Analysis and Review of The Film District 9

Summary of District 9

The film District 9, directed by Neil Blomkamp, recounts the story of Wikus Van De Merwe's transformation from human to an alien prawn. Wikus, played by Sharlto Copley, is an MNU officer in Johannesburg, South Africa. Wikus works with the aliens that were accidentally stranded on Earth. After accidentally landing on Earth, the aliens take refuge in a small township known as District 9. Wikus leads a team tasked with evicting the aliens and relocating them to a more 'improved' district. During a routine eviction run, Wikus stumbles into a home containing alien weaponry. Wikus comes in contact with a foreign liquid, sprays his face with it, and then begins to develop cold-like symptoms. After 30-plus hours of exposure, he gradually begins to turn into an alien prawn. With the help of Christopher, a prawn, they embark on a quest for a cure to change Wikus back to human. Unfortunately, the cure is unattainable on Earth, and Christopher needs to return to his home planet. The journey back is estimated to take three years, ultimately leaving Wikus on Earth mutating into a prawn and unable to be with his wife.

Analysis and Review of The Film District 9

The director wanted his audience to learn the surrealism of racism between the two groups of species. In the film, we take an in-depth look at the lifestyle the alien prawns were given. They were promised an adequate lifestyle, but in return, received a slum community. In a scene, we see how the prawns are excluded from public places, like restaurants. One could say that it felt familiar to the times of segregation. Their homes can be compared to concentration camps that housed innocent people. The social and cultural discriminations presented in the film feel relevant today. The prawns were mistreated and looked upon as vermin by the African residents living nearby. During the eviction scene, many prawns were killed because they wouldn't agree to leave their homes or because they seemed threatening. Blomkamp uses these two distinct groups to highlight the discrimination that occurs when one group feels superior. During the expedition to find the cure, Wikus and Christopher discover a lab with prawns. The prawns are being tested and examined like animals by scientists. This reveals the ethical concerns of scientific experimentation and the dehumanization of beings considered 'other'.

I absolutely loved the acting in the film. Sharlto Copley was brilliant in portraying a bureaucrat who loved his job and wife. I enjoyed seeing Copley take the character through a journey of self-discovery and redemption. At the beginning of the film, Copley shows prejudice against the prawns. However, as he begins to turn into one of them, he experiences firsthand the hate and humiliation they face daily. His transformation into them leads him through obstacles that he must overcome. For example, when the government discovers his abnormality, they want to test him. He is considered a medical artifact, and they want to use him as research. Copley's acting comes through the screen loud and clear. He makes the audience feel sympathy for him and concern. When he is persecuted, we see the fear and anguish in Copley's eyes and attitude. By the end of the film, Copley matures and feels compassion for the prawns. He demonstrates growth in the character from a loving family bureaucrat to a compassionate hero. Copley's acting is like a rollercoaster that leaves the audience inspired and captivated.

References

Blomkamp, N. (Director). (2009). District 9. TriStar Pictures.