Social commentary: One way to put District 9 is "Apartheid with Aliens." It doesn't stop here, though - what happens in the movie are a series of situations that happen in many parts of the world. As a Global Studies major, I recognized a lot of the interactions between slum dwellers and the government. Or them and the people exploiting them. Very much a universal message, though most people do their best to ignore slums and/or xenophobia. The whole first third of the movie is paradise for this. Some of the things that happens are truly horrific. I didn't see anything that humans haven't done to other humans.
Carnage/hilarity/crazy-cool: It's a very, very sobering movie, but sometimes... people explode. Or there is the pig cannon (that must become a meme). And there are so many Really Cool Things...
Characterization/character change: Wikus is, perhaps, one of the most interesting characters I have watched. Very interesting choice for a main character. Over the course of the story, there is much character change/rejection-of-change, and even if most of the character change (or lack of change) is Wikus based... it's still great. Not all the characters change, but some a very intense. A particular man who stays seated, for instance.
Paradigm-changing: Most aliens visiting earth have shiney technology, advanced intellect, and tend to generally have halos. District 9 aliens... not so much. You'll have to see it.
Suspenseful: In hindsight, the movie makes a lot of sense. But during the movie, there's a lot of mystery, and I really had no idea where it was going. Stuff goes down, and it puts people on the edge of their seats, straining to watch what happens next. So please avoid plot summaries, please avoid TvTropes - watch the movie first. Like as soon as you can.
So watch District 9. It's a good movie for people who are not children. If you live in the new BHC, talk to me about it - I plan on watching it again in theaters.
No comments:
Post a Comment