My friend brianjphilips turned me onto the film Children of Men & highly recommended it. I finally got a chance to check it out last night; it did not disappoint.
The film itself—though well shot, brilliantly acted, and otherwise well-executed—was actually rather confusing. But I think that’s the point. I actually rather enjoyed the near-total lack of exposition (Why is the future like that? What happened?) and the absolute lack of resolution (What happens at the end? Is the baby safe? What is the “human project”?). While it’s confusing, it allows the viewer to take creative leaps into his/her own imagination. I like that; it’s much like the vibe in Blade Runner.
But the best part wasn’t the film at all. It was the short documentary bonus feature: “The Possibility of Hope.” The series of interview w/ several sociologists, philosophers, futurists, and others (total length: 27 minutes) is incredible. It’s primarily framed on the issues of “globalization” and the rise of ideological dogmatism (both on the right & the left)—and the dangers of these developments. The interviewees raise a number of provocative issues about humanity’s future. I think I’ll use it in class next semester, when we discuss globalization.
You can watch segments of the short documentary on YouTube:
“The Possibily of Hope”
- Part 1
- Part 2
- Part 3
- Part 4
- Part 5
