Analyse How a Director Uses ONE Or More Techniques in ONE Scene to Manipulate the Emotions

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Explanation

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Why

Analyse how a director uses ONE or more techniques in ONE scene to manipulate the emotions of the viewer.

In Children of Men, Cuaron uses Biblical allusions to affect the emotions of the viewer in the birth scene.Because no baby has been born for 18 years there are very clear links to be made with the birth of Jesus as both births can save the world.Firstly, the baby is born in unsanitary conditions in a hastily arranged room, just like Jesus’ birth in the Bible.There is no one to help apart from Theo. He is similar to Joseph in that he is not the actual father of the baby and he is barefoot.The emotions of the viewer are manipulated so that they feel hopeful that the birth of Kee’s baby will change the world for the better.These viewers have been exposed to the awfulness of Cuaron’s world –riots, discrimination, suicides and this birth can change everything. Cuaron did this because he wanted the viewer to feel as though hope can become a reality.Hope is the emotion that is being manipulated.

How does ONE scene contribute to your understanding of themes.

Diagetic sound in the film contributes largely to the understanding of the theme that even though the future seems bleak miracles can happen.The sounds are blatantly out of place for a regular world which shows that chaos has erupted.In the hotel room where Kee is giving birth there is the sound of a riot taking place outside and large groups of dogs barking can be heard.With these sounds being barely significant to the scene, Cuaron included it in the scene to remind viewers that even though the world is still collapsing, a miracle is happening.The sounds diminish as the baby is being born and are replaced by the uplifting non diegetic music. This shows that this birth is truly a miracle.