Children of
Men is a dystopian, sci-fi film set in London in the year 2027. The
Mise-en-scene helps to reveal information about the genre and the main
character in a number of ways. Firstly the setting and lighting of the opening
scene depicts the genre of the film. The streets of London are dark, dull and
gloomy which shows the dystopic element to the film and the slightly blue
lighting that reveals the sci-fi element. The lighting also mimics the current
dark, depressing and upsetting time in the world at that moment as people have
just found out the youngest boy in the world has been killed. The tuk-tuks that are
driven by motorbikes rather than bikes, the large screens in the streets of
London showing news and adverts as well as the screens in the office the main
character works in are all props used to signify elements of the sci-fi genre.
The main
character is identified immediately in the first scene in the café where we see
a man walking through into the centre of a crowd towards the till. The camera
cuts to him using a steady or handheld cam and then follows him out of the café
where it moves for a second so the audience can view the outside setting. A
tracking shot is then used to follow the man down the street until he stops.
There is then a 180 degrees shot to move around the back of the man so you can
see what is about to happen with him still in shot. The costume the man is
wearing looks quite dull and dirty as well as his scruffy and unshaven beard
that all imply he has quite a hard, depressing life which he is completely fed
up of. This can also been seen when takes out a flask of whiskey to pour into
his coffee which suggests he has to use alcohol just to feel real
emotion. This is also seen by his facial expressions, which are neutral and
show no emotion, that he is ambivalent to the situation whilst all the other
people featured are seen crying of upset. The only element of make-up used is
when after the explosion, a women walks out holding a prosthetic arm which both
signify an element of danger and action to the film as well. 
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