There has been 3 films that I have finished feeling completely shook. Sure there are other films that I love dearly and over time have become personal favorites or have swept me up with emotion, but there has only been 3 where at the end I was just flooded with so much emotion and overwhelmed with the journey I just went on. Those films are Arrival, Room, and now Children of Men. Children of Men straight up wrecked me with it's beautiful cinematography, amazing long shots, deeply emotional story, and with just a core concept that is so interesting. This film takes place in the year 2027, and in this world all women have become infertile. However, in a world that looks so bleak, with most of the world fallen to anarchy, there is one young woman who is pregnant that could be the hope for humanity. As you can probably tell, this film has a lot of religious symbolism and allegory all over it, but I want to talk about one key theme I found, and that is the theme of faith.
*Minor Spoilers Ahead* (Please watch this film, it's on Netflix) Our lead dude, Theo, has found himself leading this pregnant woman, Kee, to safety, as Britain is slowly starting to fall to terrorism and anarchy. The only trouble is, this safety, there is only one person who has really made contact with them, and that person is dead. So now, Theo isn't sure if this "safety," this boat that's supposed to come pick-up Kee, is even going to be there, or if it's even real. So does he continue with the plan? Or does take matters into his own hands? There's a scene in this film that is very crucial, even though it doesn't seem like it at first. Two characters are talking about Theo and his ex-wife. They mention how it was their beliefs, how their faith in their movement was what brought them together, as they met at some sort of rally. Then they had a child together before the infertility hit. Then, the character continues, it was chance, random fate that tore them apart, as illness struck their child and he passed away. So the question is posed, why even have faith if chance can just screw you over in the end? To me, this is the central theme of this film. Is it worth it to put your faith in something even if life can just screw you over? Looking at our man Theo here, this is his central conflict. His character no longer has faith in anything, a higher being, a movement, love, because life screwed him over, it took his child away. Now, the only chance at saving humanity is all based on blind faith, faith that this child can lead to the cure of the world's infertility, faith that this boat is going to show up, that it's going to take Kee to safety, faith that whatever comes next is worth the sacrifices that he is making now. Do we give into the chaos? Or do we live by faith? A life without faith is living a life of constant fear. Not that having faith means you don't get scared from time to time, but it gives you hope for a better tomorrow, that there's something better around the corner, it's what keeps us going. I'm sure most of us all put our faith in something. Whether that is religion, education, politics, or even ourselves, we all have something that pushes us forward, that gives us hope for tomorrow. I put my faith in Jesus Christ, knowing that whatever chaos life may throw at me, there's a light at the end of the tunnel, there's hope for tomorrow, there's something better. It's the only thing that I've found that lasts and doesn't crush under pressure. And I encourage you to think about what you put your faith in, or is your life just up to the chaos of the world? I hope not. I won't spoil Theo's choice in this film. I want all of you to enter that experience on your own. This is a powerful and moving film, and one with so many more great themes and ideas in it! It's a true masterpiece in my mind and I encourage all of you to check it out! I hope you all have a wonderful day and that your life is full of faith.
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Austin VincentJust a guy with a passion for film and Jesus who's trying to show that He can be found in our creative endeavors. Archives
November 2018
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