Weekly Review -- Civilization semantics

District 9 (2009) -- The science fiction genre has always been ripe with depictions of our own humanity, ranging from symbolic contexts to doomsday scenarios to downright farcical predicaments. Not many of these depictions are positive and, based on the violent history of our race, not many can ever be. Filmmaker Neill Blomkamp considers this notion in his wildly innovative District 9, a film that is both a sensitive contemplation of prejudice and an energetic action thriller. In 1982, an alien aircraft lands in Johannesburg, initially greeted with curiosity and awe, its passengers malnourished and unable to return home due to a ship malfunction. More than two decades later, the aliens are still in the city, surviving in the slums of so-called District 9 and weathering the human population's growing hatred. It is obvious that the humans never made an effort to learn anything from the other group; it is also obvious that the aliens are the superior beings, both in terms of knowledge and empathy. The main government contractor, paradoxically named Multinational United or MNU, is currently in charge of relocating the alien populace to a new camp, with crime enterprises expanding in District 9 and people demanding a swift resolution to the situation. Lowly MNU clerk Wikus Van De Merwe (Sharlto Copley) leads the eviction operation, along with a military unit under the command of ruthless Koobus Venter (David James), the two teams working against the clock. However, when Wikus comes into contact with a piece of alien technology, the results alter the seemingly preordained course of events... Blomkamp's first feature is a daringly imaginative and visionary work. Combining bleak set pieces, raw language and blistering cinematography, the film is a gritty allegory and one of the best cinematic social commentaries in recent years. The scenes of urban and biological horrors at once contrast and complement the themes running through this complex story, the concept of which was inspired by the apartheid era and, more precisely, the District 6 resettlement that took place in 1970s Cape Town. Bigotry issues are thoroughly examined through ingenious metaphors of alien relocation, capture and brutal experimentation. Newcomer Copley is wonderful as the bureaucratically inclined Wikus, who gradually comes to realize the errors of his society's ways. His character's journey is a unique exploration of the Other within the framework of attempts to degrade, defeat and, finally, stamp it out. I loved the film's sharp transition from a mockumentary to the classic third-person narrative; the change serves as a frank illustration of Wikus' personal odyssey and the obstacles he encounters during his quest for answers. The action sequences are crafted with war epic sensibility, the rare special effects only heightening the sterility of this merciless world and the rough edits increasing our sense of isolation amid the ruins of the alien culture. District 9 is one of those rare, unflinching masterpieces that remind us of who we are, who we are supposed to be and how far we have come -- or not -- in steering our history in a new direction.

10/10