How do you read the final scene in Children of Men? Are we witnessing a symbolic re-birth? Why does Cuaron choose Theo and Kee as the “key” figures for potential renewal? How might the story be changed, for example, if the fountainhead of the human race was imagined as a white woman from a Western nation? What does Kee’s pregnancy (and the rest of the movie) tell us about the power and limits of science and technology?
6 thoughts on “Children of Men–Group 1”
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I think I agree with Danny when he says that the final scene was definitely hopeful but not necessarily symbolic of a true rebirth, or at least that of all of humanity. To me the scene sort of felt like a rebirth of Theo instead of the larger idea of humanity being rebirthed. I guess in a way it is but it feels like more of a small first step as opposed to being completely sure that the world will return to normal. I think this definitely ties in with the general theme throughout the movie of faith and chance (as mentioned by the goofy weed bearded man in that one scene). It’s the idea that really no matter how much faith you might have in yourself and your future, the world might just have a different idea for you, such as the way Theo’s child Dylan died from the flu. This kind of bleak hopefulness is also represented in the last scene through the dense fog. The whole movie, the audience sees so many deaths and atrocities that it feels like chance is outweighing the faith and the fog really portrays this. It’s uncertain whether Kee or the child will even survive but there is that little bit of hope that they will in the end.
I see the final scene in Children of Men as a rebirth, as I believe it suggests a “better” era of sorts for Britain and other countries plagued by infertility. There is hope for fertility through Kee, and hope for a kinder world through the idea of her being a refugee (it will have to be acknowledged by those in power that a Black refugee is the key to furthering the human race). The imagery of a blank slate as Theo and Kee emerge in white fog in the final scene, as well as the sound of children laughing as the screen fades to black all alludes to a renewal and new start for humanity (and for Kee and her baby). Having Theo and Kee as the figures for humanity’s renewal brings into play the trope of “unlikely heroes,” which really tells the audience that issues that plague humanity can’t be solved just by being white, in power, and wealthy. If the story was moved to follow a pregnant white wealthy woman from the West, there would be no point other than it being an action/adventure movie. Cuaron wanted to recognize that the troubles in the movie exist currently, and it’s not just a futuristic dystopian idea. By positioning Kee as a protagonist and forcing the watchers to recognize her importance, it can’t be ignored that the position she’s in happens to people just like her due to the systematic racism and oppressive capitalism in many countries. A white woman would not represent that same current temporality that Kee carries. It really tells the audience that science and technology cannot change or fix the systematic issues we face. Changing those starts with youth, and starts with those who struggle.
Children of Men paints a dystopian but terrifyingly recognizable image of the future where humanity is on the brink of extinction at the hands of social and political unrest and mass sterility. It’s unnerving in its familiarity, from the images of refugee camps and brutal border control to the devastation of late-stage capitalism. Despite this hopeless setting, the final scene with Kee and Dylan in the rowboat does seem like a symbolic re-birth; a hopeful sign that the world will recover. The Christian imagery throughout the film lends itself to this interpretation. Kee’s miraculous pregnancy makes her a Madonna-like figure, and her child is like the messiah; sent to save the wretched. This imagery is beautifully woven throughout the film, from the scene where Kee reveals her pregnancy to Theo in a makeshift manger to Theo acting like a Christ-like shepherd, guiding the mother and her miracle child to safety. Kee and her child are the light in a barren, godless world, and if we are to follow this Biblical interpretation then the world will indeed be saved with this miracle birth. Though we do not know what happens when the scene goes black, the sweet sound of children’s laughter which closes the film seems to suggest that we are witnessing the re-birth of a sterile world.
Cuaron’s choice to use Kee as the vehicle for this miracle birth instead of, for example, a white woman from a Western nation tells us that wealth and influence will not solve the world’s infertility problem. Rich white women from London can pay for as many fertility treatments as they want and still will not bear a child. This shows that human intervention by means of money and scientific advancement will not save the world, and it’s all essentially up to fate. At the beginning of the film we see immense amounts of privilege and wealth like Theo’s cousin’s beautiful home and collection of priceless art. In this scene Theo asks his cousin, “Who’s going to look at all this in 100 years,” to which his cousin responds that he just doesn’t think about it. I think this again speaks to the fact that capitalism and materialism are the problems, not the solutions. Kee’s being a refugee shows that it’s not about status or wealth, but is perhaps up to divine intervention.
