Children of men

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCTgUq6hzUk

• As we would expect to see in opening sequences of a film, we see the the production company and its logo (Universal). 
• The film begins with a sound bridge from darkness to motion. 
• For nearly 30 seconds we are literally left in the dark. During this time a voice over, much like a news readers voice begins ‘Day 1000 of the siege of Seattle’. As the voice over continues we realise that this is a news program as just before motion we hear ‘Good morning, our lead story.’ 
• Through the voice over, on the screen, are more opening credits. 
• Before the motion has even started we know that ‘the youngest boy on the planet’ has died. Immediately a narrative is beginning to form, and questions such as how old is this boy? And how has he died? start to arise. Already as an audience member I am gripped.  
• The first shot, is a mid shot of a group of people inside a cafe all trying to watch the tv. 
• On the other side of the room is another tv. 

I like how the voice over started of on a black screen and bridged over to the motion where you realise it is on the tv which everyone is watching. Also I like how there is another tv on the other side of the cafe, therefor you know what everyone is looking at yet you are still able to to see their facial expressions and see that they are listening intensely. 

• It then cuts to a close up of the screen everyone is looking at and we are able to see this boy that the news readers are talking about; ‘Baby Diago’. We also see the date 2009-2027. 

In this shot we have been introduced to a main character, the time, the setting and the genre of the film. 

• We know know that this film is set in the future. 
• The camera then tracks a man out of the cafe and pans the dirty street he has entered out on to. 

I like this shot as it is quite hand held and you feel as though you are following him out onto the street and seeing exactly what he would be. 

• As the camera continues to track around the man we see an explosion from the cafe and a woman emerges holding what appears to be her arm. 

This leaves questions for the audience and is quite gripping because you are left unsure why that just happened and whether it has anything to do with the death previously mentioned. The lighting of the mise-en-scene outside is very dull and grim, suggesting that 2027 is not a nice place and the world is coming to an end, also suggested by the fact that the youngest person in the universe was 18 years old. 

Similarly to other opening sequences I have mentioned, the production company etc is mentioned, however, the opening credits have not yet started before the motion or on top of the motion like ‘Cleaner’ where the director and actors are introduced.