District 9: A Fresh Take on Alien Contact
“District 9” emerges as an independent science fiction film, offering a novel perspective on the theme of contact with extraterrestrial intelligence. The movie centers around insect-like aliens stranded in a refugee camp, presenting a unique and thought-provoking narrative.
The story unfolds in Johannesburg, a troubled South African metropolis grappling with the lingering effects of apartheid, known locally as Joburg. A massive UFO, resembling an oil refinery and teeming with alien “guest workers,” hovers above the city. These aliens, resembling a bizarre hybrid of rugby players in shrimp costumes and zombie scarabs, are confined to a camp for displaced persons called “District 9.” After two decades of uneasy coexistence with humans of all races, the area has devolved into a chaotic mix of a sprawling market, the Gaza Strip, and a restricted zone controlled by the Nigerian mafia.
The Intricacies of the Plot
The film’s plot mirrors these complex analogies. On one side, government authorities seek to relocate the aliens to “District 10,” a more restrictive concentration camp. On another, human rights activists have shifted their focus to advocating for the rights of the insect-like aliens. Meanwhile, intelligence agencies are eager to exploit the advanced alien technology, but the devices remain stubbornly inoperable in human hands. Caught in the middle is the protagonist, a government official responsible for the mass eviction of the aliens, who undergoes a transformation into one of them due to exposure to a mysterious substance the aliens have been collecting for years to power their escape.
A Much-Needed Reboot
One of the most significant achievements of “District 9” is its refreshing take on the well-worn trope of humanity’s contact with extraterrestrial intelligence. For the past three decades, such encounters have typically followed either the optimistic Spielbergian model of “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” or the hostile approach of the “Alien” franchise. Neill Blomkamp dares to portray it as a grueling, fruitless, and ultimately disappointing endeavor for both sides. Another notable aspect of “District 9” is its portrayal of historical justice, as the unsettling alien refugees in South Africa are revealed to be the descendants of the insects crushed underfoot in the Verhoeven’s “Starship Troopers.”
A Mixed Bag of Achievements
However, other aspects of the film are less impressive. Unlike “Cloverfield” (2008), which maintains a consistent found-footage style, “District 9” blends pseudo-documentary footage with clearly staged scenes, making it difficult to fully immerse oneself in the extraordinary events unfolding on screen. This is a crucial element for low-budget science fiction films, where independent directors rely on creating a sense of immediacy and realism. Peter Jackson, who produced “District 9” independently, successfully achieved this effect in his debut film, “Bad Taste,” where an alien’s brain spills out of its head, and he nonchalantly puts it back in. The lack of empathy for the protagonist’s transformation into an alien is a noticeable shortcoming.
Ultimately, the issues raised by “District 9” are more relevant to the realities of our world than to the realm of science fiction.