It's possible that District 9 might've been a more powerful film if the resident aliens, known as the Prawns because of their apperance as giant walking crawfish, looked like average everyday people. Would it have been a more powerful film? Probably. Maybe the parallels between this film and the District 6 relocation during apartheid would've been more resonant. But would this have been a better movie? More enjoyable? More entertaining? Or would it have been drowning in it's own perceived importance? Frankly, what I think Peter Jackson and Neil Blomkamp have done is create one of the most visceral movie experiences of the year.
District 9 begins with a flurry of images set in documentary style, showcasing the arrival of an alien spaceship some 20 years prior. The ship doesn't attack. Hordes of heavily armed alien warriors dont' come streaming out looking to rule us inferior humans. Quite the opposite, actually. It simply hovers menacingly over Johannesburg. Getting impatient, a military unit is sent inside the ship to investigate, and what they discover are hundreds of weak, starving, helpless creatures crammed into a single room. The creatures are soon housed in government sanctioned "camps" known as District 9, where they are treated as 2nd class citizens and exploited by every side.
A weapons company known as MNU takes over the Prawn issue, deciding to move them to more easily maintainable camp, complete with little white tents that would be inadequate for your son's backyard sleepover. A mid-level beurucrat by the name of Wikus van der Merwe is put in charge of the move. For those that don't know, Van Der Merwe is a euphemism for "moronic hero" in some jokes. Wilkus, played by Sharlto Copley in his first starring role, is a curious man with large ambitions. He doesn't seem particularly hateful to the Prawns, but perhaps just a little too anxious to see how they react to things, to see how far they can be pushed. In this ignorance he is just as bad as some of the more blatant "racists", I guess that's the term to use for them, such as big bad military dude who just wants to see the Prawns wiped out. While in the midst of the relocation, Wilkus is sprayed in the face by a strange alien liquid found in the home of Chris Johnson. Chris Johnson. Sounds like a normal dude, right? Nah, he's a Prawn. But a smart Prawn. He's more like a human than the rest, who are simply mindless workers who live on instinct. The liquid...let's just say, has a dramatic effect on Mr. Van Der Merwe and his outlook.
It's amazing to me that Blomkamp managed to get this film produced for $30M. That might seem like a ton to you and me, but in the world of summer special effects blockbusters it's a drop in the hat. Blomkamp uniquely combines the gritty, guerrilla cinema verite style with Peter Jackson's crisp special effects to make a film that is unlike anything else I've seen. It's a true wonder to behold. The Prawns, which are so monstrous and hideous, could easily be a distraction but they are presented in such a life-like way that they blend seamlessly with the natural surroundings. It's breathtaking stuff.
I could probably take issue with some of Blomkamp's depictions of certain ethnic groups. The actual black folks in the film are mostly wild savages and gangbangers, who's sole desire is to eat the alien flesh to gain their strength. Didn't really bother me. In fact I think the exploitation by these gangs, using the Prawns insatiable desire for cat food against them, is one of the most brilliant strokes of the entire film. I wish it could've been explored a bit further, because it's exactly what would happen if this were a real life situation.
There's a noticeable lack of real insight into the realities of apartheid, but I think that's done for a reason. Blomkamp, himself a South African native, knows that the issue is far too deep for a simple alien film to truly tackle, so why bother? Like the best sci-fi, the social parallels are just one component to the story, but it's not the entire story. We can see what he's trying to say, but does that need to interfere with everything else? No. Could this film have been made anywhere else other than South Africa? Probably, but why would that have to be the case? The setting only adds context and familiarity, which is it's entire goal. It's not supposed to follow reality to the letter. What fun would that be? Let's not forget what this movie is and add more weight to it than is absolutely necessary.
Blomkamp steers the film into an entirely new direction about midway through, and it could be jarring for some. The docu-style of the first half is jettisoned for what is more like a typical action film with massive explosions, and a pair of Prawns raiding a government facility in search of the necessary component to repair their broken starship. It's basically 30 minutes of non-stop action, exactly the type you'd expect from a summer action flick, but there is a bit more depth to it. It's not just mindless action, but I found the circumstances relating to Wilkus's involvement in what is essentially a war between the two races the most compelling aspect of it. The credit for my level of engrossment is a testament to Sharlto Copley's performance. He's absolutely brilliant here, at first a forgettable face in the crowd but then the centerpiece of the action. There are rumors he'll be involved in an already proposed sequel. I'm curious to see how that's gonna work out.
Is District 9 a perfect film? Ofcourse not, but the truth is none of the minor flaws I have with it are enough to detract from what I think is a new bar set for science fiction movies...atleast until James Cameron's Avatar hits. But even then, no other film has been able to achieve what Jackson and Blomkamp were able to with so few resources. Truly a stunning, marvelous piece of work that I will be seeing again and again. If only it were on IMAX. >sigh<
8/10
