It’s one of the most memorable scenes in recent cinematic history
Children of Men is a modern classic. Directed by Alfonso Cuaron, the film is set in London in 2027, a time when two decades of human infertility has left society on the brink.
Terrorism is rife, and authoritarianism has taken over. Asylum seekers are interned and Britain has become a police state. It is a prescient piece of filmmaking.
Away from its story, however, Children of Men is beautifully told visually. Throughout the film, the camera follows protagonist Theo Faron, played by Clive Owen. We see what he sees, view the world through his eyes.
But not always. At times, the camera allows Owen to leave the shot, and instead shows us what he isn’t aware of. We are told what he isn’t, an incredibly effective storytelling device that not only informs us of the world of the film, but also of the lead character.
Amongst the film’s all-star cast is Chiwetel Ejiofor, who next appears in the new Netflix comic book action movie The Old Guard, which hits the streaming service on July 10th.
We sat down with Ejiofor, who played Luke in Children of Men, to discuss how Cuaron put across his vision onto the screen so effectively, as well as how they shot that chase scene inside the car, featuring seats on top of the car, broken windows, and a seat which allowed Ejiofor to lean back and get out of the camera’s way.
Children of Men has some of the incredible 'long-take' action scenes ever.
Ahead of starring in the new Netflix film The Old Guard, Chiwetel Ejiofor explains how the ‘impossible’ car scene in Children of Men was filmed. pic.twitter.com/6KpzZZ7D1N
— JOE (@JOE_co_uk) July 8, 2020
The Old Guard available is on Netflix from July 10th.
