]…here they seamlessly advance it.’<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn24" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftn24" name="_ftnref24">[24]</a><br /><br />As Pringle would suggest, Children Of Men incorporates two templates of the many others which are used by an audience to categorise the film under the science-fiction genre. Science-fiction has thrived with semantics, yet Cuarón rejects the conventionally recognised ones; both the scientific proposals of a futuristic setting, commonly in the form of artificial intelligence, and a dystopian society as a result of an ‘alien intrusion’. Regardless, like many other science-fiction films, contemporary issues and their consequences are explored. Hence, with Altman in mind, the repertoire of elements needed for an audience to identify the science-fiction elements are kept, and the film does enough in terms of incorporating elements from other genres to keep the audience interested.<br /><br />Word Count: 2,018<br /><br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1">[1]</a> Children Of Men review by Peter Bradshaw<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2">[2]</a> Maltby, Richard (2003), Hollywood Cinema, UK: Blackwell Publishing Ltd S (1980) cited in An Introduction to Genre Theory by Daniel Chandler<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3">[3]</a> Neale S (1980) cited in An Introduction to Genre Theory by Daniel Chandler<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn4" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftnref4" name="_ftn4">[4]</a> Altman, Rick (1999), Film/Genre, London: BFI<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn5" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftnref5" name="_ftn5">[5]</a> Altman R (1989) cited in Generic Conventions and Genre Evolution by Stephen Rowley<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn6" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftnref6" name="_ftn6">[6]</a> Sobchack (1988) Cited in the course of a chapter on definitions of sci-fi<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn7" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftnref7" name="_ftn7">[7]</a> The Cinema Book (p 192)<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn8" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftnref8" name="_ftn8">[8]</a> The Cinema Book (p 192)<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn9" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftnref9" name="_ftn9">[9]</a> Rahoul A (2005) Is Minority Report a typical science fiction film (pg. 2)<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn10" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftnref10" name="_ftn10">[10]</a> Pringle D (1997, pg. 21-37) The Ultimate Encyclopaedia of Science Fiction<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn11" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftnref11" name="_ftn11">[11]</a> Telotte (1995) cited in The Cinema Book<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn12" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftnref12" name="_ftn12">[12]</a> The Cinema Book (pg.192)<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn13" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftnref13" name="_ftn13">[13]</a> John H (2006) There’s no place like hell for the holidays<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn14" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftnref14" name="_ftn14">[14]</a> Unit 6 – Critical approaches to genre booklet<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn15" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftnref15" name="_ftn15">[15]</a> <a href="http://www.timeout.com/film/newyork/reviews/83505/Children_of_Men.html">http://www.timeout.com/film/newyork/reviews/83505/Children_of_Men.html</a>, Dave Calhoun<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn16" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftnref16" name="_ftn16">[16]</a> Jason G (2003) A New Humanity, Filmmaker Magazine<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn17" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftnref17" name="_ftn17">[17]</a> Alex V (2007) Interview with ‘Children Of Men’ director Alfonso Cuarón<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn18" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftnref18" name="_ftn18">[18]</a> Chris S (2006) Children Of Men Review<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn19" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftnref19" name="_ftn19">[19]</a> What If…? Article in ‘America’ (2006)<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn20" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftnref20" name="_ftn20">[20]</a> Peter Bradshaw (2006) Children Of Men Review<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn21" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftnref21" name="_ftn21">[21]</a> Blade Runner (1982) DVD Cover<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn22" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftnref22" name="_ftn22">[22]</a> Susan Sontag cited in http://www.cineaste.com/articles/review-children-of-men.htm<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn23" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftnref23" name="_ftn23">[23]</a> http://www.cineaste.com/articles/review-children-of-men.htm<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn24" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2352042809736615452&postID=1092613065005347445#_ftnref24" name="_ftn24">[24]</a> Colin C (2006) Future Shock in Children Of Menaman-jatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14331092195769285961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352042809736615452.post-12703695575492086382008-01-24T15:22:00.000-08:002008-01-27T12:13:29.384-08:00Task 15: First ParagraphAccording to Neale’s work, the word ‘typical’ in this instance represents the ‘repertoire of elements’, recurring themes which can be found in an individual genre. Since the early 1900’s, genres have continuously borrowed elements from one another, something which has now come to be defined as ‘hybridity’. Neale suggests, ‘difference is absolutely essential to the economy of genre’, and in doing so provides an explanation to the consistent variation in their ‘syntactic cores’. This suggests genre is not fixed, rather it is a reflection of the zeitgeist. In turn, looking at the typicality of 'Children Of Men' as a science-fiction film becomes far more complex and requires a detailed analysis of genre first.aman-jatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14331092195769285961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352042809736615452.post-63144842131272462152008-01-06T18:22:00.000-08:002008-01-06T18:31:04.224-08:00Task 14: Starting The Essay"We didn't want to be distracted by the future. We didn't want to transport the audience into another reality."<br /><br />Is <em>Children Of Men</em> a <span style="color:#000099;">typical</span> <span style="color:#000099;">science-fiction</span> film?