A Gritty Commentary. And Much More.

Rating: 10/10 (14 August 2009)

What a choice to pick Johannseburg as the setting. It really set the stage for a very poignant film on society, while incorporating lots of actions, especially towards the end. It's obviously a statement on apartheid in South Africa, with the aliens playing the role of the discriminated race. It's about how in any society slums develop, how crime explodes, how certain people take power over others and control them (in this case, the Nigerians over the aliens). It's about government corruption and how we have no power to stop it sometimes. It's all about that. And what a backdrop to put it in.
But there's so much more than that. It's also about betrayal, loyalty, trust, relationships, and sheer kickassness. It's about doing what is best for everyone, and not just yourself. The whole movie had a thread about selfishness, which I found extremely affecting. District 9 is about capturing the raw grittiness of all these elements (it frequently uses security camera footage, camcorders, and more), about the aliens, about the humans, about how we're not all that different. Just look at the aliens' eyes. They show just as much emotion.
But don't overlook the action part. It is full of great action sequences, though it builds slowly. I love how the blood splurts on the camera. Yes, it is quite violent, but it's a good for a kick. Some of the death scenes are quite awesome and pretty funny, actually. The war scenes are very well shot. There are many tender and emotional scenes as well, particularly the end. There are father-son overtones as well, and brother-brother too. My favorite aspect of the movie is the grand, epic sense/feel I get when we see the mothership, how it completely dwarfs the helicopters that fly to it. I love the endearing bass we hear ... and feel... when it moves. Great direction. The movie has a little bit of everything, with some very funny humour and a fantastic ending, as I mentioned earlier.
Yes, it's a commentary. But the director offers so much more. A fantastic viewing experience.