Director: Neill Blomkamp
Starring: Sharlto Copley, David James, and Jason Cope
Released: 2009
Box Office Gross: $115,646,235 (USA)
Throwback Review
I remember seeing the trailer for this film in 2009 and wondering what the heck it was. It followed in the same path as the 2008 monster-thriller Cloverfield where little was released on what exactly the film would be, creating a sense of mystery around it. Not only did the mystery of the film draw me in, but the hand-held type filming and the alien aspect also intrigued me.
Adapted from Alive in Joburg, a 2005 short film directed by Blomkamp and produced by Copley, the title and premise of District 9 were inspired by events that took place during the apartheid era in District Six, Cape Town.
The film starts in 1982, when a large alien spacecraft takes residency above Johannesburg, South Africa. When an investigation team enters the ship, it's discovered that the alien population who were living there were sick. The aliens are confined to "District 9", a camp created by the government. The aliens, called "prawns" because of their visual similiarties to prawns, begin to suffer turmoil and unrest in their new home, along with the locals and South African government.
In 2010, Wilkus van de Merwe (Copley), an employee of Multinational United (MNU), is given the task of leading the camp relocation project, by serving the aliens with eviction notices.
We are then introduced to three aliens: Christopher (Cope), his son, and a friend. They search everyday for technology that provides a mysterious fluid they store in a small canister. Wikus raids the shake of Christopher's friend and discovers the canister, confiscating it. The fluid sprays onto his face causing a strange illness to take affect on the naive human. Wikus must learn to work with the aliens, mainly Christopher, in order to find a cure for his illness, and learns that the "prawns" are not so different from the humans.
District 9 was the directorial debut for Blomkamp, who also wrote the screenplay. He teamed up with the sci-fi and fantasy mastermind behind The Lord of the Rings series, Peter Jackson, who helped produce the film that is so much more than your average alien flick.
Blomkamp wanted the film to have a "harsh, 80s kind of vibe" and didn't want it to "feel glossy and slick". He definitely accomplished this with, what seemed like, low budget effects, but were really the look and feel he was going for.
The film encompasses so much in one story; not only is it a sci-fi film, it has several other themes running deeper beneath its many layers. We see Blomkamp tackle such tough themes as racism, segregation, humanity, and xenophobia. Most films of this genre that try to incorporate other, stronger themes, tend to fail, where District 9 succeeds. This film approaches these serious themes in an almost lighthearted way without ever insulting its audiences.
Aside from the film itself be an amazing feat in cinema, let's talk about the marketing campaign. Absolutely brilliant. Sony Pictures launched a "Humans Only" campaign to promote the film, using similar signs that are seen throughout the film. (A clever play on the "whites" and "coloureds" only signs that were utilized in during apartheid). Sony also created a website, D-9.com, that included: a local alert system for Johannesburg, news feeds, and recommendations, rules and regulations for behaviour. So though they provided these forms of information on the film's topic, they never revealed its plotline. These clever marketing ploys served to provide further mystique around the film.
Final Verdict: See it. This film is the perfect sci-fi film. It's imaginative, funny, clever, full of action, and just thoroughly well-done. It has mass appeal and is highly original. It was praised by critics and audiences alike, earning a Best Picture nomination at the 82 Annual Academy Awards.
One of the best movies of 2009 and definitely the most memorable. It's hard to describe just how well this film is put together so, watch it. You won't be disappointed.
Rotten Tomatoes
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