District 9 is a powerful, sci-fi thriller

Insert photo caption or credit here

Neil Bomkamp directs the sci-fi thriller, District 9 a highly creative fantasy drama set in Johannesburg, South Africa in the year 2010. When an alien mother-ship gets stranded in the region, the MNU (Multi-National United) must house millions of alien inhabitants, who are shaken, confused and apparently leaderless. They are provided with meager and abhorrent conditions and after some 20 years, their living accommodations in the slums have become dangerous and unlivable. They are angry, frightened, starving and desperate. They have become a nuisance and constant threat to the local population in Johannesburg, who refer to them as prawns, a derogatory term due to their unseemly appearance with (antennas and claws) and because they are considered to be inhuman or “bottom feeders.”

As rioting increases among the alien population, the MNU is forced to take extreme measures and conduct a mass evacuation and relocation, which will ultimately lead to their extermination, as well as medical experimentation of their bodies. The scenes are graphic and disturbing. This can easily be compared to the “Final Solution,” the Nazi’s outlined treatment of the Jews during WWII. In fact, most of the film is a not-so-subtle metaphor for racial discrimination and abuse, given the setting in South Africa and its legacy of apartheid.

Like many dramatic representations of multinational governments, the MNU is depicted as evil, methodical and callous to the plights of humanity, or in this case, initially, the alien population. Using the aliens for this movie is a creative and smart move. They are after all inherently feared intruders to our planet and are grotesquely portrayed which provides a level of comfortable distance to how they are treated in this film. The catch is how propaganda and abuse by an authoritative entity can justify ulterior motives and eventually even turn on its own kind. The MNU appoints Wikus Van De Merwe, played by Sharlto Copley, to lead the militarized extradition efforts of the alien refugees. Hapless and unwitting, Van De Merwe is an absolute pawn of the MNU with no military experience and no idea of the abuse and ultimate fate of the aliens. He is also clueless as to the other motive behind the MNU, to obtain the alien’s superior defense capabilities for their own use. (To date, they have been unable to use these weapons, as the technology makes them only operational with alien DNA).

District Copley’s performance is amazing and he is fascinating to watch in this character. He is immediately seen as a victim himself: a kind, married man just following his duties and happy to be promoted. He goes about his new assignment with a somewhat enthusiastic joy and vigor. It’s like watching Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther, only instead of facing mild, silly slapstick; he faces ultimate horror and violence as if he were stuck in a different film altogether, like Robocop or Terminator. But later, when his eyes are truly opened to the truth of the evils surrounding him, his ultimate decision to do the right thing provides the grace and humanity to the otherwise, very bleak story. The production values, which include a moving soundtrack, are very sharp, and that is no surprise with Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings) involved with a producer credit. All said, District 9, is a freshly original and compelling film.

MPAA Rating: R