Seemingly impossible, a young, unmarried girl miraculously learns she is pregnant. While on a difficult journey she must give birth in the most humble of locations. The baby she gives birth to brings hope to a hopeless world. No, this isn’t a description of “The Nativity”. It is Alfonso Cuarón’s “Children of Men”.Set Great Britain in the year 2027, “Children of Men” explores a world where humanity has lost its ability to reproduce. The youngest person on the planet is 18 years old and no one has been able to explain or correct the problem. With eventual extinction looming, despair and chaos rule the day. Great Britain, one of the last functional societies, faces terrorist violence and mass immigration. In this dark world “Children of Men” tells the story of Londoner Theo Faron (played by Clive Owen) and his attempt to get the first pregnant woman in 18 years to a group dedicated to solving the problem of infertility known as the Human Project.
The movie is technically brilliant. It is well acted, shot with excellent cinematography—including several long, well-choreographed tracking shots—, and includes several breathtaking moments.
Its parallel to the Christmas story, however, is really what makes it resonate. The picture a world where people have no hope of a future is a good illustration of the hopelessness hidden beneath the surface in our world. The birth of the child gives hope for all humanity. Perhaps the best scene in the movie includes several minutes of stunned silence as soldiers and revolutionaries pause their fighting and stare in amazement at the new born miracle as his mother carries him through a crowded battle zone. It is a reminder of the awe and wonder we should feel when we think about the story of Christ’s birth.
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