On the tails of one of the worst movies of the summer, and one of the worst science fiction films I have seen in years, comes a breath of fresh air. Simply put, District 9 gobbles up and blows to bits the lackluster film G.I. Joe. For those daring to see the two films, you will see unfortunately what science fiction has become in G.I. Joe, and what it used to be in all of its amazing glory in District 9. This film directed by Neill Blomkamp reflects on his childhood in South Africa, a reminder of horror from the years of apartheid, but also a haunting revelation that prejudice, hatred, and lack of compassion still exist.
Since I am into comparisons today, I will discuss the special effects. It seems as if many movies are driven on visual, especially CGI, effects. Unfortunately in many of those stories we lose the concept of story; it is as if what we are seeing onscreen has as much nutritional benefit as a candy bar from the grocery store checkout stand. Yet somewhere, even though we enjoy the candy, we know there is a gourmet meal awaiting us that would cause us to reflect on the great Julia Childs (just for instance!). District 9 is such a film; we may enjoy the candy, may even prefer the candy, but once we bite into that wonderful full-course meal, we like to stay seated around the table because not only has the food been exquisite, but the time, company, and surroundings have been life-touching. Many may not like a full-course meal as much as a Snickers bar, but the truth is, we all know the well-balanced meal is better for us.
District 9 never forgets what it is, even with its unique presentation. The movie starts off in what appears to be a documentary, following the lines of many recent films such as Quarantine, The Blair Witch Project, Cloverfield, and others. Yet it transforms quickly from what appears to be a news broadcast into a full-blown motion picture that flows and draws the viewer in, in epic proportions. The largely unknown cast helps bring this perspective to a point of reality, while there are more than enough gross-out moments of blood, gore, and brutality that help drive home the horror of oppression. We also see aliens, referred to as Prawns in all their glory, in all their oppression. I won’t tell you what role they take, but what I will say is don’t go into the film expecting some lackluster CGI-driven effect movie without story, without intent to challenge your brain to think outside the box.
Technically District 9 is near perfect, from the direction of Blomkamp to the use of sound, cinematography, a haunting concept, and brilliant acting from a cast, many of whom have never acted. This includes the leading role of Wikus played brilliantly by Sharlto Copley, who takes on everything in this movie. He plays the part of an insecure happy-go-lucky guy recently promoted on his job to oversee the transfer of the District 9 a refugee camp for aliens, who arrived some 20 years earlier, to a place outside of the Johannesburg city limits. We see him go through every gambit of emotion and ultimately develop to a sort of superhero figure while all along the way displaying deep human emotion over a fascinating 2 hours.
Wikus ultimately becomes both human and alien. He ultimately has the ability to bring about change and instead of running from his responsibility to redeem the poor, stand up for the unjust, and be an instrument of salvation, he takes on the challenge, but at a great cost. We see displayed onscreen a true Messiah figure who brings about deliverance in the manner of Jesus Christ. In that process we see the importance and reminder for each of us; we see the attempt to provide salvation, a transfiguration and a deliverer of the poor.
I don’t know the intent of Blomkamp in his writing and direction of District 9, but there are ample spiritual reminders that seem to resemble awful closely the historical figure of Jesus Christ. What we see is bloody, violent, and heartbreaking, so don’t think this is your average Sunday-school savior portrayed on screen. But one of the beautiful aspects of quality and real science fiction is that it draws from real experience and real knowledge to portray spiritual truth, whether the oppression of the poor, the need to stand up and speak out against atrocities that plague society, unjust governments, overly aggressive militaries, or any other form of atrocity you can think of that exists in society.
This is a special kind of film. It respects the origins of its style, involves the best of all worlds, including special effects, quality acting, and thank goodness, a great story. I will see this film again, likely in the theaters to experience again one of the closest things to a perfect film this summer. I hope the movie brings people back to a point of reality, a prime example of how a movie can incorporate entertainment, special effects, and more while at the same time providing meaning to the moviegoing experience. This is certainly an early Oscar© contender for 2010.