<br /><br /><strong>Opening Paragraph</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />To understand what a typical science fiction film is, one must first define science-fiction as a film genre and subsequently clarify what are believed to be its typical themes and features.aman-jatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14331092195769285961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352042809736615452.post-61748101629207813782008-01-06T16:34:00.000-08:002008-01-06T18:14:26.775-08:00Task 13: Essay Plan<span style="color:#ffffff;">Is <em>Children Of Men</em> a typical science-fiction film?<br /><br /><strong>Media Language</strong><br /></span><ul><li><span style="color:#ffffff;"><em><span style="color:#000099;">Mise-en-scene</span></em>: Grim settings, aided by low-key lighting, are repeatedly used throughout the film to re-inforce the theme of a dystopian society. Cuaron pays close attention to the costumes worn by actors as they are an essential tool in portraying the 2027 setting without alienating the film's audience [Cuaron stated the film was very much "anti-<em>Blade Runner"</em>].</span></li><li><span style="color:#ffffff;"><em><span style="color:#000099;">Single Shot Sequences</span></em>: Several lengthy single shot sequences are filmed in a tracking shot/cinema verite style. The audience are made to feel as if they are watching a documentary, and this in turn provides the film with a sense of hybridity when looking at genre.</span></li><li><span style="color:#ffffff;"><em><span style="color:#000099;">Auteur Theory</span></em>: Cuaron's input is clearly visible to the audience, especially during the single shot sequences. His contribution provides reasons for the film's hybrid nature and decision to downplay the possible science-fiction elements of a 2027 setting.</span></li></ul><p><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">Ideology</span></strong></p><ul><li><span style="color:#ffffff;"><em><span style="color:#000099;">Patriarchy</span></em>: Despite his ruggid appearance and average profession, Theo [Clive Owen] is assigned the role of protecting a young female. This demonstrates the female reliance on a man for her own safety in a time of crisis.</span></li><li><span style="color:#ffffff;"><em><span style="color:#000099;">Anti-Government</span></em>: The situation of the 2027 setting is built around what seems to be the government's failiure to deal with contemporary issues such as immigration, pollution and terrorism. Whilst Cuaron may not be anti-government at all, he provides a horrific vision of the possible consequences which may arrise if these issues are not dealt with.</span></li></ul><p><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">Genre</span></strong></p><ul><li><span style="color:#ffffff;"><em><span style="color:#000099;">Science-Fiction</span></em>: Children Of Men incorporates two of arguably the most distinct and common elements of the genre; A futuristic setting and a dystopian society. Other recurring themes are discussed in detail by Neale and Altman. </span></li><li><span style="color:#ffffff;"><em><span style="color:#000099;">Hybrid-genre</span></em>: Cuaron rejects many other common elements of science-fiction such as artificial intelligence and advancements in technology. As Covert states; 'In most sci-fi epics, special effects substitute for the story. Here they seamlessly advance it'. Cuaron instead concentrates more on the cinematography, this in his attempt to create a cinema verite style feel to the film.</span></li><li><span style="color:#ffffff;"><em><span style="color:#000099;">Robert Stam</span></em>: His theory of the four key problems with generic labels can be applied to many sci-fi epics, but his theory can only partially be applied to Children Of Men due to it's hybrid nature and neglectance of themes such as alien invasions and artifical intelligence.</span></li></ul><p><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">Representation</span></strong></p><ul><li><span style="color:#ffffff;"><em><span style="color:#000099;">Men</span></em>: Continue to be the dominant figures in society, but to an extent. Theo represents masculinity, bravery and courage. Soldiers and terrorists all seem to be male, a stereotype dating back to the early 20th century. By having this, it can be argued Cuaron is perhaps suggesting the urge for violence in males is what is preventing a seizure to many conflicts across the world.</span></li><li><span style="color:#ffffff;"><em><span style="color:#000099;">Women</span></em>: Whilst all the government representatives in a positition of power seem to be male, it is interesting to note that females are not portrayed as sex objects. Thus, it is not a necessity to apply Mulvey's theory to the film. Another significant feature is the role of Julian. She represents the modern women; intelligent and independent.</span></li><li><span style="color:#ffffff;"><em><span style="color:#000099;">Refugee Camps</span></em>: Cuaron seems to draw references between the refugee camps in the film to ones such as the Guantanamo Bay detainment camp, illustrating the harsh nature in how immigrants and captives are treated.</span></li></ul><p><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">Audience</span></strong></p><ul><li><span style="color:#ffffff;">It is hard to establish a primary audience for the film. It's fast pace combined with the action and the fact that it's set in the future suggests an audience of young adults is being targeted. However, Cuaron's emphasis on comtemporary issues such as immigration and terrorism can also suggest an older target audience is being targeted as it is fast becoming a stereotype that today's younger generation do not follow politics. </span></li></ul><p><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">Institution</span></strong></p><ul><li><span style="color:#ffffff;">The film is distributed by Universal Pictures, a global company in the field of Hollywood cinema. However, it is interesting they chose to appoint Cuaron to direct the project for two reasons: he is a relative newcomer to the industry and art-house audiences will be familiar with his work.</span></li></ul><p><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;">Narrative</span></strong></p><ul><li><span style="color:#ffffff;"><em><span style="color:#000099;">Levi Strauss</span></em>: His theory of good vs. evil [a plot commonly used in many sci-fi films concerned with the theme of dystopian societies] becomes far more complex when looking at Children Of Men. The begninning of the film sees the audience put in a position where they identify with the government, and in turn see the terrorists as evil. However, as the film progresses and the plot unfolds, the audience learn the terrorists in the film are actually fighting for a good cause, and in turn the audience's morals are challenged as they are faced with the decision of deciding whether to identify with the government or the terrorists.</span></li><li><span style="color:#ffffff;"><em><span style="color:#000099;">Anti-Hero</span></em>: Theo's ruggid appearance, lack of motivation, history as a protestor and shortage of money very much make him an anti-hero. Science-fiction films concerning dystopian societies commonly use confident and well-skilled heroes.