Children of Men cinematography is a work of art

[JimmyRustler]

So yesterday I rewatched this movie after several years and a day later I'm still blow away at what I've seen. I mean, I did remember that this movie was good and vaguely that the camera work was special but... holy fuck.

How the fuck did they pull this off? I mean, this movie is full of extraordinary one shot scenes but what really blew it out of the water was the scene at the end where Kee is taken. Was this really just ONE shot? Or did they somehow taped this together so that it only seems like it's just one shot? I tried to find something on the net that says it isn't but couldn't do so. This was just mind boggling. The amount of planning that must have gone into this is beyond my imagination. It's art.

And lastly... Is it the biggest joke in the history of the Oscars that this movie didn't win for it's cinematography?

 

[demon]

I don't think that scene towards the end was actually one seamless take.

Beautiful movie though.

 

[Bobby Roberts]

Everything about Children of Men is a work of art. One of the top 5 best sci-fi films ever.

I always loved that "(Cunts Are Still) Running the World" was the end credits. So perfect.

 

[the_batman]

i remember seeing behind the scenes video where they talk about blending multiple takes into a seamless looking one.

really beautiful film. that part near the end

Spoiler

where they drag her caretaker off the bus and cover her head with a black bag always gives me chills

 

[Mossybrew]

Everything about Children of Men is a work of art. One of the top 5 best sci-fi films ever.

It's weird I never really thought of the film as sci-fi, but I'd agree it's a masterwork.

 

[hateradio]

Man, I haven't seen this movie in such a long time. I've been wanting to watch something recently, so I'll queue it up.

 

[Blackpuppy]

They are several shots stitched together.

If you watch the one with them in the car getting ambushed, look at the background. You'll notice that the geography impossibly changes.

 

[Trouble]

Lubezki is a phenomenal DP.

 

[Einchy]

The scene where he's trying to not get killed during the battle is one of the best scenes in cinematic history. I say that without a single ounce of hyperbole.

 

[Zakalwe]

It's great. I really like how they didn't try to over sci-fi the world. It feels very much like some kind of warning in that regard, this is a future creeping toward us, and a not too distant one.

Quite a terrifying film in many ways.

And yes, it's beautifully shot.

 

[EatChildren]

One of the best movies of the last 20 years.

 

[watershed]

Amazing work by the DP. I feel he really hit his peak with Gravity. Lubezki is still doing amazing work but COM and Gravity were tops.

 

[Bobby Roberts]

One of the best movies of the last 20 years.

damn right

 

[Dubbedinenglish]

Just about everything in that film is. So many great shots like at the refugee camp when the old people are playing with the baby you see British troops being flanked by militants on the rooftops. Just so much to go with.

 

[Megalosaro]

I rented this and Old boy the same night.

What a glorious night

 

[Zakalwe]

I rented this and Old boy the same night.

What a glorious night

You're so hot to me right now.

 

[| Praxis |]

One of my favourite films. Such a beautiful film and it really nails the UK setting.

 

[the_batman]

I rented this and Old boy the same night.

What a glorious night

i saw There Will Be Blood and No Country for Old Men back to back.. hoo boy

 

[wenis]

You don't get better film making than that film. Not in a long fucking time on every level there is.

 

[Bobby Roberts]

i saw There Will Be Blood and No Country for Old Men back to back.. hoo boy

2007 was a damn good year for having your whole head fucked up.

 

[Bold One]

The world-building alone was incredible, you could feel the mood of a hopeless world going to tatters by just looking out the window and in the background.

 

[nhlducks35]

Chivo is one of the best DPs today

 

[aravuus]

I didn't really like it when I saw it years ago, but seeing how I've started to appreciate good craftsmanship with movies and shows more and more in recent years, I should definitely rewatch this soon.

 

[Jesus Carbomb]

Pull my finger ...

Jasper

 

[| Praxis |]

This was also one of the films that made me give other films with an actor I thought I didn't like a chance. I couldn't stand Clive Owen, it put me off seeing this film for a long time until I bought the Xbox HD DVD player and it came with a choice of five free films and this was one of them. So glad I bought it, even if it was a dead format a few months later and I can't imagine anyone else playing the part of Theo.

 

[nkarafo]

I remember when i watched this movie for the first time, without knowing anything about it.

And i was blown away.

