Movie Review - District 9
A Gripping Tale of Alien Apartheid
Several years ago, Peter Jackson, the director/writer/producer of the mega-successful Lord of the Rings trilogy, was tasked by 20th Century Fox with producing a film version of Halo, a popular video game series from Microsoft. Jackson's choice to write and direct the movie was Neill Blomkamp, a young unknown who until then had only directed some TV commercials and a few sci-fi short films.
When it was announced in 2007 that the Halo production had fallen through, Jackson was still hot on the idea of collaborating with Blomkamp, as he saw a lot of potential in the young director. Specifically, he focused on one of Blomkamp's short films called Alive in Jo'Burg, which he felt would make a great feature-length story. The two financed the project independently and cheaply, and began work on the adaptation that would become District 9.
Strange Visitors Arrive
In documentary-style news footage at the beginning of the film, we learn that two decades ago a massive alien vessel came to Earth and...stalled. It simply hovered in the sky over the city of Johannesburg. There was no aggression or movement of any kind detected from the ship. When the military finally decided to break in, they discovered millions of aliens inside who simply seemed stranded and in need of some sort of help. Unaware of what to do with these strange beings, the South African government decided to create a small settlement for them just outside Johannesburg proper. This settlement was named District 9.
District 9 - The Alien Ghetto
After learning the language of the aliens (who are disparagingly referred to by humans as "prawns" for their lobster-humanoid appearance), and discovering none of them were forthcoming with any useful information about their ship or intentions, the military all but gave up on them, letting them fester for years with little social or financial attention paid, turning District 9 into an alien ghetto, replete with junk, squalor, and even prostitution and crime as local Afrikaner and Nigerian street gangs integrated themselves into the strange community.
In the present day, the military has renewed interest in the prawns' technology and weaponry, which up to this point has been entirely unusable by anyone except the aliens. A private security firm (a la Blackwater) has been hired to quickly evict the aliens from District 9 and move them to an even smaller settlement further out from the city, in order to once and for all harvest and study whatever cool space guns and tech are left behind. At this point, we meet Wikus van de Merwe (Sharlto Copley), a young, nerdy pencil-pusher from the firm, who has been hired to lead the eviction, with equal amounts of soldiers and bureaucratic paperwork in tow.
Refreshingly Un-Hollywood
We learn all of the preceding events in the first ten minutes or so of the film. The parallels to the real-life plight of literally and figuratively segregated members of society are obvious, and mercifully not dwelled upon. The rest of the running time is spent following Vikus' strange journey as he attempts to finish his job, but reluctantly becomes entwined with the aliens' story in a surprising way, ultimately learning the harsh truth about how far the military is willing to go for information.
One of the great aspects of this film is how there is no big-Hollywood reveal of the prawns. They already exist as part of the status quo as the movie opens, so there is no "wow" factor to rely upon for an easy kick here. This is Wikus' story, told in the context of this dreary mini-society that took twenty years to develop (or un-develop, as the case may be). And it's that gritty, dirty junkyard society that oddly enough helps make the movie shine. To see aliens living in filth might not necessarily be new, but it feels so here. Unlike many sci-fi movies with creatures, most of District 9 also takes place in broad daylight; a unique-feeling choice that really allows all the gunk and sharp edges to take prominence.
Sharlto Copley Was A Talent Agent?
Speaking of Wikus, let's talk for a moment about the revelation that is Sharlto Copley's performance. A long-time friend of director Neill Blomkamp's, a one-time owner of a talent agency who's never acted professionally, Copley gives a stellar turn in his role here as a serious victim of circumstance. His character is an inexperienced corporate yes-man who makes some very unlikable decisions throughout, beyond even anti-hero standards, yet by the end we still root for him. Copley carries the narrative weight of the film on his shoulders with aplomb and reluctant charisma that is well earned.
Low Budget, High Quality
Don't be concerned that this is a brooding character piece, however. District 9 is still a sci-fi action movie, with chases, explosions, guns, and gore aplenty. Neill Blomkamp doesn't overuse the documentary-type scenes, and directs the rest of the film briskly and tautly. His intelligent script manages to effectively "humanize" the aliens with just a few lines of dialogue. The great rendering of the computer-generated, yet still authentic-looking aliens complements that dialogue with sympathetic gestures and postures.
What is mind-boggling to realize is that the film was shot for just over $30 million - barely a drop in the bucket by Hollywood standards. It is a testament to Blomkamp's ingenuity, as well as Peter Jackson's guiding hand and effects team.
The Future of Intelligent Sci-Fi
Sci-fi fans should rejoice that such a smart, original, and exciting property has emerged this summer, and should absolutely support it by shelling out the cash for the film in theatres. Films like District 9 and Moon (a review of which can be found here) prove that you don't need to drop an entire country's GDP to make intelligent, exciting, and thought-provoking sci-fi. A hearty success at the box office for these films could send that message, and would only help bring more to your local multiplex. Now let's cross our fingers for District 10.
Sharlto Copley in District 9
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