Children of Men

Story Anatomy and Analysis Forms

(captions on photos best viewed on a desktop or tablet)

1. Act Structure Overview

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1.1 Act Structure Details and Captions

Act 1 | Setting

In the year 2027 the world has lost their youngest person at the age of 18. No new humans have been born. Britain seems to be the only country “soldiering on” while deporting illegal immigrants.

Conflicts

Social - Human race stopped breeding. Suffers from infertility.

Inner Personal - Theo is apathetic and is careless about the human race. This belief system came from his own personal loss.)

Act 1 | Protagonist - Theo Faron

Divorced, single, apathetic. Turns to smoking and drinking when things get emotionally tough.

Want - Live out life through his vices.

Need - To redeem his belief system of life is worth living.

Belief system - World went to shit even before the infertility crisis. What’s the point of continuing the human race. (Nihilistic)

Act 1 | Protagonist - Jasper

Political Cartoonist who cares for his wife and the well being of humans.

Act 1 | Protagonist - Julian

Mother of the child whom her and Theo lost.

Want - Transit papers for a girl who is a refugee.

Act 1 | McGuffin - Kee and Baby

Want - To get to the boat called Tomorrow.

Act 1 | Antagonist - Fish lead by Luke

Want - To use the baby as the flag for the Uprising.

Luke, Patric, Simon, Rado, Tomasz, etc…

*Julian, the original leader was conspired against and killed by Luke so that they could use the baby for political reason for the Uprising.

Act 1 | Antagonist - Infertility

The crisis that has spread across the world preventing humans from procreating.

Act 1 | Inciting Incident

Julian offers Theo the opportunity to help her get transit papers for a refugee.

Act 1 | Inciting Incident - Reluctance

Thinking he’ll get more money out of it due to him having to accompany Kee there, Theo negotiates.

Act 1 | Break

After negotiating more money for having to escort the female, he seemingly is denied until an older lady shows him the lost dog paper. He then wrestles with cashing in his money, finishing his beer vs following the old lady, ultimately chasing her down having made a choice. I see this as he is still valuing his vices over helping someone else.

Questions Proposed

Will Theo care again for the human race?

Will Kee and her baby get to the boat Tomorrow?

Will infertility cease to exist?

Act 2 | Start

Their trip to get Kee to the coast has started.

Act 2 | Midpoint Reversal

The place they have been trying to avoid this whole time is exactly where they plan on going to get where they need to be. They are going to break into prison.

The path that they were previously on was lead by Luke (evil) who shot Jasper and sought their own political power through the baby of another.

Act 2 | All is Lost

On the personal level, Theo has lost his son, his ex-wife, his father and mother figures (Jasper and Janice). His entire ordinary world is gone.

On the social level, In the next scene, the empty disintegrated school and dialogue represents the loss of all the children.

Act 2 | Dark Night of the Soul

The emotional reaction of the characters after finding out everything they have been working towards or holding on to is gone.

Jasper seemed to be the last piece of Theo’s previous world that existed…he has now lost everything he once had.

Act 2 | Break

The birth of Kee’s baby breaks the action of Act 2 and redirects them having to plan out a new path to get to the boat.

Act 3 | Start

After having the baby, their lives are still at risk in the refugee camp and is escalated by the incoming bombs from Britain and the Fishes return.

Act 3 | Crisis

Will Theo care again?

After the fish group captures Kee, Theo is challenged to risk himself to save Kee and her baby.

Act 3 | Climax

Yes, Theo cares again.

Theo risks his life going into the building to save Kee and her baby, while doing so gets shot by Luke.

Act 3 | Crisis/Climax

Will the baby bring about peace?

Yes, the baby brought about peace.

Once the larger scope of society hears the cry of the baby, it brings peace, just what Luke thinks it wouldn’t because he’s focused on his dignity.

Act 3 | Crisis

Will the Tomorrow boat come?

While in the row boat, Kee worries about the Tomorrow boat not coming, Theo’s faith stays strong and he tells her to trust him.

Act 3 | Climax

Yes, Tomorrow arrives.

Theo beat out chance with his Faith.

Act 3 | Crisis/Climax

Will infertility cease to exist?

Yes, the birth of new babies will continue.

We hear the sound of children laughing again.

2. Theo’s Hero’s Journey Overview

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2.1 Theo’s Hero’s Journey

Ordinary World

What is their normal balanced world like?

Having lost his son and separating from his wife, Theo has become numb, non-empathetic or even sympathetic to others.

