by Janet Sandford

Created on: May 09, 2010

Standing in a barn, a man is astonished as he looks down at a woman heavy with child. This is a unique moment - this child sitting in this woman's womb is the only hope left to save mankind. The importance of this divine truth leaves the man weak-kneed and nearly lost for words. He manages to shout out two words and they are, 'Jesus Christ!' I wonder why - is he blaspheming or has this woman triggered a historical memory - a very similar scene that took place in a stable in Bethlehem a couple of thousand years ago? 

I am of course referring to the Nativity story and the birth of Christ. The similarities of this biblical tale to Alfonso Cuaron's Children of Men are very noticeable in the way that a man and a woman take outrageous risks as they escape from powerful, malicious men to find help and safety amongst the poor and humble in the hope of a miracle and giving mankind a special child - a child who will spread rays of light amongst this dark, violent and decaying world. 

But that's where the similarities end. The traditional story of the birth of Jesus was not one that had a bleak and morbid outlook on life - it most certainly wasn't as tragic and violent as Children of Men. 

Cuaron's film is set in the capital city of England and the year is 2027. The nightmare that he relates is not set in a futuristic dreamscape, techno-city or even a gruelling wasteland like depicted in other movies such as Blade Runner and The Road Warrior. Cuaron's bad dream takes us into a world that does actually resemble our own real world and instead of mesmerising us with fanciful gadgetry he focuses on the story and its pertinence. 

Cuaron's image of England mirrors a multitude of modern traumas - sometimes the reflections are vulgar and twisted. The city of London is on fire with the kind of violence you have seen in most war- torn cities but compared with other societies the Brits look to be doing okay. Troubled folks sit and watch TV footage showing explosions, bombed out cities, natural disasters. Bold headings appear next to a montage of reportage from some of the world's disintegrated cities. The universe is falling apart and only Britain struggles on but the country pays the price for its survival. Its government has turned nasty in order to repress civil demonstrations, protests and terrorism. The army is collecting refugees who have fled from their own countries for the safe haven of England. Here we see just how violent and abusive the police are as

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