District 9 – 2009 (Written in English 31/08/2009)

Given the runaway success of ‘District 9’, the film might just start a new trend worldwide – using the f-word with a distinctive Afrikaans/Benoni accent. Met die kappie op die ‘o’.

Well done to South African born Neil Blomkamp for reviving the somewhat lackluster sci-fi genre with seamless special effects, a solid narrative, some romance and a hero named Wikus van der Merwe! (We should have known ‘Van’ would one day become famous…)

Commentary

The film starts with a series of interviews recounting the arrival of the alien ship in the 80’s and then follows Wikus around as he tries to evict aliens from their shacks some thirty odd years later. The social commentary on Apartheid and Xenophobia create a very clever backdrop to what is essentially a sci-fi film.

One interviewee explains we had to help the aliens, ‘because the whole world was watching us’. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge. We had to round them up in a squatter camp and fence them in with large concrete slabs similar to those used for the Israeli West-Bank barrier (that graffiti artist, Banksy, decided to decorate).

Things go wrong and the film jumps to the Xenophobic protests of today. The aliens have infiltrated surrounding squatter camps and according to another interviewee ‘they stole his wife’. The ‘Humans Only’ signs go up and the mood for the film is set.

Special effects vs. heart and soul

Of course the special effects and action sequences are spectacular. Peter Jackson is involved, for goodness sake. Luckily it doesn’t overshadow the narrative or the emotional component. The love between Wikus and his wife and between the alien, Christopher, and his son are the reasons why husband and dad team up to take on MNU.

Van

Sharlto Copley is completely convincing as the bumbling, nerdy Wikus who switches to swearing in Afrikaans when in trouble. Copley also delivers an emotional performance when the plot changes and Wikus has no choice in using a vulnerable and confused alien with a red cross drawn across his chest as target practice.

Homegrown

Watching ‘District 9’ is inspirational. We can create blockbusters. We have the stories, the acting talent, the production teams and the drive.

This film is set in Joburg, it was shot in Joburg (and not Rio de Janeiro styled to look like Joburg), it features local actors we all know, they speak an English that would make Charlize miss home, the two lead characters are called Wikus and Koobus and they say ‘bliksem’ at least once. And international audiences love it!

Un-PC

Some silly critics complain that the film is completely politically INcorrect, that people are stereotyped. I disagree. I find the film bold and refreshing and the politically incorrectness hilarious. In the world where ‘District 9’ was shot the English sit around talking, the Afrikaners are out there swearing and blowing things up and the Nigerians run the gun trade and eat alien body parts on the side. And the aliens? They just want to go home. Like E.T.