American Cinematographer - December 2006 - 69

Humanity's Last Hope
Right:
Marichka

(Oana Pellea)
helps Theo and
Kee plan their
escape from
England's
totalitarian

police state.

ASC

nominee). Children of Men is

Lubezki's fifth feature-film collabo¬
ration with Cuaron,

following Love
in the Time of Hysteria, A Little
Princess, Great Expectations and Y Tu
Mama Tambien.

Children

though we couldn't
from doing it sometimes.
The more I work this way, the more

leads
dangerous encounters with
police and rebels, and Faron dedi¬
cates himself to safeguarding the
first baby in a generation.
Laced with themes of ecolog¬

a

dictatorial govern¬

is threatened

rebels. The
Faron

by a group of
protagonist is Theodore

(Clive Owen),

who is

a

approached by

all somehow feel the

message that surpasses its
entertainment value. "More than

the

specific plot of the movie, what I

like is that it's

to

it's

ex-girl¬

a

future that reminds

of the present," says Lubezki.
political film that says we have
save the world right now, before
a

too

late."

Shot

bureaucrat

entirely handheld with

friend, Julian (Julianne Moore), who

very little film lighting, Children of
Men has a visual aesthetic that bor¬

is

leading

ders

At

Julian's request, Faron reluctantly

started with

an

an underground move¬
ment that is fighting the authorities.

help two fugitive women
move across
checkpoints and bor¬
ders to the seashore, where they are
to flee the country. He soon learns
agrees to

that

one

of the

and that her

women

is pregnant,

companion is

a

mid¬

I realize that conventional coverage
is what makes most movies feel the

timely

"It's

an

science-fiction novel

get away

same.

you

a

coverage, even

ical disaster, media saturation and
terrorism, Children of Men has a

crumble, and
ment

62 December 2006

in itself and avoid the A-B-A-B of

to

adapta¬
by
P.D. James, takes place in England in
the year 2027. For unknown reasons,
women have
stopped having babies,
and as the human race contemplates
its own extinction, society begins to
tion of

of Men,

wife. The treacherous voyage

You go to see a

drama,

or a

comedy,

a

horror movie, and they
same.

It's

as

if

the cinematic

language hasn't really
Many films just
cover the
dialogue without really
exploring the visual dimension." To
avoid
intercutting, much of
Children of Men was shot in lengthy
single takes, which were shortened
in editing "either for rhythm or dra¬
evolved that much.

matic intent. We did the movie in

aversion to traditional coverage,

long shots to try to get the audience
to feel they are there."
One of the key decisions
Lubezki made early on was to shoot
Children of Men with as few movie
lights as possible. "I didn't want to
light the movie, or at least I didn't

with

want

recalls

documentary. Lubezki
that the genesis of this look

on

standard

a

decision

shot

to

avoid

breakdowns.

He

explains that he and Cuaron have an
"A-B-A-B"

intercutting of
opposing shots of two actors. "We
decided to have every shot be a shot

it to feel lit. I want the viewer

feel

though the action is hap¬
pening for real. I didn't want to
to

as
American Cinematographer - December 2006

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