I only hope science fiction fans give it a chance. The entertaining marketing campaign for the movie will get them into the seats early on, and the reviews and word of mouth hopefully keep it going beyond that. This is a great film, addressing serious issues during a time when we could use reminders of all that is going on around us, from aggressive politicians who care little about the people, to a society ignoring the needs of the poor, including those in need of health care, and a society where we justify the doing of harm to others based on our own individual needs. District 9 will take you beyond an I-don’t-give-a-damn attitude, to a place where maybe, just maybe, we can consider which side of the fence we stand on, a me-versus-them attitude or a place where we consider taking on care for the poor and less fortunate amongst us. Of course, in a society where individuals have become God which can establish their own set of guidelines, we run into the risk of seeing the danger of doing nothing. I can only hope and pray that the society we largely see in District 9 is not a true representation of who we are.
In a closing note, today I don’t have a lot of hope as I see a community of people in Wichita Kansas opposing the development of a new center in Wichita to feed the homeless. It seems as if they would rather have the liquor stores in their communities and have nothing to do with helping the poor by the establishment of an additional feeding program for the homeless because it will make their neighborhood look bad. I guess we all live in our own Johannesburgs; we all have a part of an apartheid system where we can stand around and do nothing. May God help us all!
On a scale of 1 – 10 for the near perfection I give a very enthusiastic 9 for District 9.
August 16th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
I think I have to agree very much with this review. I was totally blown away by the end of the movie. I told my friend I saw this movie with that it reminds me of how movies used to be: good. I also give this movie a 9/10.
August 16th, 2009 at 7:49 pm
I got lost in places trying to fit together all the pieces of this film. The special effects and surround sound were great … but what really MADE this movie was the fantastic performance by actor Sharlto Copley. He beautifully improvised many of his lines while carefully transforming his character from a nerd into a super hero.
August 16th, 2009 at 7:54 pm
I was reminded of a pre Damascus and post Damascus Paul. First he is persecuting the Prawns then he is seeking refuge among them. At one point neither side trusts him until…
Great stuff!
August 17th, 2009 at 8:17 am
Thanks Jack, kind of ironic, 2 of us give District 9 a 9.
Dick, I think part of it is the style of film, it is one of the reasons I want to see the film again. The greatness of the acting job is even more amazing when considering it was his first job at acting.
Fred, great point which I hadn’t thought of, very good observation and I agree.
August 21st, 2009 at 8:27 pm
How bad is the language? My very sci-fi oriented 14 year old daughter wants to see this film but I am just not sure.
August 21st, 2009 at 8:50 pm
krista,
We don’t normally provide specifics on “content” here since so many other sites provide this. If you are looking for specifics about language, sexual and violent content, etc., try this link: http://www.pluggedinonline.com/movies/movies/a0004776.cfm
August 23rd, 2009 at 6:22 am
I agree with Mark, I would say that it is a R rated film, that says something, I would also state, that unless a sheltered 14 year old, they have already heard everything that is in the movie. I don’t recall the language that much because the movie is so good.
August 23rd, 2009 at 4:53 pm
Wow. I just saw District 9 last night, and loved it. Echoes of Aliens (eggs), The Fly (transformation), and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (the mothership over Johannesburg is an iconic image that will stay with me). Like all great films, the story of the characters drives it. My observation is this: the story is about the human characters, but also just as much about “Chris Johnson” (the main Prawn character) as a leader/savior of his people. Question for the discussion: is there significance to his name? [Christopher = Christ-bearer; Johnson = Gift from God + the Son of(John+son)…which also echoes the name of the city.] In this case, I think there are multiple “saviors” in the film - which is a good reminder that none of us ever has to go it alone. We have our families, friends, neighbors, and communities of faith around us.
August 24th, 2009 at 7:27 am
Great points John and thanks for bringing them up. I agree that Chris Johnson (Christ Jesus) is also a key figure in the movie, and in some ways, one of the key characters that many of us, “humans” just don’t think that much about.
August 31st, 2009 at 1:34 am
There’s a heck of a thought - seeing Wilkus and Christopher as two distinct pictures of Christ. One as the suffering sacrifice, the other as the ascended savior who goes to prepare a place…but will be coming back. I’d totally missed that.
As much as I enjoyed the movie I did feel that the language and violence were over the top and failed to add anything to the story. Mike’s comment about showing the ‘horror of oppression’ just rings hollow for me and I see that aspect of the movie, violence that felt pointless and gratuitous, to be a significant flaw.
That aside though - what a fantastic movie!