That's what watching this film made me realize: That complete, relentless chaos is much more terrifying than blood and death. Children of Men shows in frightening detail what utter despair looks like--what happens when people lose all hope, when they've forgotten what it's like to unexpectedly be struck by joy. And I hate to say this, but Jason and I thought the film portrayed more accurately than anything we've seen what the future will probably look like. Not cold and technical and sterile, but an utter return to human nature, almost a reflection of the early ages and a fight-or-flight mentality. Truly frightening.
Aside from that bleak assessment, this film is an amazing work of art, both in its conception and the execution. I don't know how Cuaron did it. The only reason I didn't give it a "loved it" rating, I think, is because I had a difficult time connecting with any of the characters. The acting was good. Maybe Cuaron didn't develop the characters very much in favor of creating the film's amazing "big picture" effects and emotions. Or maybe I kept myself at a distance, not allowing myself to enter the story because it was too stressful and unimaginable for me.