The choice to use Theo as the shepherd-like figure who guides Kee and her child to salvation, and eventually the salvation of the world if you choose to view the ending that way, is less obvious to me. Theo is a divorced man with a boring job who tragically lost his son during the 2008 flu pandemic. These terrible events, coupled with the wretched state of the world which he describes as having gone to “shit,” turned Theo into a pessimist who would rather drink than think about the state of the world. The only reason he agrees to help Kee in the first place is because his ex-wife, Julian, coerced him with the promise of money. When Julian dies, Theo truly has nothing to live for which allows for him to abandon all sense of self preservation in order to protect Kee and her child. With the world and his life both in shambles, Kee’s miraculous pregnancy is Theo’s only shred of hope. In this way, Theo is a reluctant and rather unusual hero. However, by the end of the film we see a completely different Theo. The most average, pessimistic figure in the entire film became the key to the salvation of the world. I suppose that’s kind of beautiful in a way.
The final scene definitely felt rich with symbolism for me. The boat exiting through the canal and out into the bright world definitely seemed to allude to a birth. There was also certainly a noah’s ark feeling to the last few moments. Theo’s role as Kee’s protector definitely felt a little white saviory to me, but is necessary in the world they are trying to survive in. I also think he found a really fitting end to his story to die and not accompany Kee onwards. He very much is a shepherd and a protector and seems to see in Kee his own lost child. I think it’s super interesting that Cuaron chose to go on a different route from the book and have Kee be a black refugee. I think that having Kee as a white british woman would have changed the story so much. The racial tensions felt so prevalent and heightened because Kee was also a refugee. While Theo was our protagonist, I think that Cuaron’s tale very intentionally makes Kee the hero. She is the savior. She is both eve as the mother of a second generation of people and the virgin mary but a mother to a girl instead of a boy. I think that it was really telling that she takes on this intense burden as a refugee and a person of color shunned by the government and always at risk of dying at its hands. Kee’s pregnancy is meant to be a sacred and incredible thing and Cuaron wants to express the spiritual intensity and importance of natural birth and life. Even if science would have been able to cure infertility it would have been beside the point, as there is more to life than the mechanics of it.
I found many similarities between the film and Parable of the Sower, notably around conflicts around barriers. In both stories, we saw unsuccessful attempts of keeping poorer people separate because eventually chaos engulfs everything. Disparities between people widen until government structures start to break down. Both stories express concern for the dangers of capitalism that exploits and abuses the worlds most vulnerable people, which connects to the limits of science/technology. Scientific research is fully connected to capitalism in our world, so helping cure infertility only happens when it benefits the wealthiest people. We have seen with covid a huge disparity in vaccinations across countries with the poorest at the bottom of the barrel. Wealthy people try to benefit themselves first. I think both Parable and Children of Men argue for a return to faith and spirituality to create a better world. Lauren pushes seed folk, and the surprise pregnancy reminds me of Jesus and Mary. By avoiding a white woman from England as the character, Cuaron argues scientific advancement can’t fix the infertility issue, but only faith in a greater power.
I thought that the final scene of the movie was definitely hopeful regarding the future of humanity, but I would not necessarily say it represented a symbolic rebirth. Firstly, the future security of Kee and the baby is not guaranteed, especially with Theo dying at the end. Also, the viewers are never told how the baby will be treated by the Human Project, and how his development will be effected. Will he be used for political gain as well, and will he be targeted by various groups with personal interests? One of the reasons why Theo was such a crucial figure in the movie was because he was so devoted to the cause and willing to do everything to protect Kee and ensure that the baby is delivered safely without being compromised. I don’t believe that Kee would have survived without someone as dedicated as Theo, and his dedication most likely stems from the fact that he lost his son and he wants to prevent the same thing from happening to Kee.
Also, I believe that Cuaron chose Kee as the key to the survival of the human race because she has to deal with the dual threat of being pregnant while being a refugee. Choosing a white woman instead would have changed the entire narrative of the story because she would have faced way less challenges and most likely would have received more help than someone like Kee. I think Cuaron is trying to say that embracing diversity is crucial for the future of the human race by showing that the issues of bigotry and discrimination are still relevant in this imagined society. If it wasn’t for Theo and others protecting Kee and the baby, the fact that she was targeted might have meant the end of hope for the future of the human race.