</span></li></ul>aman-jatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14331092195769285961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352042809736615452.post-1277539501707034242008-01-06T11:29:00.000-08:002008-01-06T18:15:32.996-08:00Task 12: Historical Text - A Clockwork Orange (1971)<p><strong>The facts:</strong></p><ul><li>'A Clockwork Orange' is a 1971 film directed by Stanley Kubrick. </li><li>It features '<em>disturbing, violent imagery to facilitate social commentary on psychiatry, youth gangs, and other topics in a <span style="color:#000099;">future dystopian </span><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="color:#000099;">society</span>'</span>. </em></li><li>At the time of its release, the film recieved mix reviews. Whilst it was nominated for numerous awards, it was the subject of great <em>controversy </em>due to the film's <em>explicit sexual and violent content.</em></li><li>The film was released as a <em>rated X </em>in America. In Britain, the film was withrawn from UK distribution. Regardless, 'A Clockwork Orange' had firmly established itself as a <em>'cult classic'</em> by the time of it's re-release in 2000.</li></ul><p><strong>What's it got to do with my independent study?</strong></p><ul><li>The film's status as a 'science fiction' film is disputed. The 'Internet Movie Database' has it tagged under genres such as 'crime' and 'drama'. As <em>'Sight and Sound'</em> [a magazine focused on the science fiction genre] argues; <span style="color:#000099;"><em>the film is set in the future, portrays a dystopian society and provides social commentary on what current issues can evolve into in the future </em></span><span style="color:#ffffff;">[identical to what 'Children Of Men']</span>, surely these are characteristics necessary for a film to be classed as science fiction?</li><li>'The science fiction film genre has long served as a useful vehicle for "safely" discussing controversial current issues and often providing thoughtful social commentary on potential unforeseen future issues'. </li><li>A major factor behind why the film packed so much individuality at the time of it's release was that unlike sci-fi films during the 70s, 'A Clockwork Orange' <em><span style="color:#000099;">neglected placing significant emphasis on advanced technology and completely ignored themes of 'artificial intelligence' and 'alien/robot invasions'</span></em>. The film instead focused on comtemporary issues at the time such as youth culture and psychological conditioning, using them to create a future dystopian society by presenting them in the horrific and shocking manner. 'Children Of Men' does the same thing, focusing instead on immigration and terrorism issues.</li></ul><p><strong>Other historical texts equally as important:</strong></p><ul><li>Blade Runner (1982, Ridley Scott)</li><li>2001: A Space Odyssey (1968, Stanley Kubrick)</li><li>Metropolis (1927, Fritz Lang)</li><li>The War Of The Worlds (1953, Byron Haskin)</li><li>Frankenstein (1910, J.Searle Dawley)</li></ul>aman-jatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14331092195769285961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352042809736615452.post-53548410703528203692007-12-16T11:37:00.000-08:002007-12-16T12:08:06.022-08:00Summary of Mulvey's TheoryMulvey's essay <strong>'Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema'</strong> uses ideas from <strong>Freud's psychoanalytic theory</strong> and it's revised version by <strong>Jacques Lacan</strong> to argue Classic Hollywood Cinema puts the spectator in a masculine subject position (<strong>audience positioning/spectatorship</strong>), with the figure of the woman on screen as the object of desire (<strong>objectification</strong>).<br /><br />Expanding on the idea of <strong>objectification</strong>, Mulvey suggested there were two distinct modes of the <strong>male gaze</strong>, <strong>voyuerism</strong> (woman viewed as beautiful) and <strong>fetishistic</strong> (woman are viewed sexually). This relates to the concept of <strong>scopophilia</strong>, a term used to describe the pleasure of watching. Mulvey goes on to say by having women in passive roles, the media creates <strong>misogyny</strong>. Most films use male protagonists, reinforcing <strong>patriarchy</strong>.aman-jatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14331092195769285961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352042809736615452.post-78190408663266930292007-11-25T15:16:00.000-08:002007-11-25T16:10:50.889-08:0010 Media Keywords<p>1) Auteurism - Alfonso Cuaron, whilst relatively new to the Hollywood business, is fast establishing his own distinct style. His influence can be seen throughout Children Of Men, most notably in the documentary-style lengthy shots not typical of a science fiction film.</p><p>2) Dystopia - Many science fiction films, including Children Of Men, employ a dystopia theme in their narrative. Unlike many other films however, Children Of Men centres its dystopian society around issues that are present in today's world affairs as opposed to 'alien invasions and robots malfunctioning'. </p><p>3) Guardian - Peter Bradshaw's review of the film covers many aspects I can use in arguing Children Of Men is not a typical science fiction film.</p><p>4) Cinema Verite - The lengthy shots used in the film undoubtedly incorporate a cinema verite style technique, at times making the film look almost like a documentary.</p><p>5) Hybrid - With so many different techniques being used throughout the film, it can be argued that Children Of Men is a hybrid genre rather than just science-fiction. This in turn would account for the documentary style elements felt in the lengthy shots.</p><p>6) Patriarchal Society - Despite being set in 2027, a patriarchal society still seems to exist. This is emphasised by the fact that the protagonist and hero of the film is a male on a misson to bring a female to safety.</p><p>7) Levi Strauss, Claude - Theory can be applied to the conflict between the Government and the terrorists, although what side (good or bad) they represent is open to debate.</p><p>8) Realism - No robots, no aliens, just a lot of humans at conflict with each other in the future - about as real as it gets.</p><p>9) Science fiction - The film doesn't rely on advanced technology or special effects to enthrice it's audience. In addition, there's no robots, aliens or superhumans and thus typical characteristcs of the genre are not used by Cuaron.</p><p>10) Academy Awards - The films cinematography and editing (key in arguing Children Of Men is not a typical science fiction film) were nominated for awards.