Call to Adventure

What is the event that calls them to a place that would take them out of their balanced world?

Julian seeks out Theo to asks him for a favor. Theo is asked if he can get transit papers for a refugee girl.

Refusal of the Call

What is the event that they are refusing accept?

Theo refuses to get the papers until he is offered money, of which he needs, which sparks interest in him and the motive to attempt to get the papers.

The refusal actually happens a few times while Theo wrestles with his vices.

2nd Call to Adventure

Having refused a call, what is the next event that summons them to unbalance their world?

After negotiating for more money, Theo is given another call to adventure…simply because he is trusted by Julian.

Supernatural Aid

What is the item that acts as an aid through the special world?

This is a hard one to discern, but the way I see it is, Julian’s belief is what motivates them through into the special world and it is her trust and belief in Theo that keeps him going through. So simply said, Julian’s trust in him is his supernatural aid.

Crossing the First Threshold

What is the event that carries them from their ordinary, comfortable, balanced world to a special, uncomfortable, unbalanced world?

This is the very beginning of Crossing of the First Threshold. Theo will be thrust into a world of which he is not familiar with.

Belly of the Whale

What is the event that they go through that represents them being born into the special world? The moment they are willing to undergo change.

Having just lost his ex-wife, Theo is pushed to his limit, reaching for his norm of cigarettes and alcohol his emotions overflow, he breaks down falling to the fetal position. He is undergoing change.

Road of Trials

What are the trials and tribulations that test the character to prepare them for the next steps?

Not to be taken literal although the road of trials does happen on the road in several films, the need here was to have Kee gain the trust of Theo over everyone else and separate them from the fish group.

Meeting with the Goddess

What is the moment that the character encounters a being that acts out the archetypal mother? That which offers the unconditional love of a mother.

Jasper, although a male figure embodies the mother archetype of which is necessary to care for Kee. Believable, as Jasper has had to care for his wife Janice, of whom he loves.

Woman as Temptress

What’s their intended course and what tempted them off?

I could not find anything apparent that they felt tempted by to turn them off course. The only thing is could sense is when Miriam shares with Theo that it is not certain that the Tomorrow boat exists. This challenges Theo to go by Faith or Chance. Chance would be off his path.

Atonement with the Father

What is the event that the character goes through that challenges them to dissolve their current understanding and challenges them to acknowledge and amend their faulty belief system?

Having had midwifed and held a newly born baby, Theo sees the truth of life again. His faulty apathetic belief system is disapproved and he is challenged to see the world with care.

Apotheosis

What is the moment that they understand and then act out their new belief system?

Learning that life is precious, Julian thought the baby meant peace, and Luke wanted it to save his dignity, Theo has a more complete understanding of what the baby means.

Ultimate Boon

What is it that the character has gone on this adventure to get? Is it internal? External? Both?

In the heart of the fight, between refugees and military, Kee, Theo and the baby emerge. The baby’s cry bring attention to it and quiets those around bringing peace (Ultimate Boon). The intrinsic action by others is peace, where Luke intended to use the baby as a means for the refugee’s dignity.

Refusal of the Return

Having gained this boon, does the character want to return to their original world to update the known with the new known?

To my understanding, there is no refusal of the return.

Magic Flight

Having accepted the choice to return, what is the moment that the character has to escape with the boon?

After confronting Luke and rescuing Kee and her baby, they escape with the boon. Symbolically its the peace the baby brings, objectively its the baby.

Rescue from Without

While escaping with the boon, is their a moment when the character has assistance from others in returning with the boon?

Marichka assists them in leaving the special world and back to the ordinary world.

Crossing of the Return Threshold

What event is the passing from the special world back into the ordinary world?

Kee and Theo cross out of the special world and into the ordinary world, the world prior to the collapse of the human race.

Master of the Two Worlds

What moment is when the character now carries the wisdom from both the special world and the ordinary world?

Having lived both belief systems and acted them out, 1) Why fight for humanity, its gone to shit way before infertility was even a thing 2) Through the birth of a baby, peace is brought about and is worth fighting for.

Theo has become the master of both worlds.

Freedom to Live

Having experienced both belief systems, when is the character able to live freely in respect to that new gained wisdom?

He now has the freedom to live, spiritually, not physically. Also, just because he gained the freedom to Live, doesn’t mean he has a whole life ahead of him. We saw the liberation and free spirit in his face once we saw him show Kee how to care for her baby.