The Children of Men

by P.D. James

“And we want something done about the Sojourners. Do you think it’s right that there’s an edict prohibiting our Omegas from emigrating? We import Omegas and others from less affluent countries to do our dirty work, clean the sewers, clear away the rubbish, look after the incontinent, the aged.” Theo said: “They’re anxious enough to come, presumably because they get a better quality of life.” Julian said: “They come to eat. Then, when they get old—sixty is the age limit, isn’t it?—they’re sent back whether they want to go or not.” “That’s an evil their own countries could redress. They could begin by managing their affairs better. Anyway, their numbers aren’t great. There’s a quota, the intake is carefully controlled.” “Not only a quota, stringent requirements. They have to be strong, healthy, without criminal convictions. We take the best and then chuck them back when they’re no longer wanted. And who gets them? Not the people who need them most. The Council and their friends. And who looks after the foreigners when they’re here? They work for a pittance, they live in camps, the women separate from the men. We don’t even give them citizenship; it’s a form of legalized slavery.”

Ahhh!! 😵😡😠 So, so angry -- I'm shaking. This is an Amazing passage. The movie translates this really really well. It puts exactly this sharpness into visual language. Every way this book hits you in the guts the movie does as well -- as good or better. Cuarón has a very specific way of managing grace in his films, and the way he puts this kind of passage to work is just phenomenal. He doesn't take the piss out of it; in his words "we took it, and we made it more Mexican."