<br /></p>aman-jatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14331092195769285961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352042809736615452.post-31867528688763722382007-11-25T15:03:00.000-08:002007-11-25T15:14:12.656-08:00Blog Buddy Meeting Brief SummaryApart from looking at theorists (which of course is vital), me and <em>Deep</em> are still trying to establish what else we can look at together that will be of any relevance to both our independent studies. Until then, we have decided to research <em>Rick Altman </em>(who is an O.G when it comes to analysing genre) in detail. His book '<em>Film/Genre</em>' studies the various complexities associated with defining what genre really is and covers how both historical and present events (SHEP) can influence or even change common and stereoptypical characteristics of an individual genre.aman-jatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14331092195769285961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352042809736615452.post-76802025656943548532007-11-14T13:39:00.000-08:002007-11-14T13:45:52.720-08:00Blog BuddiesThe first of my two 'blog buddies' is Deep. It's logical for me to have chosen him as whilst I'm studying science-fiction and he's studying film-noir, we are both examining whether our chosen text conforms or subverts to the stereotypes associated with our respective genres. Hence, our research will be similar, particularly when it comes to looking at books and theorists.aman-jatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14331092195769285961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352042809736615452.post-80220834507028144262007-11-14T12:07:00.000-08:002007-11-14T13:38:11.296-08:00Book Research ..Finally.<p>1) Langford, Barry (2005) : <em>Film Genre - Hollywood and beyond. </em>Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.</p><ul><li>This book is useful to my study as it discusses a range of different genres and covers what is considered to be 'typical' features of the science-fiction genre. In doing so, Langford also analyses various sci-films which I can compare and contrast with my text.</li><li>Quote: 'If anything the [sci-fi] genre's elusive semantic core - or the closest thing to it - consists in its enduring focus through serial visions of possible futures on the transformative, sometimes invasive impact of advanced technology.'</li></ul><p>2) Altman, Rick (1999) : <em>Film/Genre. </em>London: British Film Institute.</p><ul><li>This book is useful to my study as rather than just focusing a majority of it's study on specific genres, the book coveres genre as a whole and in doing so offers complex suggestions about what genre really is and the various different conventions associated with it. Many relevant theorists are also covered in detail.</li><li>Quote: 'Each film is imaged as an example of the overall genre, replicating the generic prototype in all basic characteristics.'</li></ul><p>3) Neale, Steve (2002) : <em>Genre and Contemporary Hollywood. </em>London: British Film Institute.</p><ul><li>This book is useful to my study as it discusses the notion of hybrid genre (something that I am looking to argue Children Of Men is) in detail. Neale also analyses past sci-fi texts considered to be 'typical' of the genre. Relevant theorists are also mentioned.</li><li>Quote: 'Genre can be approached from the point of view of the industry and its infastructure, from the point of view of their aesthetic traditions, from the point of view of the broader socio-cultural enviroment upon which they draw and into which they feed, and from the point of view audience understanding and response.'</li></ul><p>4) Cook, Pam & Bernink, Mieke (1999) : <em>The Cinema Book. </em>London: British Film Institute.</p><ul><li>This book is useful to my study as it attempts to connect film institutions, camerawork (a major factor in my analysis of Children Of Men as a typical sci-fi film), features and content with genre. That said, it covers everything really.</li><li>Quote: 'Some [sci-fi films] are normative and exclusive, designed to distinguish between 'good' and 'bad' science fiction or to promote a particular form or tend.' </li></ul><p>5) Maltby, Richard (2003) : <em>Hollywood Cinema. </em>UK: Blackwell Publishing Ltd.</p><ul><li>This book is useful to my study as it has a very detailed and analytical chapter on genre. It addresses many critics whom I can mention in my study in addition to theorists.</li><li>Quote: 'Genres are flexible, subject to a constant process of change and adaptation. Generic boundaries can never be rigidly defined, and all generic groupings are susceptible to extensive subdivision.'</li></ul><p>6) Gill, Branston & Stafford, Roy (2003) : <em>The Media Student's Book. </em>UK: Routledge.</p><ul><li>This book is useful to my study as it offers more on the wider context aspect of my independent study whilst at the same time linking it to genre. The events of September, 11 (an event I will be mentioning in my study) and their effect on genre is looked at.</li><li>Quote: 'As the genre becomes established, play can be made with it's conventions. Part of the pleasure of the riddles is their reference to well-known stereotypes, and thus to your feelings about real-world groups of which you may know very little. </li></ul><p>7) Knight, Damon Francis (1996) : <em>In Search Of Wonder: Essays on Modern Science Fiction. </em>US: Advent Pub Inc.</p><ul><li>This book is a collection of commentary on science fiction by book author Knight. Despite the fact that he is a author, this book is still useful to my study as he provides a thorough insight into the sci-fi genre and in doing so highlights conventions becoming apparent in many modern sci-fi books (which directors then go on to adapt as a film, Children Of Men being a prime example).</li><li>Quote: 'Science fiction is what we point to when we say it.'</li></ul><p>8) Cousins, Mark (2004) : <em>The story of film. </em>UK: Pavilion Books</p><ul><li>This book is useful to my study as it analyses how film-makers (in this case Alfonso Cuaron) are influenced by historical events of their times (in this case, the war against terror). This information will be used to cover the wider context aspect of my independent study.</li><li>Quote: 'Filmmakers with a moral conscience addressed or expressed what was happening on those streets.'</li></ul><p>This book I have yet to get hold of personally but I'm sure will prove useful to my independent study as according to 'Google Book Search', it covers the essential films, themes and plots of the genre.</p><p>9) Scalzi, John (2005) : <em>The Rough Guide to Science Fiction Films. </em>US: Rough Guides</p><p>The following book is of little relevance to my independent study but regardless discusses genre. Until I can find better a book, I am going to use it to make up the 10.</p><p>9) Schatz, Thomas (1981) : <em>Hollywood Genres: Formulas, Filmmaking and the Studio System. </em>New York: McGraw-Hill. </p>aman-jatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14331092195769285961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352042809736615452.post-67738073727455141442007-11-08T03:59:00.000-08:002007-11-08T04:01:27.407-08:00Representation Of Gender In The Past SummaryRepresentations Of Gender In The Past<br />Summary Of Key Points<br /><br />Women and Men on TV:<br /><br />· In the 50s, 60s and 70s, only 20% of characters were female, although by the mid 80s there were more women in leading roles.<br />· In 1975, Miles found that there were nearly equal proportions of men and women in situation comedies, whereas in action-adventure shows, only 15% of leading characters were women.<br />· Also in 1975, McNeil concluded that the women’s movement had been largely ignored by television, with married housewives being the main female role shown.