District 9 (2009) - Film Review
Starring: Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope & David James
Screenplay: Neill Blomkamp & Terri Tatchell
Directed By: Neill Blomkamp
Certificate: 15
The
release of District 9 was fortunate enough to be
accompanied by an extensive and very successful advertising campaign.
Posters reading “Humans Only” could be found in different
towns, cities and across the internet, there was a number to call so
that “Non-human” activity could be reported, as well as
intriguing and distinctive theatrical trailers. The promotion for the
film certainly peaked my interest, and after watching it, I'm so glad
that Sony put in so much effort, as we have what could very well be
the best film of the year so far.
In
1982, an alien ship arrived and remained completely static over the
skies of Johannesburg. Humanity made contact with its first
extraterrestrial race, but nearly thirty years later, the aliens are
unable to leave and have been exiled to a slum called District 9 on
the fringes of the city. Following unrest between the aliens and the
humans, the South African government hires the military company MNU
to relocate the aliens to a new camp. But when one MNU official,
Wikus Van De Merwe, is accidentally infected with an alien fluid, his
DNA starts to change and he starts becoming one of the aliens, making
him more valuable than he could possibly realize...
With
a premise like this, it's hard to ignore all the weighty and fully
relevant social commentary that comes with it, and rightfully so.
District 9 does what sci-fi usually does best, by
taking a social issue such as xenophobia, or the lengths that
companies with a stake in the military will go to in order to advance
their weaponry, and presents it with a unique spin. Given its South
African setting, which in itself makes for a refreshing change from
the alien invasions we're used to seeing in countries like America or
Britain, there's plenty of warnings to be found about social
division, which feels reminiscent of recent films such as Tsotsi.
But unlike Tsotsi, which was more concerned with class
warfare, District 9 features chilling throwbacks to the
past, and to the time of apartheid rule. The parallels are quickly
apparent, with just the title alone referencing District Six, an area
in Cape Town where over 60,000 people were forcibly removed under the
apartheid regime. Even though there's plenty of social commentary
surrounding South Africa's history with apartheid, it also translates
effortlessly to become a universal warning, not just reminding us of
the attitudes and atrocities of the past, but making sure we never go
back there. All this is conveyed through a thought-provoking script
that moves at a strong pace and never allows us to lose interest or
grow bored.
If
there's one area of the script that some may find fault with, it's
character development. District 9 does scrimp on
character, but it makes up for a lot of this with the sheer power of
performance. Most notable is Sharlto Copley as Wikus, and while we
get to see glimpses of Wikus' life, his relationship with his wife,
friends and colleagues, he's far from being the most developed
protagonist. However, it really doesn't matter as we still feel
sympathetic for Wikus and his situation, thanks to the performance.
It's astonishing to think that this is Sharlto Copley's first major
acting role, as he manages to convey desperation, anguish, as well as
the gradual change in his character incredibly well. I also love the
irony that as Wikus became less physically human, he became more
humane. David James also turned in another great performance as
Colonel Koobus, and again while some may argue he was too
one-dimensional, I found myself really impressed by the xenophobic
and even psychopathic performance that he brought to the film.
It's
worth noting that District 9 presents us with a
resoundingly violent, gritty and grim take on the sci-fi genre. As
one person says at the start of the film, we aren't dealing with
aliens that are voices from heaven and bright, shining lights, but
aliens that appear either malnourished or showcase some of the worst
to be found in humanity. Wikus' gradual transformation into one of
the aliens is genuinely uncomfortable to watch, particularly if
you're like me and have a low threshold for mouth or fingernail
horror. District 9 may be a sci-fi film, but it has one
foot placed firmly in reality and the result is a film that still
feels very real. The majority of its first half often makes use of a
documentary-like style (without becoming too much like a
found-footage film), and it quickly showcases some excellent
world-building. Johannesburg is seen covered in signs that say things
like “No Humans Allowed” or “For Humans Only”
and its attention to detail like this that helps immerse you into
this world. Even in the aliens' slum, there's a sense of mildly
ordered society and culture.
While
most people have been singing the praises of District 9,
there's one aspect to it that seems to have been met with universal
greetings, and that's it's production values. Considering that such a
demanding film was made on a budget of $30m – this is an astounding
production. I never thought that being released in the same year as
James Cameron's Avatar that I'd be saying this, but
District 9 is the best-looking film of 2009 so far.
It's a testament to skilled filmmakers that a $30m film like District
9 can be made and looks better than Avatar and
its $237m budget. Honestly this is a film that succeeds on every
technical level, and despite Peter Jackson's name being all over the
promotional material for his role as producer, it's Neill Blomkamp's
direction that makes this such a lively film. The aliens themselves
look amazing and all the CGI work feels very real and has a sense of
heft about it, particularly that brilliant mech suit Wikus gets to
use at the end of the film.
The
only criticism that I could make about District 9 is
the fact that by the time the third act comes along, it loses a
little of that deeper meaning it carried so well throughout the rest
of the film. Even so, I'm reluctant to make this out as a criticism,
because the third act is still hugely entertaining and by this point,
I think the social meaning it wanted to present had made itself as
clear as it could be. Thanks to plenty of (often brutal) action,
drama and confrontations, the desperate race to get back to the
aliens' ship leaves you pumping with adrenaline and feeling
exasperated at the rollercoaster ride you've been on by the time the
credits roll.
Overall,
I really can't recommend District 9 enough.
It's one of the best sci-fi thrillers to get released in recent
memory, balancing deeper meaning with entertaining visual spectacle
and action incredibly well. Aspiring filmmakers should absolutely add
this to their list of films to look out for, as it's honestly a
testament to how modest or even low-budget filmmaking can still
manage to look better than the biggest of blockbusters. This is a
film that keeps you hooked from start to finish and is guaranteed to
stick in your head long after watching.
District 9
9/10