Despite a plot that involves extraterrestrial contact, advanced alien weaponry, and humans transforming into monsters via DNA mutation, District 9 is at its heart a small, science-fiction film in the tradition of The Fly and 28 Days Later. In other words, it has more in common with Alien than it does with The Island. While the trailers have been teasing scenes of destructive and explosive action in the tradition of some of the worst of Michael Bay, director Neill Blomkamp is a much more skilled action director because he never lets the action overpower his characters. His ability is much more aligned with Peter Jackson, who is listed as a producer. Jackson’s skill is his ability to manage action, both the big as well as the small. It is something Blomkamp handles well and continues a tradition of action directing that is more common to some of the greats: James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, and John McTiernan.
First off, District 9 has a terrific setup that is rife with science-fiction possibilities. A giant space ship hovers over Johannesburg, South Africa. Their alien occupants are trapped on Earth and are moved into quarantine for 20 years. This results in the alien population doubling and living a life of squalor and misery. After a brief introduction by way of a documentary crew that helps orient us to the basic plot, District 9 settles down to tell the story of Wikus Van De Merwe, a man who works for Multi-National United (MNU), a private company put in charge of managing and housing more than a million alien life forms called “prawns.” Out issuing eviction notices throughout the shantytowns and slums where the prawns are housed, Merwe accidentally sprays himself with a liquid of extraterrestrial origin, causing his DNA to slowly fuse with that of the prawns. This leads to an extended chase throughout South Africa as MNU hope to use Merwe as a test subject in order to gain access to alien technology (read: weapons).
Merwe (played by the surprisingly wonderful Sharlto Copley) joins forces with a prawn named Christopher Johnson. Together, they devise a plan that requires activating a hidden spaceship that may help evacuate the creatures off Earth and may also help reverse Merwe’s transformation from human to prawn. While the plot sounds ridiculous, the entire film is imbued with an underlying and not quite so subtle agenda that involves connecting the experience of the prawns with that of the black South Africans of apartheid. It would be wrong, however, to just focus on this one aspect of the film, because in all honesty, I don’t think Blomkamp wants to dwell on it either. Apartheid in District 9 is relegated to the background and provides some historical context for a plot that is fun, but wholeheartedly absurd. But at its heart, District 9 is a crowd-pleasing, science-fiction action blockbuster. In much the same way as David Cronenberg’s The Fly is a science fiction horror film first and a metaphor for people living with AIDS second, District 9 works best when it’s not dissected for its political and sociological messages. Instead, it should be enjoyed as an indie-blockbuster.
The second half of the film completely ignores its apartheid connections and focuses instead on the prolonged and thrilling chase sequences involving Merwe and Johnson, as they are hunted and pursued by MNU agents. The result is an action spectacle that is made even more extravagant through Blomkamp’s ingenious use of seamless CGI special effects. The prolonged final battle is a glorious mixture of Black Hawk Down, The Bourne Ultimatum, and Halo. It seems that the latest crop of summer action films have neglected to provide sequences that were as suspenseful as they were extravagant. District 9 is showy but at its heart, it is a film about ideas. Even more importantly, Blomkamp stresses the film’s humanity. Considering one of the film’s main characters is a CGI creature, the success of District 9 is made even more remarkable.
Richard Saad
© Cinephile Magazine, 2009