Aristotle/ Children of Men Paper
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Children of Men, directed by Alfonso Cuaron, is a tragic sci-fi thriller that plays with the idea that in just a few years from now woman become infertile. The film opens in 2027, when the world’s youngest person has been stabbed to death because he declined to give an autograph. Theo Faron, the main tragic hero, seems to be living life waiting to die.
The story opens with Theo, watching the news in a cafĩ and then leaves with his coffee in his hand. As he stops to pour some brandy into his coffee a bomb destroys the cafĩ with everyone in it. The way that its shot gives the vibe that it’s not to unusual that a bomb goes off in a cafĩ. Britain, as the last functioning nation, has closed its borders and is engaged in a war between the establishment and a band of rebels who support immigrant rights. This group then kidnaps Theo, lead by Julian Taylor, who was once Theo’s lover and mother to a child they lost many years ago. Julian’s group, The Fishes, wants Theo’s influence to get transit papers for a refugee, Kee, so the young woman can be smuggled out of the country and to get to a rumored safe haven. Kee is the key to the future of the continual existence of the human race because she is the first woman to be pregnant in the past 18 years.
As Theo, Julian, and Kee make there way to the first border checkpoint, Julian is betrayed and killed by the Fishes because they have their there own agenda. The Fishes want to use Kee and her child as a political pawn against Britain’s government instead of worrying about the future existence of the Human Race. Theo and Kee get away from the Fishes and resort to the hospitality of Theo’s long time trusted friend Jasper. Jasper portrays what would happen to the lost generation of people that grew up in the 80’s. Living in the middle of the forest, selling marijuana to a border patrol guard that works at a relocation camp for refugees that were caught trying to get into Britain. Jasper figures out a way for Kee and Theo to get to the boat that they need to get to. He figures out that the border patrol guard would help them break into Bexhill, the relocation camp where the supposed boat to salvation would eventually be. As they ride the sweaty, dirty over crowded bus, which a modern day nazi transportation), they see from the windows people being terrorized, tortured and killed. Kee starts having contraction on the bus and eventually her water breaks but holds it in until they reach a safe house in the relocation camp. There she has her baby.
The next day they try and make there way to the sewers in order to escape in a paddleboat to get to the safe haven but is delayed because the refugees and the Fishes revolt against the government in Bexhill. Theo and Kee have to dodge bullets and grenades ands and tank missiles to get to safety. Theo is shot once but is not terribly wounded. They eventually get to a paddleboat in the sewers and paddle out of Bexhill and into the ocean. They watch as the government sends fighter jets to bomb the city with everyone in it. From the time Theo gets sho to the time where they witness Bexhill going up in flames, Theo’s gun shot wound gets worse and he eventually dies on the boat. The death was quick and unexpected. After Theo dies, Julian sees a boat coming towards them. The credits roll.
Even though Children of Men is considered a Sci-fi film, Theo is just as normal as any other human being. He has no special powers or x-ray vision. He lives a mundane life powered by depression and fear. He doesn’t want to save the world, he just gets by and keeps his mouth shut until he meets Julianne. Theo, the main tragic character, in the beginning of the movie doesn’t have much to live for until finding Julian, someone that means a great deal to him appears and then is torn away which pushes him out of the world of disillusionment and into reality. In the film it talks about how Julian and Theo used to be political activists together and after they lost their baby, Theo lost all hope and the will to fight. Aristotle’s requirements for a tragic character are that he needs to be good enough and brave enough. Theo slowly starts risking his life for Kee throughout the movie. From escaping the Fishes base camp; to dodging bombs in Bexhill, all up to giving his life for the safety of Kee and her child, he deems worthiness of both courage and goodness.
Discovery is the first of three stages that a tragic character must go through before the audience reaches the