Children of men opening sequence analysis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCTgUq6hzUk ( Children Of Men opening sequence)

In the opening sequence the director while tracking the “hero” uses a series of mid shots and long shots to capture the main character in the initial scene. The director has used a mid shot to capture the torso of the main character and has used a long shot to capture all of the characters body this gives the audience a sense of what the characters about by the way they present their self also how they look and behave. The director has also used a pan camera movement from  left to right as the character leaves the shop to give the audience idea of the setting and location. Just before the end of the scene a point of view has been used. A handheld camera may would have been used to capture this shot because there is constant shaking and movement of the camera. The constant shaking of the camera indicates that the shot is supposed to mimic someone running.

In the opening scene there is digetic sound from when the man is in the coffee  shop the sound of the T.V is heard and as he leaves the shop the sounds of the coffee shop are left behind and the sounds of street like buses and cars are now being heard, this creates this sense of realism. There is limited editing in the opening sequence because only one cut has been used and this is when the shot cuts from the people in the shot to the T.v. this is a unusual thing to appear in a major film. You would usually expect more cuts and editing to be used in a major feature film.

In the opening sequence there are things such as automobiles(red buses) and black bin bags. These things indicate that the setting/Location of the opening sequence is London. This also tells us that London has become a dirty and unkempt environment. This gives the idea that the rest of the play will consist of drama because the environment shows there is obvious complications happening at that time.

In the opening sequence only one main character is identified, we know this because the camera tracks him as he enters and leaves the shop. It seems that he could be the hero (protagonist) of this film but does not fit the established idea of a hero because he does not show empathy when he hears of the boys death and when the explosion goes off his initial reaction was not to help but it is to be suggested that he is one. The location of the film seems to be London city you get this impression because of the big red buses and black bin bags on the floor and also the british accent in which the news presenter talks in. From the opening sequence the plot of the Children of Men could be this man, our hero has to find a way to help humanity to start producing children or to find someone who can reproduce but throughout the film the man comes up against many obstacles which could possibly stop this from happening.

The theme's of the film from the opening sequence seems to be death, murder and drama and hope. You get this idea because you hear the death of the youngest person alive at the start of the scene and also in the later stages of the scene there is an explosion in the coffee shop. The idea of hope is the people in the coffee shop are hoping for a better future for mankind.

 You get the idea of drama because all these events are happening in a short space of time.

The visual style of the opening sequence is a misty effect and dim light which gives the idea that the scene is supposed to give the impression that it is early in the morning. 

The genre's of the film appears to be adventure, drama, sci-fi and thriller you get these impressions because it obvious our main character will have to go on some sort of quest or adventure further into the play to find out something. The idea that is sci-fi is because the film is supposed to be futuristic and tells us that it is set 2027. The film also gives the impression that it is going to contain some sort of drama throughout because of all the events which are taking place like the death of the young boy, explosion in the coffee shop and Americans occupying mosques. This indicates that London and the rest of the world are on the verge of complete anarchy.