 

[HotHamBoy]

Children of Men: Don't Ignore the Background

https://youtu.be/-woNlmVcdjc

 

[iPaul93]

Agreed.Amazing movie.

 

[Anung]

A masterpiece. It's a shame how prophetic it's becoming. It's like it's being used as a political guideline.

 

[riotous]

My favorite film (along with a few others.)

 

[A Fish Aficionado]

so fucking cool. And they used King Crimson in the soundtrack.

A masterpiece. It's a shame how prophetic it's becoming. It's like it's being used as a political guideline.

Especially when you see European refugee camps.

 

[EGM1966]

It's fantastic film. The single shots often weren't though. They did consistent of very long shots but in most cases multiple long shots clever stitched together to hide the fact. Not that it diminishes how amazing the end result is.

 

[A Fish Aficionado]

Children of Men - Ark of the Arts

 

[Fakeknowledge]

"Thought you said he was suave? Wankers a drunk."

Top 10 film. I remember picking it up on a whim years ago having never heard anything about it. I took it home and watched it with my brother and it's one of the very few films i've watched again immediately after it finished.

One of my favourite bits of world building/detail is that the Geordie, Patrick, sings Blaydon Races.

 

[True Savior]

I mean, this movie is full of extraordinary one shot scenes but what really blew it out of the water was the scene at the end where Kee is taken. Was this really just ONE shot? Or did they somehow taped this together so that it only seems like it's just one shot?

They are taped.

 

[blame space]

all movie scenes are recorded 99% sure

 

[Bucket Mouse]

Saw this at the cinema with a few friends when it came out and we were all blown away.

The scene with King Crimson...Masterful.

 

[Discotheque]

the pink floyd pig shot was cool too

 

[Manny Calavera]

Amazing work by the DP. I feel he really hit his peak with Gravity. Lubezki is still doing amazing work but COM and Gravity were tops.

I actually think The Tree of Life and The Revenant are at least on the same level with Gravity and Children of Men. Lubezki is definitely one of the best DP's working today.

 

[d00d3n]

One of my favorite movies. And yes, the cinematography was pretty spectacular.

 

[John Kowalski]

Ok i take some umbrage with the title, because i don't think cinematography is art... cinematography is the formal aspect of something which itself is art.

 

[Discotheque]

I actually think The Tree of Life and The Revenant are at least on the same level with Gravity and Children of Men with Jesse James not far behind. Lubezki is definitely one of the best DP's working today.

Deakins did Jesse James actually.

but yeah I think Tree of Life or perhaps New World is Lubezki's best work for me. also his work on Ali was so good, particularly in the fight sequences.

 

[jett]

The movie is a work of art.

I don't really understand why it tanked at the box office, but at least Cuarón managed to bounce back. On the other hand Clive Owen cemented his status as box office poison.

 

[Isotropy]

Cuaron is a master of stitching various takes together via CG into a continuous shot.

You can see the genesis of his use of this technique in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - the timeturner sequence, where time starts to run in reverse around Harry and Hermione, as the camera then pans around them, following them through castle corridors, through the belly of a giant clock and out a window over the castle grounds - all in a single shot.

 

[Friggz]

Children of Men: Don't Ignore the Background

https://youtu.be/-woNlmVcdjc

holy shit thats remarkable.

 

[F!ReW!Re]

holy shit thats remarkable.

Check out the rest of that channel.
The nerdwriter has got some pretty amazing vids!

 

[Kodaman]

Definitly. One of my favourite movies of last years.

 

[Fallout-NL]

The movie is a work of art.

I don't really understand why it tanked at the box office, but at least Cuarón managed to bounce back. On the other hand Clive Owen cemented his status as box office poison.

Yeah, damn shame. Such a great film.

 

[DeathyBoy]

I'm sure Clive Owen is great on The Knick, but it's a disgrace he's not getting shit like The Revenant.

 

[Nibel]

I actually watched this very recently for the first time (think in December 2016?) and this shit blew my mind

I was angry for not having watched it earlier and also don't understand why this movie isn't a bigger deal than it is; it rarely comes up in a lot of "GOAT movies" conversations and I wonder why

I must add that watching it was also lowkey terrifying because reading all the news and keeping up with the fuckery on this planet all the time makes it seem like this movie presents a not so distant future in some way