Do you remember what it was like the first time you saw a movie destined to be a classic?
Think back. Ghostbusters. Die Hard. Alien. O Brother, Where Are Thou? Remember the first time you laid eyes on those? It was more than just watching a good movie; you were watching something take shape on the screen that would define the movies that would follow. You were essentially seeing the bar being set, right before your eyes. You were seeing the way cinema worked evolving into a better level in real time. It’s not often you watch something and say to yourself as you leave the theater, “That’s going to be a classic.” Most of the time you’re lucky just to be well entertained by a film. When the special ones come along, they leave their mark.
District 9 is one of those movies.
The basic plot is this: an alien spaceship arrives over Johannesburg, South Africa in 1982. When humanity finally makes its way aboard, they discover the last remnants of a crew that’s been devastated by illness. It’s an insect-like hierarchy, with the only survivors being approximately one million “worker bees.” They have a limited understanding of their own technology, which is genetically linked to them and requires a member of their species to operate. Over time, they’re moved to the surface in a ghetto dubbed “District 9,” and relegated to the absolute lowest rung of society. The film picks up twenty years later.
What could have been an absolute disaster of a film turns out to be breathtaking. It’s not often that a movie will leave you in doubt as to the outcome; District 9 bumps standard Hollywood formula to the curb. The moments of humor and drama feel genuine. There are no “Hasta la vista, baby” moments here. The things that stick with you remain in an almost organic fashion. You remember them because they actually strike a chord in the viewer.
Produced by Peter Jackson (of Lord of the Rings fame) and written by first-time feature director Neill Blomkamp, this is a triumph of outsiders on the inside. Jackson’s clout allowed Blomkamp to pretty much go nuts and push this film as far as possible with the least amount of studio interference. But what really makes this movie stunning is the knowledge it was filmed on the relatively shoestring budget of $30 million dollars. Comparing the acting, effects, story and directing alongside bloated and idiotic efforts like Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen ($250 million) and GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra ($170 million), the contrast is even more stunning. This movie is so superior to its over-hyped and over-budgeted counterparts as to be astonishing.
There are no name actors in this film; lead actor Sharlto Copley has never been in a feature film before in his life, yet turns in a performance that’s just incredible. The effects are mostly seamless, and if there was a moment that anything stood out as glaringly CGI, then I can’t recall it. The work done on this thing should (and will) put ILM to shame. But what really ties it all together is an incredibly smart script that refuses to be anticipated. All the way to the end, you’re never sure what the outcome will be. You’re never given an indication that a single character is safe. The tension doesn’t ever let up.
Fair warning: if you have a weak stomach, be prepared to brace yourself. It’s not a gorefest, but it’s bloody, nasty, and will make you squirm in your chair. Yet for once, the gore has a purpose; some of the horrible things you see in the film are inherent to the inhumanity of humanity, and are there to give you pause, to force you to consider the awful things being inflicted on the aliens. Also, this is the only movie in which you will ever see a man decapitated by a weapon which launches a pig. Be prepared to scream “Fuck!” randomly and often when you see this for the first time.
If you’re going to see a film anytime soon, this is the one you need to watch. This has all the hallmarks of being an enduring piece, something you could watch again and again without ever wearing down its appeal.
