Surprised more people aren't talking about District 9

aristide1 · Post by **aristide1** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 3:34 pm

This films screams "I'm making a statement." It's not another Hollywood sci-fi movie, in fact it's really not a sci-fi movie at all.

I've figured out who the bad guys represent. If you ever figure out who the good guys represent then let me in on it.

Actually I think I'm kidding myself. I know who both are, but it's hard to admit it. That might actually hurt the film, the fact that people will be uncomfortable with it's message.

I normally dismiss most newspaper reviews of films, but one reviewer called it, "compelling." I find that to be rather an understatement.

swivelguy2 · Post by **swivelguy2** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 4:22 pm

The aliens are definitely conservatives/republicans, and the humans are liberals/democrats. The mothership is Rush Limbaugh.

Okay, so maybe not...

Riffer · Post by **Riffer** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 6:10 pm

I heard it had "shakycam", so I decided to wait until it comes on TV.

josephclemente · Post by **josephclemente** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 7:36 pm

I didn't see the movie, but Wikipedia says "The title and premise of District 9 were inspired by historical events that took place in South Africa during the apartheid in a residential area of Cape Town named District Six."

Someone told me it wasn't a shakycam movie. That would suck if it is.

theycallmebruce · Post by **theycallmebruce** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 8:17 pm

There are significant "shakycam" sections (filmed to look like a TV documentary), but not the whole movie. It's not handycam quality though, more TV crew in conflict zone level. It didn't detract from the movie for me.

I really enjoyed it. It did feel a little rough around the edges, but it's one of the more original Hollywood films I've seen in a long time. Aristide, you hit the nail on the head when you say it's not really sci-fi, I think it fits better into the fantasy genre despite the "sci-fi" setting.

Only thing that bothered me is the way that it was set up so blatantly for a sequel when the story could have closed quite nicely where it was.

The mothership is Rush Limbaugh.

Tobias · Post by **Tobias** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 11:08 pm

I found the movie rather unsettling in a rather lot of ways... Associations to apartheid and segregation, of course, but also to Nazi days with Dr Mengele and the race to the Atomic bomb (Alien weapon at the time). The film really displayed the worst in in human kind. How the little geek Van der Merwe in his own way was shown to be a perverted racist as soon as he got power etc.

But to the question who someone that is a mix of half and half of the "master race" and the "animals" (prawns) that ends up saving the day would be depicting? Beats me

40974111 · Post by **40974111** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 4:11 am

I thought that in purely an artistic and cinematic sense the film was fantastic. One of the very best I've seen.

However, it did leave you feeling very sick and uncomfortable.

aristide1 · Post by **aristide1** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 1:12 pm

Hmmm; eviction notice. You didn't sign? You get shot. Who cares? Not really anyone.

Now back up a few centuries - European settlers meet native Americans. Sign a peace treat? Don't like it? You get shot. Who cares? Not really anyone. I guess smallpox in a blanket doesn't work? Maybe nobody thought of it?

I equated the cat food to giving Native Americans alcohol, but hey, that's just me. They didn't seem to have much self control with it.

As to the "eviction," well you may just get shot anyway, but the eviction allowes "humanity" to take everything and say, "well they had a chance to leave." It's just a ploy to look human, when in reality you're a Ferengi, or a Wall St Broker, same thing actually. Speaking of which this is a hell of a time to be working on "Wall Street 2."

Two friends of mine hate this movie, I wasn't surprised. "Who does xxx represent?" Well maybe they don't represent any specific group at all, it's about what each group is doing to the others, or at the expense of the others, or both. I found myself categorizing 3 specifics groups and two of them were very bad. The other group appears to have the same kind of luck I've always had.

I found the movie rather unsettling in a rather lot of ways

Wasn't that the point?

It did feel a little rough around the edges

Do you think it was intentional?

you hit the nail on the head when you say it's not really sci-fi

To a large extent, every species that has been encountered on Star Trek represents some facet of humanity. There may be a degree of political problems throughout almost every episode, sometimes that's the point, sometimes it's besides the point but still noticeable. Here, it's smack! In your face.

Surprised more people aren't talking about District 9

Surprised more people aren't talking about District 9

Re: Surprised more people aren't talking about District 9