A new Direction for Science Fiction: Reality and Beyond Reality

Rating: 10/10 (26 December 2009)

In this new type of Science Fiction story, the universe is NOT a glossy, antiseptic, phony piece of set dressing. The bad guys are very similar to yourself, or to your neighbors - Or to your Employers! The age-old issue, of "The ALIEN" - The "Unwanted" group of people that move from one poverty stricken area to a new even more impoverished area - A people that were even invited to "Live Among Us" by our leaders:
"The New Colossus"
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
And so, taking us at OUR word, these masses of huddled Aliens have moved down and taken over whole areas of geography. But... This did NOT occur in the United States - THIS is a speculative fiction film that occurs in... South Africa!!! And the intruders are NOT OF THIS WORLD. These unwanted visitors are sorely UNWELCOME...
This scenario is roughly - "Take two completely different cultures and see just how much NON-Communication can occur - HOW much abuse they can take until they DO something about it." Well, this film is about two remarkable people, one HUMAN, one ALIEN - Who find a Common Ground.
We also have the situation where the lower classes in Johannesburg, who have been kicked out of many other communities - Because of Intolerance - They themselves have the same revulsion and Intolerance that was shown to *them* - So there is no help there, no "Solidarity" between Humans that have been KICKED about and Poor Miserable Aliens.
This film begins in DOCUMENTARY style - This film does not declare in every shot, "See, this is a SPECIAL EFFECTS Shot!" - Even though it IS a digital effects shot.
The blending of Digital and Real elements - The line is SO thin that it cannot be found in some cases - Even in Lord Of The Rings sometimes the boundary between a Digital shot and a Practical shot was very obvious - that is NOT SO in District 9.
And so, Neill Blomkamp - With the help of Peter Jackson and some of his crew - was able to make this film - Which is basically, "The Fantastic meets the Mundane"
Our "Hero" - Or in this case, ANTI-Hero "Wikus" - Begins his role in this film as one of the Establishment. One of the guys who is DOING the Oppressing. Perfectly Portrayed by Sharlto Copley ( http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1663205/ ) - This miserable piece of Humanity - Who is just like anybody in the United States, England, France, Australia - Has just been "Promoted" to oversee the eviction of 1.6 Million "Prawns" - The Insectoid Aliens In Question - From a Slum/Ghetto situation to a... CONCENTRATION CAMP situation.
And of course, there are a few of these "Prawns" that really do not want to go to the new Concentration Camp- And it is Wikus, interacting with these few Prawns - That starts the Ruckus in this Film.
Now - In direct relation to films like the original Star Wars Trilogy - The Second SW Trilogy - ALIEN - We have these observations:
If you listen to the Director Commentary for District 9, he talks about how the Digital Effects were deliberately de-emphasised... For instance in the beginning of the film, the first time we see the gigantic space-ship, it is not like it was shown in Independence Day, "V", or any other film where a huge mothership LOOMS over a city- The first view of the ship is in DOCUMENTARY FOOTAGE, what looks like a hand held cam.
Same thing with shots of the aliens, they are shown in groups of rioting people and in slums.
However, in Avatar, it was almost like "See how much money we paid for Digital Effects" - Every shot with digital characters is totally over-emphasized. But that is just Jim Cameron- Like in Titanic, he had to use that footage of the real titanic on the bottom of the ocean- Which is confirmed in "Ghosts of the Titanic" when he went down there agin in 2001, right around the time of 9/11 - He went down to the Titanic again and you can see where he got most of the footage for Titanic...
Avatar however, I give the guy respect for BLENDING the digital world and characters he created with the live action people and set pieces - He moved it a step beyond Lord of the Rings.
But between Avatar and District 9 - Avatar is basically EYE candy, I like what it looks like, but District 9 is the most gritty, realistic film I have ever seen- and IF a spaceship went to South Africa, it would be treated similarly.
The ironic thing is that while District 9 was filming, there was a real situation with Zimbabwe - riots and fighting.
Also, the use of those troop transport trucks with the "V" shape - I never knew that was an anti-mine design - and it is strictly used in South Africa by the paramilitary.