District 9

It is always easiest to criticise films, as opposed to praising them. Such films also allow me to get out my trademark biting humour. Because of these factors it is somewhat disappointing that the first few films I should see as I start writing my blog should all be rather good, and District 9 is no exception.

The film ran a rather good marketing campaign, and for the last couple of weeks or so I have been bombarded with ‘For Humans Only’ adverts on bus stops. I was also aware that Peter Jackson had produced the film, which no doubt helped getting it so much exposure, especially as it was a South African film with a previously unheard of director (Neill Blomkamp). I had no real intention of seeing it however, for whilst I thought the alien/apartheid metaphor was a neat idea the trailer had made it out to be a crude horror film in which I presumed the aliens just massacred the humans due to their maltreatment. I cannot admit to being a particular fan of horror films, but I was luckily convinced to go by a friend.

Parts of the film are shot like a documentary, supposedly some time after the events took place, and this gives a ‘realistic’ feel to what otherwise might have simply been a simple sci-fi action film. It is on the whole well acted, and the fact it is in South Africa immediately distinguishes it from most Hollywood alien films. What surprised me most was the plot. I had been expecting a tense build up until the first glimpse of a horrifying alien, but in actual fact the audience are shown the aliens wandering around from almost the first minute. The fact that they are also vaguely human in shape also means that, as the film progresses, it is easy to feel sympathy for them (a point Blomkamp has admitted was necessary, even if it was not what he originally intended them to look like). After the initial explanation of events (an alien spacecraft appeared over Johannesburg in 1982, and the aliens were subsequently detained in the grotty ‘District 9’) a gripping thriller begins as a human is infected by the aliens and has to team up with an alien to save himself, whilst the alien tries to find a way to return to his mothership. It all sounds a bit run-of-the-mill sci-fi, but the realistic character development, as well as the fast pace of the movie mean it is a step above most films in this genre.

Unfortunately the film leaves a lot of unanswered questions, and was obviously developed with a sequel, or indeed prequel, in mind. Here are just a few niggling thoughts that filled my mind when I left the cinema:

• Why did the spaceship come to rest over Johannesburg in the main place? (PREQUEL)
• Why are all the aliens so ill? (PREQUEL)
• If the spaceship is no longer capable of moving, how does it manage to hover above a city? (this question is more to do with alien technology logistics, but still irritated me a little)
• Why do human rights groups campaign for the aliens?
• Why does the lead character sound Irish every time he says the word ‘fuck’?
• For a film that takes its inspiration from apartheid, and especially the relocation of black people from District 6 in Cape Town in 1966, why does it portray Nigerians as criminals, prostitutes and witch doctors? (In fairness I do not believe this was intentional xenophobia on the part of the filmmakers, but is nonetheless unfortunate).
• Why is the child alien so smart?
• Why does Wikus (the main character) insist on calling the main alien Christopher Johnson, when the humans gave him that name?
• Does Christopher Johnson (sorry…) save his race? SEQUEL
• Does Wikus ever turn back into a human? SEQUEL

Even with all these hanging queries I found the film to be highly enjoyable, and would most definitely recommend it. Hopefully the next film I see will be awful…