Cluysenaar

This could've a call of duty game I read a review stating that the film didn't really know what it wanted to be: science fiction, a rebellious action movie... and I completely agree. After the first 10 minutes, I already knew this wasn't for me, simply because this type of film doesn't really appeal to me, but also because the film tried to be politically relevant but failed miserably. In short, the story takes place in the United Kingdom as a dystopia where infertility prevails and women are consequently unable to have children (and haven't been for 18 years). A small group of activists has a mission to bring a Black woman (who is apparently pregnant) to safety, in the hope that this could be a miracle for humanity. Although I cannot pinpoint exactly what is wrong with the film, I will make an attempt. Little context is provided regarding the reason why infertility is so widespread worldwide. That was intentional, but I think it is important to mention, since it is apparently the women who suffer from this (no children are born, so it could go either way, but since a woman suddenly becomes pregnant, one can conclude that the problem lies with the woman). We must be careful about how we portray women in films, because a woman is more than a baby factory. The film falls short in this regard, because the woman who turns out to be pregnant is portrayed as a kind of Jesus amidst all the misery. One might then wonder whether the film's goal is to promote pregnancy, because it certainly creates that impression. This is quite unfortunate and not as 'woke' as the film tries to be. My argument is not, by the way, a plea against pregnancy; motherhood is something fantastic, miraculous, but precisely for that reason we must handle it with care. It also appears that a law against illegal immigration is in force in the United Kingdom, which contributes to the apocalyptic, dystopian atmosphere in the film. The goal is to warn us about the consequences of the policy that the right, in particular, is trying to implement with a 'migration stop'. I could talk about migration for hours, but that is not really necessary in this case. Initially, I did not understand why this subject came up in the film, because I could not (and still cannot) make the link between anti-immigration and infertility. It turned out that this was because the United Kingdom was the only country with any form of prosperity despite the infertility, and this consequently attracted many people (i.e., illegal immigration). In my opinion, the connection remains unclear, but that matters little. It is true that a mass repatriation of people (even with certain restrictions on migration) brings a lot of misery, but this was portrayed somewhat exaggeratedly. That is what I mean by the fact that this film tried to be an action movie, but that this came at the expense of political relevance, because this is the reality. The concept of 'mass deportation' is topical again, and this is reflected in society and how we view migration, but also in the migration centers/refugee camps themselves. It is unfortunate that this is depicted so intensely, as it creates the impression that this way of working is far removed from our reality. However, that is absolutely not the case, and it is time we become aware of this. Dystopian stories are always popular, but we must handle them with care. In my opinion, this was a reckless attempt at political relevance, even though it was intended as an entertaining masterpiece. Despite the criticism, I am still giving it 2 stars: 1 for the intensely beautiful visuals and the well-created atmosphere 0.5 for the playing of 'Court of the Crimson King' and the reference to Pink Floyd's 'Animals' shortly thereafter.