Culture Blues

Film: District 9

District 9 arrives with a lot of hype and probably even more mystery surrounding it. Marketing for the film has been creative and ubiquitous, but it hasn’t given us much idea what to expect.

The marketing, instead, focused on the premise. An alien spaceship has appeared over Johannesburg, South Africa and us scared and reactionary homo-sapiens have decided to fence the aliens off in a squalid ghetto. As far as cold and xenophobic responses go, this one is pretty rational. Did I mention the aliens have extremely destructive and portable weapons that only their hands can operate?

The similarities to Apartheid (and lots of other bad racist stuff) are intentional and, ultimately, not essential. District 9 is clearly interested in promoting some sort of “equality” ideal, but it’s hardly the focus of the movie. Instead, District 9 is more interested in satirizing and demonizing massive, military-like corporations, and killing people in bloody and explosive ways. As the movie progresses, it starts to get pretty silly, but that really doesn’t hinder enjoyment. Neither does the fact that the movie begs compassion for the aliens while it joyously blows humans to pieces and splatters blood and brain matter all over the camera lens – although it is a bit puzzling.

District 9’s protagonist, Wikus Van De Merwe (Sharlto Copley), is an unexceptional and insecure man who does little early on to endear himself to the audience. Part of the magic of District 9, though, is that you’ll be hard-pressed to find someone who isn’t rooting for him by the end of the film. The filmmakers wisely stay away from simply turning him in to a bad-ass hero. Nothing he does during the film contradicts the first impression we have of him. Rather than changing, he becomes sympathetic in spite of his shortcomings.

District 9 takes a very complex world and tells us a very simple story. The jokes are funny, the action is exciting and the special effects are impressive and integrated into the film extremely well. Hopefully, there will be a sequel and hopefully it will explore this world in a bit more depth.