<br />· The 70’s summarised – In general, men were more likely to be assertive (or aggressive), whilst women were more likely to be passive.<br />· 1980s – TV remained stubborn, with game shows not bothering to change their ‘degrading and trivialising views of women’, sports programming remaining ‘the preserve of men’, and news programmes accused of tokenism or ‘window dressing’ by including some women in key positions whilst retaining a male-dominated culture.<br />· 1980s TV Drama – Gillian Dyer observed that the number of women in central roles in police ad crime series had increased – Rape story lines were often used and this was an opportunity for programme makers to build drama around the feminist critique of police attitudes, and for female characters to clash with the ‘old guard’ who might not treat rape sensitively.<br /><br />Women and Men in Movies:<br /><br />· 1950’s – Films almost always focused on male heroes who typically made the decisions which led the story, and were assertive, confident and dominant. (Examples being High Noon (1952) and Touch Of Evil (1959))<br />· 1960’s – The sixties may have been changing with character roles, but male characters were consistently more intelligent, more assertive – and much more prevalent.<br />· 1970’s – Females were given greater roles – Leia from Star Wars (1977) was a rebel who shot storm troopers but was still the prized princess the heroic boys had to rescue and Woody Allen found success with films like Manhattan (1979) where she played an intelligent woman who captured the eye of a male leading character.<br />· In 1973, Majorie Rosen asserted that ‘the Cinema Woman is a Popcorn Venus, a delectable but insubstantial hybrid of cultural distortions.<br />· 1980’s – Further progress the female roles was made. Ripley became stronger in Aliens (1986) and Sarah Connor was courageous in The Terminator (1984). Meanwhile, the reliable heroic male still featured prominently in most films, including the Indiana Jones series (1981, 1984, 1989).<br />· 1990’s – Kathi Maio noted ‘strong, victorious women [do] exist in film, just not often enough, and generally not in movies that get much play’. Susan Faludi went a step further by saying women were being ‘reduced to mute and incidental characters or banished altogether’, with particular reference to Predator (1987) and Lethal Weapon (1987).aman-jatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14331092195769285961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352042809736615452.post-85048384093337736242007-10-18T11:23:00.000-07:002007-10-18T11:33:46.719-07:00Self Evaluation1) Attainment<br /><br />I forgot what this means =S<br /><br />2) Effort<br /><br />3 - Efforts been good in class but slacking when it comes to homework.<br /><br />3) Punctuality<br /><br />2 - Rarely late and absent.<br /><br />4) Submission and quality of homework<br /><br />4 - Haven't handed homework in on time a few times.<br /><br />5) Ability to work independently<br /><br />1 - Always produce my best work when I do it on my own.<br /><br />6) Quality of writing<br /><br />1 - What can I say?<br /><br />7) Organisation of Media folder<br /><br />5 - I don't have one right now.<br /><br />8) Oral contributions in class<br /><br />1 - I'm a very opinionated person who always has something to say.<br /><br />9) Standard of Module 5 blog<br /><br />3 - Layouts nice, lacks posts.<br /><br />10) Standard of Module 6 blog<br /><br />3 - Same thing as above.<br /><br />WWW<br /><br />1) Very passionate about my text and the independent study.<br />2) Good understanding of all the topics discussed in class so far.<br /><br />EBI<br /><br />1) More research needed, especially book research.<br />2) Complete and submit homework on time.<br />3) Obtain a folder to put all my work in.aman-jatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14331092195769285961noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352042809736615452.post-12789430992720792962007-10-14T06:03:00.001-07:002007-10-14T07:06:38.441-07:00Task 6 - Detailed Analysis Of Clip<p><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FZDtb-UsLWg" width="425" height="350" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent"></embed></p><p>This clip is the final scene from Children Of Men.<br /><br />The clip begins with a long shot of Theo and Kee getting into a boat in a tunnel. The long shot, combined with low key lighting highlights the grim setting and atmosphere, a theme present throughout the film as it attempts to create a realistic dystopian society without alienating its audience. This is most evident through the film's lack of advanced technology. In this clip, a very old and ruggid looking row-boat is used as opposed to a flashy and expensive boat which sci-fi audiences will have come accustomed to when watching films set in the future.<br /><br />As Theo begins to row the boat out of the tunnel, non-diegtic sound is introduced in the form of music. It parallels everything in the scene, from the atmosphere to the setting and from the characters feelings to the audience's sense of climax. Diegetic sound continues to play to keep the audience engrossed in what is happening in the scene.<br /><br />Almost immediately however, the non-diegetic sound cuts as Theo and Kee exit the tunnel. Instead, the audience (at this point left in a position where they expect a new equilibrium to form as the film is approaching it's end) are forced to listen to the harsh sounds of gun fire and bomb explosions in the background. This is because the director wants the audience to realise that whilst Theo and Kee's adventure may be nearing it's climax, the conflicts that exist throughout the film are far from being concluded, something which the audience can then relate to current affairs.<br /><br />Long shots are first used when Theo and Kee exit the tunnel. Again, this to highlight the setting. Visibility is very vague as there seems to be either a thick fog or a large cloud of smoke possibly caused from the gun battle nearby. The boat is seen as a shadow amongst this fog and this in turn highlights the theme of a dystopian society and isolation. Gradually, medium shots and close-up shots are used as Theo and Kee reach their destination and begin to converse. These shots are used to concentrate more on the mise-en-scene aspect of the scene. The clothes worn by both characters are old and ruggid and more importantly, identical to present day clothing. Reverse shots are used between Theo and Kee to show their facial expressions which present them as very tired but with a wave of relief.<br /><br />At this point, non-diegetic sound is again faded in as Theo begins to deliver his final speech. This is simply to contribute to the dramatic effect of a final scene. At the same time, a medium shot of Theo holding Kee's hand is used, and this arguably presents Theo in a heroic way. The fact that the male is seen as the hero conforms to both traditional and stereotypical ideologies of the male hero and Propp's theory of character roles in films.