Star Scene

By Ian Gibson

Today it is commonplace to see high-budget, low-thought action movies turned out by the dozen to little effect. This year, however, has seen the release of a pristine beauty eager to break the lackluster cycle. District 9, a science fiction film that hits with a heavy-handed, high-brow “bang!”, leaves the viewer stunned long after the credits roll.

Written and directed by Hollywood newcomer Neil Blomkamp, the movie features a race of impoverished extraterrestrial refugees. Forced into slums in the South African capital of Johannesburg, the aliens have lived at the mercy of human altruism for the last 20 years.

The film’s hero, Wikus Van De Merwe (Sharlto Copley), a square-ish corporate agent tasked with alien affairs, finds himself the unfortunate victim of an odd interspecies accident. As he runs from an unforgiving corporate entity and struggles to maintain sanity in an altered world, he finds an unlikely haven (and a harsh reality) in the midst of the alien populace.

District 9 features some of the most unique and riveting cinematography the screen has seen in years. Using a blend of faux archival footage, handheld camera scenes, sit-down documentary interviews, overhead action shots and much more, the film carries across an immensity equal to its massive story. The CGI blends in beautifully with the more natural parts of the film, allowing for such breathtaking imagery as an alien ship hovering peacefully over the slums of a city.

This film is not all eye candy and gore, though, as it also raises deep questions regarding human nature and the negatives of rampant corporatization. The disgraceful state of the alien’s camp draws parallels to that of modern refugees, bringing into light the disgraceful state of modern nation-building operations.

Villainous acts by the corporations of District 9 carry ethical catch-22’s that are relevant even in our single-species world. By portraying humanity in such a despicable light, the film carries a moral tone that asks the question: “Can’t we do better?”

By excelling in nearly every area of the cinematic art, District 9 moves beyond the stereotypical genre movie and into a realm in which action movies can be just as thought provoking as they are bloody. For this, it deserves to be seen and praised by all.