Film opening sequence #1: Children of Men

Children of Men (2.08)

• The intro begins with a voiceover by what sounds like a news reporter on a black screen
• The next clip moves into a packed coffee shop where all the customers are looking into the corner of the room (a television screen) with a concerned look on their faces. I also took note of the dull and bland colours of clothing all the people were wearing (mainly grey and black)
• I also felt it was important to take note that all the people in the coffee shop were adults (30+?) , which added to the sense of dullness and lack of youth which was already created by the bland colours of clothing and of the room itself.
• Main character walks through the middle of the coffee shop, pushing people out the way (showing authority), camera also tracks his movement, showing his importance in the film.
• Camera moves up to look at television screen, we then discover that the youngest man on the planet has just died, sounds of upset and crying in the background.
• Main character doesnt seem overly effected by these events as he buys his coffee and leaves the shop, only briefly watching the television screen
• Camera tracks him leaving the coffee shop, once again showing a sense of importance with his character
• 'Main character' leaves the coffee shop, a wip-pan shot then introduces his surroundings in London on the 16th November 2027 (second sign that this film is set in the future)
• London looks grubby and unclean, there is also a banner at the beginning of the wip-pan that says 'please report suspicious actions' (1.04 secs) showing a sense of danger, crime and a lack of safety in this area.
• Wip-pan then continues to move round to show peculiar looking vehicles and a bland-grey looking street with policemen walking down the road (once again showing perhaps a high level of crime), there are also rubbish bags piled up on the side of the road showing uncleanliness.
• Camera continues to track the main character as it zooms in as he stops to pour alcohol into his coffee, showing that perhaps the character is stressed?
• The camera moves around to show the other side of the road, the coffee shop that the main character was in blows up in flames, smoke covers the area. First real sign of emotion from the main character as he jumps away from the area
• Screams and crying also sets sad and dull tone to intro
• High pitched noise (often used in horror films) comes in and the camera goes towards the coffee shop, women walks out with an arm in her hand, showing a sense of savageness and a lack of humanity.