10 Movie Scenes That Do So Much Without Actually Saying Anything
2. The Ceasefire - Children Of Men
Alfonso Cuarón's masterful sci-fi thriller Children of Men revolves around a dystopian future where 18 years of infertility leaves the human race on the brink of extinction.
But hope abounds in Kee (Clare-Hope Ashitey), the only pregnant woman on Earth, who protagonist Theo (Clive Owen) attempts to get to safety at all costs.
Late in the film Kee gives birth, shortly before war breaks out between the British military and immigrant-rights faction the Fishes.
The Fishes eventually capture Key and her baby, though Theo infiltrates the area and rescues her. As they make their escape, the surrounding soldiers on both sides hear the cries of Kee's baby, bringing the raging war to a brief, sudden standstill.
It's a mesmerising sight, watching dozens of gun-totting soldiers stopped in their tracks as they stare with wonder at a newborn baby, something they haven't seen in almost 20 years.
Yes, technically do hear a few of the soldiers shout and grunt throughout the scene, but it's almost entirely wordless and all the more powerful for it in confirming what the absence of new life has meant for humanity.
The scene finally hammers home both the best and worst aspects of human nature, because as soon as Kee and her baby are clear of the area, the gunfire and explosions start once again.
But just before our #1 pick, in case you're one of the three people on the planet who hasn't yet seen Spider-Man: No Way Home, the next page will contain MAJOR SPOILERS for the film...