<br /><br />In perhaps an unexpected twist, Theo appears to die. The scene ends with Kee saying "the boat has come", which shows their journey has now finally come to an end and with this, the scene slowly fades out to black as the non-digetic sound becomes louder. The fact that the director chooses not to show what will happen with Kee and her baby creates an enigma (Barth) as the audience are left to make their own assumptions. </p><p>The fact that the audience are left to <em>think</em> at the end of the film is important as this is what the director aims to do throughout the film. He raises issues in the film which the audience can draw comparisons with events happening in the world at present, and this is a key point in arguing that 'Children Of Men' is indeed not a typical sci-fi film.</p>aman-jatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14331092195769285961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352042809736615452.post-19759003344397362762007-09-30T07:29:00.000-07:002007-09-30T07:38:41.611-07:00Blog CommentsSome people really need to make it clear on their blog what the title of their study is - All I see is a lot of research without a title.<br /><br />Here's the ones that I commented on (all looking at Genre):<br /><br />Chintan -<br /><a href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2574997224413995264&postID=2434589220544145318">https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2574997224413995264&postID=2434589220544145318</a><br /><br />Deep-<br /><a href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=1623337707557092261&postID=7946984744830605473">https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=1623337707557092261&postID=7946984744830605473</a><br /><br />Bazza-<br /><a href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4828718162097622927&postID=6959728765516944493">https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4828718162097622927&postID=6959728765516944493</a><br /><br />Athar-<br /><a href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8925104818910187029&postID=8605307040161078627">https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8925104818910187029&postID=8605307040161078627</a>aman-jatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14331092195769285961noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352042809736615452.post-65070936555481172007-09-27T04:56:00.000-07:002007-09-27T05:08:33.868-07:00The Six Minute Long Gun Battle Clip<p><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6dZxdTZOcx4"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6dZxdTZOcx4" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object></p><p>Children Of Men is renowned for it's several lengthy single shot sequences. The best example of this is the one above. Such shots are important to mention as these style of shots are rarely used in main-stream sci films. Rather, these shots would be expected to be found in art-house flims. However, not only are these shots lengthy, they are filmed in an almost cinema verite documentary style. Cuaron incorporates techniques from other forms of media into a mainstream sci-fi flim. Whereas other sci-fi films rely on special effects as the wow-factor for audiences, Children Of Men relies on it's storyline and these shots which truely are a magnificent accomplishment of cinematography.</p>aman-jatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14331092195769285961noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352042809736615452.post-25437438386580660772007-09-27T04:51:00.000-07:002007-09-27T04:56:12.968-07:00Peter Bradshaw's (The Guardian) ReviewAn extremely detailed review of Children Of Men written by Peter Bradshaw of the Media Guardian. The following passage covers the main themes brought up in the film and how it goes about addressing these to the audience:<br /><br />What will the end of the world look like? As shabby and nasty as the way it looks here is my guess. This explosively violent future-nightmare thriller, directed by Alfonso Cuarón and adapted from the novel by PD James, has simply the most extraordinary look of any movie around: a stunningly convincing realisation of a Beirut-ised London in the year 2027, in which terrorist bombs have become as dreary and commonplace as cancer.<br /><br />No one does dystopian satire like the English and this story is in a recognisably vernacular tradition, though owing as much to John Wyndham as George Orwell. It actually reminded me of bygone television chillers such as Barry Hines's Threads and the 1970s classic Survivors, with their distinctive and now unfashionably high-minded determination to confront the worst outcomes imaginable. It is, perhaps, odd that Cuarón sticks with the 1992 novel's reluctance to predict the internet, and media-watchers will be intrigued to see that in 2027 the London Evening Standard has evidently seen off web and freesheet competition to stay in its monopoly pole position on the capital's sandbagged streets. But despite the stylisations and grandiloquent drama, there is something just so grimly and grittily plausible about the awful world conjured up here, and the full-on urban warfare scenes really are electrifying. Clive Owen stars as Theo, a former radical protester, who in defeated middle age has become an alcoholic and low-ranking employee of a government department: a miserable guy in a miserable world. Pollution has rendered humanity infertile. The world's youngest person is all of 18 years old and there is a global malaise of disorder and despair, which our right little, tight little island is toughing out, offering its citizens free suicide pills with the Shakespearean brand-name of Quietus. Britain's relative calm and prosperity have attracted waves of illegal immigrants; it is the responsibility of the UK's Homeland Security department to pen them into vast mesh-fenced internment camps, the biggest of which is a gigantic caged shanty-town in Bexhill - a very English Guantanamo-on-Sea.<br /><br />Theo's world is further shattered when he is abducted by a terrorist group called the Fishes, led by his former lover Julian (Julianne Moore), an unrepentant activist who inveigles him into helping her smuggle one of their number out of the country. This is Kee (Claire-Hope Ashitey), a terrified young woman with a sensational secret, whom the terrorists want to use for their own ends. Kee looks to Theo for help - a very unpromising hero, who is hardly less scared than she is. But Theo recovers some of his idealism and even romanticism in protecting her.<br /><br />Cuarón's movie has softened the blow of James's book just a little, but the cinema screen here is like an opened window on to a world of Arctic fear and despair. His script is a little cumbersome occasionally: some characters are required to deliver awkward set-piece speeches with bullets whistling past their nose. So much else is outstanding, though. The hard, flat, cold images recorded by cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki - reporting back from the futureworld of decay dreamt up by production designers Jim Clay and Geoffrey Kirkland - are stunning. Cuarón's gun battle between the terrorists and the army is a bravura piece of work, deploying a very scary sort of first-person shooter graphics; incredibly, it turns Bexhill into a Middle East warzone, like the strange Vietnam of Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket - famously filmed in the surreal moonscape of London's undeveloped Docklands. And the first terrorist detonation hit like a punch in the solar plexus. There are witty and shrewd small parts for Michael Caine, as the ageing hippy ganja dealer who hooks Theo and Kee up with a counter-cultural support network, Peter Mullan as the psychotic border guard and Danny Huston as Nigel, the elegantly despairing apparatchik who salvages great works of art from the philistine mob.