South African born director Neil Blomkamp’s film District 9 (2009) narrates the African version of a sci-fi film story that has great depth. The film features an alien invasion where humans treat the aliens as refugees- in our wildest of dreams. The sudden appearance of a spaceship hovering over Johannesburg, South Africa, prompts a team of human investigators discovers its crew in distress. Unable to return to their home planet, the aliens are brought down to Johannesburg. Over time, the citizens of Johannesburg segregate the aliens, treating them as refugees.
Wikus van de Merwe, played by Sharlto Copley, is the film’s protagonist. He is an agent for a private military company Multinational United (M.N.U.) and he has the task of relocating 1.8 million alien refugees from District 9 to District 10, under the pretence of relocating the refugees to better living conditions. In reality, M.N.U. wants to capture the aliens’ weaponry. Wikus encounters the alien Christopher Johnson, who is trying configure alien technology, and the black liquid needed to fuel the spaceship and leave Earth get back home. The black liquid which was accidently ingested by Wikus. Wikus is gradually transformed into an alien. Because of his transformation, Wikus can operate alien technology weaponry. Persecuted and alienated, Wikus finds himself on the run from familiar surroundings into the safe unknown.
The film flirts with the idea of an alien invasion in Africa. I doubt we would react so calmly about it. The film packs a sterk punch to the gut of our political officials –but they have had 6 years to recover. And stereotypes are played out as well. The film is heart-warming and sweet, weirdly. I mostly enjoyed the authenticity of the film- it was a South African film. I rate the film 8.5 skopas.
skopas & champagne 