Alfonso Cuarón's film “Children of Men” intrinsically shows the true importance of starting a film with a memorable introduction. With the use of certain cinematic techniques and mise-en-scène, it opens the audience to the impact that violence has on the utopian world and the characters within it. It transports the audience to a dystopian society through the lens of a handheld camera/steadicam, which transforms scenes into a POV style. It also engages the audience through various forms of mise-en-scène such as sound, color and positioning to show the effects of certain characters' violence. The use of angles also allows the audience to understand the overwhelming force that challenges the protagonist's views on the society around him. The first 5 minutes of the film are essential to lay a solid foundation for the plot and engage the audience. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The opening scene sequence is a great example of using both the cinematic shot and choice of placement within the scene to set the stage for the course of the film. The scene opens to the sound of a news broadcast that transforms into a crowded bar full of citizens watching TV. While all eyes are glued to the screen, we meet our protagonist Theo as he walks through the crowd to order a coffee. This medium shot is the first look at how Theo accepts the violence around him compared to how others do. Little Diego's death shocks the crowd and leaves them immobile, while Theo feels no compassion towards him and goes on with his day. Theo's placement in the crowd immediately marks him out as an outsider. This technique draws attention to Theo and allows the audience to understand his emotion, or rather lack thereof, towards this tragedy. The concept of isolation and insensitivity to tragedy displayed by Theo, which separates him from the rest of society, is a constant theme throughout the film. As the scene continues, the camera switches from a high angle inside the bar to a steadicam walking behind Theo. . This is crucial as it defines the type of shots Cuarón will use for the rest of the sequence. As the camera follows Theo, he looks at the screen which once again shows Diego's death. This movement and POV angle reflect that the camera is in a sense a character within the film, with its own opinions about what is important and placing the viewers within the film. The sudden fraying of the protagonist is important to ensure that the film is shot from a realistic point of view, rather than a synthetic one. Through the use of the camera as a separate character within the film, viewers are able to see Theo's experiences from a different perspective. For example, when an attack occurs in a nearby shop, as Theo takes cover and flees, seemingly without phase, the camera shifts attention away from the protagonist and focuses on the disastrous scene of the explosion. The camera, acting as an independent and separate entity from Theo, emphasizes the excessive violence within the dystopian society, further establishing a sense of numbness in Theo's character and defining him as an outsider. Establishing this type of filming technique allows the audience to discover a deeper connection to the experiences within the scenes. Cuarón uses this technique to accentuate the significance of the arrangement of scenes within the film. Along with character shots, Cuarón uses the aspect of sound to create inexplicit connections to different forms of violence in the following scenes.Going back to the opening sequence, the sound is very thin throughout. Inside the bar the diegetic sounds that can be heard are Theo's voice and above all the television broadcast. Since Theo is the only person speaking in this scene, it strengthens the connection between Theo and the events happening around him. This is followed by the bombing scene which contains a profound example of the use of sound and its interconnection with a form of violence prevalent throughout the film. A bomb explosion of this magnitude within a crowded area like the one shown would likely result in many injured and panicked citizens, but not within this scene. The only voices we hear following this bombing are the screams of a woman. Forgoing the use of any other cry allows the woman's cry to be prominent and long-lasting. This can probably be linked to the violence depicted against women, particularly the importance placed on fertility, fertility tests and how the government is harsh towards women who undergo them. Since there is a great need for a fertile mother, it is implied that any woman who does not meet the testing standards will be fully prosecuted. The immigrants in the film can also be linked to the use of sound to show discrimination, physical and mental cruelty against them. This concept is metaphorically demonstrated in the train scene. As the camera pans away from Theo exiting the train, again playing a character from the film, it looks at an elderly woman inside a crowded cage, speaking a foreign language to the guard. Linking to the extremely long shot of Theo and Jasper walking past the dead cows, a connection with immigrants and cows is suggested. Both humans and livestock are placed in cages for the good of the population, which in return provides a sense of value. That said, both immigrants and animals are limited by their language which allows them to be censored. Finally, the viewer is shown burning cows which could foreshadow the end of the immigrants. Sound is important within this sequence, although it might seem subtle, it has the opportunity to reveal deeper messages that relate to the rest of the film. While establishing multiple visions of violence within this film, Cuarón uses the element of color and shadows to complement them. other. Throughout the sequence, the film establishes this sense of war-torn dystopia from the beginning, confirmed by the lack of color in several scenes. In the long shot of London, even when colors are present, such as buses or cars, they are overwhelmed by the layer of grayness that is vivid throughout the frame. This accentuates the slow deterioration of the country from the beginning, which gets worse as the film progresses. Not only is color used to show the effects of violence on the city, Cuarón also uses the help of shadows to further produce this sense of weariness and doubt. One particular scene that uses shadows to emphasize this concept is the office scene. The soft lighting within the office accentuates the shadows surrounding the office, almost as if Theo's environment is closing in on him. These shadows are later seen when Theo approaches his boss in his office. The over-the-shoulder shot shows Theo's back completely filled with a dark shadow that holds something unknown behind him, as if he himself were lurking in the darkness. That being said, the notion of Theo and the unknown can translate into the aspect that Theo is not willingly open in showing the truth when it comes to dealing with society's terror. It remains constant.