Cineaste rating: 8/10
IMDb rating: 8.4/10
Story Synopsis:
In 1990, a massive star ship bearing a bedraggled alien population, nicknamed "The Prawns," appeared over Johannesburg, South Africa. 20 years later, the initial welcome by the human population has faded. The refugee camp where the aliens were located has deteriorated into a militarized ghetto called District 9, where they are confined and exploited in squalor. In 2010, the munitions corporation, Multi-National United, is contracted to forcibly evict the population with operative Wikus van der Merwe(starred by Sharlto Copley) in charge. In this operation, Wikus is exposed to a strange alien chemical and must rely on the help of his only two new 'Prawn' friends.
Produced by the director of Lord of the Rings, District 9 seems to have a good start in the market. People start to pretend the work having great budget, fascinating CG effect and well-known casts etc. However, District 9 is directed by a young director Neill Blomkamp with novice actors. In fact, it can be regard as an anti media imperialism Hollywood film. While there are tons of works in Hollywood depict how aliens is destroying the world and attacking human being, Blomkamp has chosen another road. Instead of depicting the disaster from aliens, Blomkamp’s script put more effort on the dark side of human.
Human always engaged with the word “power”, even an ordinary people have his power over others species. The main protagonist Wikus is a typical ordinary people. A white collar who felt confident about his job, be a little bit selfish, cares about his family. It is similar as you and I. When he treats the “Prawns”, he imperializes the Prawns subconsciously. (In the world that the story constructed, everyone was taught to be like that.) The case shows how the power of discourse spreads and works within human societies. People engaged with more power, it shows they use more discourse to control others where other are unconscious about it. It reminds me that there is a Korean film talking about similar issue, The Host (2006). (Interestingly, one of the selling points of the Host also related to Lord of the Rings, the monster in the film is created by the CG Company which works in the LOTR.)
The Host (2006)
In the Host, the subordinate family also be scarified by the power authority while the authority always promtes all the thing they done are good for others. In fact, it works even when the “Prawns” are replaced by any subordinates, other species, things or even subordinate group of people. Like the case in the Host, the discourse works with the subordinate family, which they are caught and separate from the public in order to “protect” them.
The transformation of Wikus highlights the otherization which the director wants to announce wonderfully. Human always make distinction between we and others. Therefore, the transformation of Wikus blurred the boundary between human and alien, it threatens people in the film. The depiction of the otherization issue in District 9 is much more successful than that in the Host. By the way, the director of the Host put more effort on the sensation of the film while District 9 works on the introspection. It is interesting to see two different world cinema talking about similar ideas with different styles.
Another special point of District 9 is that the film is filmed with the style of documentary. Many shots are filmed with a hand camera. It pretends to interview many different people about the issue. (In fact, all of them are actors.) The whole film is made as a documentary about district 9 and Wikus. The use of documentary style helps to bring out the messages. It is also easier for audience to have the introspections about the topics. This style of Hollywood film is interesting, but some hand-camera shot make me feel dizzy. I suggest all of you don’t eat too much before watching the film.
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