<br /><br />One of the cleverest touches is the ancient, manky sweatshirt Theo wears -advertising the London Olympics of 2012. To us, it is a symbol of London's last-ever demonstration of untroubled national rejoicing, when this country was awarded the Games, before that mood was cruelly shattered by the 7/7 bombings. Now London 2012 is Theo's veteran-badge of despair, and a memento of his lost career in political dissent.<br /><br />So what would happen to us all, psychologically, if the end of the world was at hand? Danny Huston's mandarin tells Theo that he personally gets by from day to day by simply not thinking about what is happening, and his stunned, bleak acquiescence in the creeping horror of global death is symptomatic of the vast spiritual sterility which ushered in the catastrophe in the first place.<br /><br />Freaky chiliastic cults start springing up: the Renouncers and Repenters - whose frenzied self-laceration reminded me a little of Roy Andersson's millennial fantasy Songs from the Second Floor, in which a little girl is sacrificed to stave off the last judgment. But what Cuarón's film suggests is that despair and disgust would manifest themselves overwhelmingly in tyranny. A mass, irrational longing for punishment would gather; checks and restraints on the political classes' natural tendency towards repression would be removed, and our energy to resist the agencies of the state would be eroded. All of these ideas make a very grim backdrop to an excellent thriller. Cuarón has created the thinking person's action movie.<br /><br />Source:<br /><a href="http://film.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/Critic_Review/Guardian_review/0,,1877712,00.html#article_continue">http://film.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/Critic_Review/Guardian_review/0,,1877712,00.html#article_continue</a>aman-jatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14331092195769285961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352042809736615452.post-9318400185473901022007-09-27T04:39:00.000-07:002007-09-27T04:46:11.246-07:00Information Attained Through del.icio.us Tags<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Here is an</span> extract with relevant information regarding the science fiction genre which is helpful in definining the typical and common features found in sci-fi films:<br /><br />Science Fiction Films are usually scientific, visionary, comic-strip-like, and imaginative, and usually visualized through fanciful, imaginative settings, expert film production design, advanced technology gadgets (i.e., robots and spaceships), scientific developments, or by fantastic special effects. Sci-fi films are complete with heroes, distant planets, impossible quests, improbable settings, fantastic places, great dark and shadowy villains, futuristic technology and gizmos, and unknown and inexplicable forces. Many other SF films feature time travels or fantastic journeys, and are set either on Earth, into outer space, or (most often) into the future time. Quite a few examples of science-fiction cinema owe their origins to writers Jules Verne and H.G. Wells.<br />They often portray the dangerous and sinister nature of knowledge ('there are some things Man is not meant to know') (i.e., the classic Frankenstein (1931), The Island of Lost Souls (1933), and David Cronenberg's The Fly (1986) - an updating of the 1958 version directed by Kurt Neumann and starring Vincent Price), and vital issues about the nature of mankind and our place in the whole scheme of things, including the threatening, existential loss of personal individuality (i.e., Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), and The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)). Plots of space-related conspiracies (Capricorn One (1978)), supercomputers threatening impregnation (Demon Seed (1977)), the results of germ-warfare (The Omega Man (1971)) and laboratory-bred viruses or plagues (28 Days Later (2002)), black-hole exploration (Event Horizon (1997)), and futuristic genetic engineering and cloning (Gattaca (1997) and Michael Bay's The Island (2005)) show the tremendous range that science-fiction can delve into.<br />Strange and extraordinary microscopic organisms or giant, mutant monsters ('things or creatures from space') may be unleashed, either created by misguided mad scientists or by nuclear havoc (i.e., The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms (1953)). Sci-fi tales have a prophetic nature (they often attempt to figure out or depict the future) and are often set in a speculative future time. They may provide a grim outlook, portraying a dystopic view of the world that appears grim, decayed and un-nerving (i.e., Metropolis (1927) with its underground slave population and view of the effects of industrialization, the portrayal of 'Big Brother' society in 1984 (1956 and 1984), nuclear annihilation in a post-apocalyptic world in On the Beach (1959), Douglas Trumbull's vision of eco-disaster in Silent Running (1972), Michael Crichton's Westworld (1973) with androids malfunctioning, Soylent Green (1973) with its famous quote: "Soylent Green IS PEOPLE!", 'perfect' suburbanite wives in The Stepford Wives (1975), and the popular gladiatorial sport of the year 2018 in Rollerball (1975)). Commonly, sci-fi films express society's anxiety about technology and how to forecast and control the impact of technological and environmental change on contemporary society.<br />Science fiction often expresses the potential of technology to destroy humankind through Armaggedon-like events, wars between worlds, Earth-imperiling encounters or disasters (i.e., The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951), When Worlds Collide (1951), The War of the Worlds (1953), the two Hollywood blockbusters Deep Impact (1998) and Armageddon (1998), and The Day After Tomorrow (2004), etc.). In many science-fiction tales, aliens, creatures, or beings (sometimes from our deep subconscious, sometimes in space or in other dimensions) are unearthed and take the mythical fight to new metaphoric dimensions or planes, depicting an eternal struggle or battle (good vs. evil) that is played out by recognizable archetypes and warriors (i.e., Forbidden Planet (1956) with references to the 'id monster' from Shakespeare's The Tempest, the space opera Star Wars (1977) with knights and a princess with her galaxy's kingdom to save, The Fifth Element (1997), and the metaphysical Solaris (1972 and 2002)). Beginning in the 80s, science fiction began to be feverishly populated by noirish, cyberpunk films, with characters including cyber-warriors, hackers, virtual reality dreamers and druggies, and underworld low-lifers in nightmarish, un-real worlds (i.e., Blade Runner (1982), Strange Days (1995), Johnny Mnemonic (1995), and The Matrix (1999)).