Review: District 9

District 9

OPENING: 08/14/2009

STUDIO: TriStar Pictures

ACCOMPLICES:
Trailer, Official Site

SOUNDTRACK: Not yet available

The Charge
You are not welcome here.

Opening Statement
District 9 is being hailed as a visionary achievement in modern science fiction, and it’s certainly easy to see why. It is more than encouraging to see an original idea appearing in the midst of a summer full of remakes, sequels, and adaptations. The film achieves a great deal and is a genuinely memorable experience, though it falls just short of being a modern classic.

Facts of the Case
The film takes place in the present day. Apparently, some 20 years ago, an alien ship appeared above the surface of the Earth. News reporters note with some surprise that the ship did not appear over a major American city, but rather over Johannesburg, South Africa. Over the course of those two decades, the strange-looking aliens (referred to as "prawn" due to their crustacean-like appearances) are removed from their ships, placed into a massive camp known as "District 9," and generally oppressed by the bureaucratic forces of a company called Multi-National United (or MNU). MNU has been contracted by various governments for the purpose of making sure the aliens are well-contained and not permitted to dramatically disrupt the lives of humans. After a while, humanity determines the aliens are too close to civilization and decide they need to be moved to an even more restrictive camp in a far more rural area.

The man placed in charge of this process is Wikus (Sharlto Copley), a bumbling pencil-pusher who got the job due to the fact that he is married to a well-connected woman. The process of serving eviction notices to the aliens proves to be an incredibly difficult one, and during the process several of Wikus’ men are injured or killed (the aliens suffer even greater losses at the hands of vengeful soldiers). Wikus himself is exposed to a strange fluid which causes an… well, let’s call it an odd reaction. Suddenly the game has changed for the sniveling company man, and the only being who can help him is a thoughtful and kind-hearted prawn named Christopher Johnson.

The Evidence
Over the course of cinema’s history, we’ve seen plenty of films speculating on what it would be like if human beings encountered living beings from another planet. Some have predicted violent battles, others have predicted thoughtful exchanges, but few have been as mercilessly cynical as District 9. You have probably heard the film makes an attempt to draw a parallel between the fictional situation that occurs in this film and the real-life horrors of apartheid, but this is no mournful meditation. District 9 is arguably the most intense action film of the year, perhaps rivaled only by The Hurt Locker.

The film is frenzied and chaotic from start to finish, mercilessly throwing the viewer into a hellish nightmare and assaulting their senses with a potent combination of tenacious outrage and stomach-churning violence. There is no time to sit down and carefully examine the situation, the film won’t let us off the hook that long. Anytime you start to relax, another body (either alien or human) explodes and blood and guts are splattered all over the camera. We feel as if we are witnessing a form of Hell on Earth, a feeling enforced by the fact that there is not a single sympathetic human character in sight. Our protagonist is a decent guy, by comparison to his peers, a monster by most other standards. Watch as he gleefully rips apart machinery keeping baby aliens alive, cackling as they die one by one. He sets a building on fire and grins, as he listens to each little prawn explode due to the heat. All that’s missing is a fiddle.

District 9 certainly assumes the worst about humanity, perhaps rightfully so. It suggests we are a fearful, violent people who would do anything to ensure we remain the dominant force on the planet by any means necessary. Perhaps it is too cynical. I expect there would be a reasonable percentage of people protesting the oppressive treatment of the aliens, but never mind that. The best I can say about the film is that for the first 80 minutes, I was entirely convinced of the scenario being posed. This is a vision of the world so confident and well-constructed that we simply don’t have a good reason to doubt it.

Alas, things change in the final act. I say "change" rather than "fall apart," because from a certain perspective the last act is rather good. It is the most intense sequence in terms of action, providing a genuinely impressive spectacle that should rivet most viewers. However, it also disappointed me, because it wanders too far into territory that feels more like an action blockbuster than like a potential real-life scenario. There is a certain point at which the film starts to feel less like an in-depth documentary (complete with interviews, shaky-cam footage, etc.) and more like a mash-up of The Terminator, Iron Man, and Alien, in terms of impressiveness and evident artifice. It’s at this point I felt slightly distanced from the film, in spite of its superb craftsmanship.

I suppose the film is less disappointing, if approached as an action film that just so happens to contain some social commentary, but the earlier portions are perhaps too good for their own good. They had me convinced District 9 was far more than a shoot-em-up. Sometimes it is, but in the end it’s still a shoot-em-up. I was also somewhat amused by the role the mysterious fluid plays, as it conveniently manages to be several different things in order to drive to plot from point A to point F in quick fashion. Finally, the acting is merely adequate (it’s clear certain cast members are amateurs), though I found most of it convincing enough to make me believe the characters are real people. The most intriguing character is one of the aliens, who has oddly been named Christopher Johnson. His soulful eyes manage to convey quite a bit.

Closing Statement
Despite my problems with District 9, odds are that when the dust settles and 2009 has concluded, I will remember this film considerably more than most. It brings a lot of good ideas to the table and makes most of them work through sheer force of will. Relative newcomer Neill Blomkamp certainly makes a big impression with his relentless direction, and it’s safe to say we can expect more films of interest from him in the future. In the meantime, District 9 is well worth a look. Be warned, it isn’t for the faint of heart. This film kicks your teeth out, shoves its message down your throat, and forces you to watch as the world succumbs to madness. Cue that fiddle music.

The Verdict
8/10

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