“District 9” – the best film of the year so far
Posted By Hilath
Racism, in all its forms, is something all humans have to overcome if we are to ensure the survival of our species and others as well.
Whether it is one religion’s superiority over another; or one language’s superiority over another; or one ethnicity’s superiority over another; or one species’ superiority over another, racism is racism. Period.
Racism is against humanity. Racism is against the very essence of being human, of being an intelligent creature. Anybody who supports racism, seek psychiatric help first before you start speaking to me.
When a film gets an average of more than 8 points out of 10 on IMDB.com and when critics rave about it so much, not to mention one critic calling it the most unusual sci-fi film in recent history, you tend to wonder whether it really lives up to the hype and what could be so unusual about it to leave you stunned.
But here is one film which actually went beyond my expectations and one of the few films in recent memory that actually left me in a depressed mood hours after watching it. In fact, even as I write this, I am still in a quiet mood.
District 9 is one of those few films which can actually make you go emotionally haywire. I can only describe it as a social commentary disguised as a science fiction film. Its premise strikes uncomfortably close to home one of the most basal characteristics about us human beings; racism, hostility and wanton violence towards the unknown — whether it’s another species different from our own, or whether it is another people ethnically, culturally or religious-wise different from us.
One of the greatest ironies in the film is how easily we tend to forget our own suffering and let our inherent racial bias and prejudice loose when black Africans, who themselves have suffered so much under Apartheid in South Africa, treat the aliens in the Johannesburg ghetto as subhuman. Is it then a wonder that the Israeli army routinely unleashes its violence against helpless Palestinians in Gaza though the Jews themselves suffered worse at the hands of Nazi Germany?
Throughout the film I sat stunned and towards the end, a lump formed in my throat as director Neill Blomkamp crafted his masterpiece of a movie weaving into it the very melancholic sadness I felt when I watched Steven Spielberg’s misunderstood alien in E.T. The Extraterrestrial and Brad Bird’s misunderstood alien in The Iron Giant. I am glad Jorge Blanco and Javier Abad are releasing their animated Planet 51 on November 20; that film should demonstrate to any human what it feels like to be misunderstood as an alien “invader” among an alien species; sort of an ironic reversal of fortune (see the below YouTube trailer).
When District 9 ended, I felt so strongly for a sequel to deliver justice that had been denied, and felt utterly disgusted with the word “alien” itself. Who are we humans to think we are a superior species? And who are we humans to think that a certain ethnicity is superior to all others based on religion, language or anything else? Living things are living things. Life is life.
I was touched by the film’s not-so-subtle allegorical referencing of the apartheid in Southern Africa. Though the filmmakers did do a good job disguising all that as a 2-hour long sci-fi flick with aliens and plasma cannon guns and flying guts.
Needless to say, its an awesome movie but I wasn’t drained like the way you were. Since you mentioned the Jews, watch Shoah (1985 documentary by Claude Lanzmann), that did the trick for me.
This is on my list already. Where did you get it?
On another note:
While racism is “against the very essence of being human, of being an intelligent creature” how is it also one of the “basal characteristics about us human beings”?
Would your evolutionary thinking tell you that racism maybe a survival instinct? :P
Yeah, Simon, my opinion is that racism is an inherent survival instinct in humans to deal with “fear of the unknown” in primitive times: but since times have changed and we have been enlightened it is now barbaric that we let our racism surface; there’s always the choice of peace and dialogue in modern days to deal with situations like this. But sadly it will take more time for humans to become the civilized people they should be and in the meantime the ugly face of racism will keep on surfacing I think.
I got “District 9″ from a friend. Still have it if you want. These days all these films’ good copies seem to be “leaking”. “District 9″s English subtitles were also correct, even for the alien’s click-click talking itself, suggesting that this is a very high level “leak” :) I also watched “Termination Salvation” from a copy like this. I am now trying to get “Drag Me To Hell” because apparently that also now leaked!
Fizan, thanks for the recommendation. I vaguely remember hearing that name. Will see if it’s out there for download ;) Bloody pirate I have now become! hehe
I see racism as how humans deal with being different from one another, and sadly, civilization (so far) has not cured us from this social disease.
Shoah is a HUGE documentary (over 9 hours) so you might have trouble downloading it off the internet unless you have a very good connection. I’d recommend buying it on Amazon but if you can’t afford it, PM me and I’ll be glad to burn you a copy.
saw the movie a few nights back …
yeah … i agree … one of the best filsm of the year …
they say its based upon the district six situation …
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_Six
anyways … good movie …