<br /><br />Source:<br /><a href="http://www.filmsite.org/sci-fifilms.html">http://www.filmsite.org/sci-fifilms.html</a>aman-jatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14331092195769285961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2352042809736615452.post-51613659303542323312007-09-27T03:37:00.000-07:002007-09-27T04:36:08.754-07:00My Research Proposal<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Title: Is 'Children Of Men' a typical science fiction film?<br /><br />Hypothesis: Children Of Men is not a typical science fiction film. It uses documentary and cinema verite style filming (amongst other things) to differentiate itself from other sci-films. 'Blade Runner', 'Minority Report' and 'I, Robot' are all films that can be classified as typical science fiction films and will be used in the study consistently in proving that Children Of Men is indeed not a typical sci-fi film.<br /><br />MIGRAIN Analysis:<br /><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">Media Language:</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">Costumes</span> - The clothes worn by the protagonist of the play are very simple and lack glamour. They give a working class look to Theo. In general, despite the setting of 2027, fashion does not seem to have changed from the present day. In camps, the clothes worn by the people are very raggid and poor which add to the effect of a dystopian society.<br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">Lighting</span> - Throughout the film low key lighting is regularly used, particurarly in places such as the camps. Again, this is to add to the effect of a dystopian society.<br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">Setting/Mise-en-scene</span> - Filmed in gritty and harsh settings and conditions. Enviromental destruction is always visible in nearly all the settings used throughout the movie. One of the only places which experience peace for a certain amount of time is Theo's friend's hideout, set in an isolated region of woods.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">Ideologies</span>:<br /><br />There are many ideologies put across in 'Children Of Men'. A reoccuring theme of the film is that 'the future is a thing of the past'. The ideology put across in this statement is that if the governments of today fail to deal with the problems and issues we are facing at present, they will have both disastrous and fatal consequences in the future. In turn, this shows the film is putting across a political ideology. Other ideologies put across are that people are still struggling to deal with the threat of terrorism amongst other things.<br /><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">Genre</span><span style="color:#000000;">:</span><br /><br />Children Of Men is a science-fiction film. Rather than concentrate on the more typical features of a sci-fi film (special effects, advancement in technology etc.), the film instead concentrates more on the storyline and the themes and issues present in the 2027 setting. The special effects, though rarely used, are only there to enhance the storyline rather than replace it. Though a sci-film, it seems Children Of Men chooses to reject many common features found in typical sci-fi flims.<br /><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">Representation</span><span style="color:#000000;">:</span><br /><br />Males are represented, without surprise, as the more dominant sex in the film. Jobs considered traditionally to be 'man's jobs' are still carried out by the men, such as being soldiers and fighting for the army. In addition, the safety of the pregnant woman lies in the hand of a male, so he is in turn seen as the protector, or even the hero who is on a adventure. The leading female character in the film (Theo's Wife) is represented as a strong individual with a high position in society (she is experiencing more success than her husband Theo).<br /><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">Audience</span><span style="color:#000000;">:</span><br /><br />Due to its many political ideologies that the film is putting across, it can be assumed an older target audience of perhaps 20 - 30 year olds, both male and female are being targeted. This is because they are expected have good knowledge of the present news and issues that the film uses as a cause for the state the future setting is in. Furthermore, as the film is set in 2027, this age group will feel obliged to watch the film as the future concerns them, and the film is showing the possible consequences of what can happen if today's issues are not solved.<br /><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">Institution</span><span style="color:#000000;">:</span><br /><br />The film was distributed by Universal Studios, a major American film studio. The fact that this institution chose to distribute a film that was directed by a relative newcomer and stars many foreign actors is interesting.<br /><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">Narrative</span><span style="color:#000000;">:</span><br /><br />The film does not follow Todorov's theory, as used by many other sci-films as there is no equlibrium at the start. However, the film does make use of Propps' theory as the protagonist, Theo, can be seen as a hero due to his mission of transporting the african refugee to safety. A binary opposition of good vs. evil (Levi Strauss) is also used, but rather in a less direct manner as the evil (The Fishes') can be seen as a politically extreme group fighting for a good cause (rights for immigrants).<br /><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">Wider Contexts</span><span style="color:#000000;">:<br /><br /></span><span style="color:#ff0000;">Social</span><span style="color:#000000;">: </span><span style="color:#ffffff;">Addressing current soical issues and how different groups and individuals react to and deal with them.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">Historical</span><span style="color:#000000;">: <span style="color:#ffffff;">The historical part of the film can be seen as the issues we are facing today and how if not resolved, they will impact our society in the future. </span><br /><br /></span><span style="color:#ff0000;">Economical</span><span style="color:#000000;">:</span><span style="color:#ffffff;"> The theme of poor is an issue shownrepeatedly throughout the film as many of the scenes are filmed in slum locations and camps.</span><br /><span style="color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">Political</span><span style="color:#000000;">: <span style="color:#ffffff;">The film addresses the issue that if today's governments fail to deal with the present issues they are facing, there could be disastrous consequences in the future.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="color:#ff0000;">Other Texts to compare and contrast with</span><span style="color:#000000;">:</span><br /><br />Minority Report<br />Blade Runner<br />I, Robot<br />AI: Artifical Intelligenceaman-jatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14331092195769285961noreply@blogger.com1