Director
Alfonso Cuarón
Leading Actors/Actresses
Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine
Supporting Actors/Actresses
Chiwetel Ejiofor, Charlie Hunnam, Clare-Hope Ashitey, Pam Ferris
Genre
Science Fiction/Dystopian
Language
English
Awards
USC Scripter Award, Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film
Date of Release
22 September 2006 (UK), 25 December 2006 (US)
Producer
Hilary Shor, Iain Smith, Tony Smith, Marc Abraham, Eric Newman
Setting and Context
Great Britain in the year 2027. The world is in shambles because of an infertility crisis that struck humanity nearly twenty years before, rendering the entire species incapable of reproduction.
Narrator and Point of View
The film does not have a narrator, but the story follows the protagonist, Theo Faron, played by Clive Owen.
Tone and Mood
The film has a dark mood and an urgent tone, as war between mistreated refugees and the totalitarian British government brews. In this context, Theo attempts to get Kee, the world's first pregnant woman in more than eighteen years, to safety with the Human Project.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Theo Faron is the protagonist. There are numerous antagonists, most importantly the British government and Luke, leader of the Fishes rebel group.
Major Conflict
In a country constantly on alert for illegal immigrants, Theo must escort Kee, a young refugee woman who is miraculously pregnant, to the coast to meet the Tomorrow, a hospital ship that will escort her to the Human Project group dedicated to finding a cure for infertility.
Climax
The film's climax occurs when Theo and Kee are at Bexhill. During their day there, a battle breaks out between the British government, the fugees, and the Fishes, and in the midst of this Kee gives birth to her daughter and must reach the designated meeting point in time to board the Tomorrow.
Foreshadowing
N/A
Understatement
N/A
Innovations in Filming or Lighting or Camera Techniques
This film makes heavy use of long takes, which is a type of filming technique where a single camera shot is used to capture an entire scene. In most film scenes, multiple shots of different lengths and angles are pieced together. Cuarón has said he uses this technique to make certain scenes feel raw and more real.
Allusions
The film's depiction of a totalitarian British government, complete with screens around the city that display propaganda, hearkens recognizably to George Orwell's famous dystopian novel 1984.
Paradox
N/A
Parallelism
Kee's parenthood is meant to parallel Theo's own twenty years before; she even names her daughter Dylan, the same name that Theo's son was given.
