“We must learn to regard people less in the light of what they do or
omit to do, and more in the light of what they suffer.”
If it’s true that history is told by the ‘winners’, what does it look
like when we allow ourselves to hear the story of the ‘others’?
This question lies at the heart of District 9, a science fiction action film set against the backdrop of racially
divided South Africa and the remarkable directorial debut from Neill Blomkamp (Elysium). Using
pseudo-documentary style filmmaking, District
9 tells follows the relationship between the human race and group of aliens
(derogatorily named ‘prawns’) who landed in Johannesburg in 1982. After 28 years of confinement in
District 9, a local government-enforced camp, the South African leadership decides
that it’s time to relocate their ‘tenants’ to a new facility and hire
Multinational United (MNU) to carry out the mission.
Enter Wikus van de Merwe (Sharlto Copely), an Afrikaner
bureaucrat who is appointed to lead the camp relocation by serving the aliens
with eviction notices.
Inexperienced but cocky, Wikus and the MNU forces raid the homes of
their alien tenants with boyish glee, taking pleasure in their mistreatment.
However, after being inadvertently sprayed by alien fluid, Wikus’ body slowly
begins to change, taking on the form of a ‘prawn’ himself. As Wikus slowly
mutates, he also starts to learn first-hand what life is like at the hands of
the merciless MNU. With the transformation process accelerating and the MNU
closing in, Wikus is forced to join forces with Christopher Johnson, a prawn who
believes that there might be a cure for his situation.
Released in August 2009, District
9 entered into the hectic summer blockbuster market with very little
fanfare or star-power. (In fact,
the only “name” in the promotional materials was the film’s producer Peter
Jackson, director of the Lord of the
Rings films.) Written and directed by then-unknown filmmaker Neill
Blomkamp, District 9 became an
instant hit with critics and audiences, garnering 4 Oscar nominations including
Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Although the film takes the form of a sci-fi actioner, District 9 actually offers an unsettling
(and honest?) look at Apartheid and it’s effect on South African culture. (Incidentally, this theme should come
as no surprise in that, having grown up in South Africa, this is likely
something that would be close to Blomkamp’s heart.) What makes District 9 so unique however isn’t the
subject matter but rather the manner with which it is handled. By focusing on
Wikus’ journey, Blomkamp manages to actually reshape the perspective of his
audience as well. In other words,
by opening the film with the story of Wikus and the MNU, Blomkamp invites
sympathy for their reaction against a species that appears to be the
aggressors. However, as Wikus becomes increasingly invested in the world of the
‘prawn’, Blomkamp is also able to challenge our assumptions, revealing an
alternate story that exposes the nature of true evil.
What’s more, it’s also on this level that Wikus’ journey echoes
the Christian narrative and, more specifically, the story of Jesus Himself. As
Jesus willingly sacrificed his Divine nature to become human, he also entered
into our story in a way that he hadn’t before. In doing so, he was able to
understand the human experience in a different manner, even ‘empathizing in our
weaknesses’ (Hebrews 4:15). As a result, Jesus’ experience enabled him to offer
his own life on our own behalf as the penalty for our sin. Similar to the
manner in which Wikus’ life exemplifies what could be considered a moment of
renewal for human-prawn relations, so too does Christ’s incarnation demonstrate
hope to us spiritually by offering us new life.
Nevertheless, this is not to suggest that Wikus is actually a
Christ figure. (His self-absorbed and
racist heart eliminates any possible comparisons on that level.) However, because of his transformation
and gradual assimilation into the world of the ‘prawn’, what follows is an
incredible example of incarnation. Although the experience is far from his own choice, Wikus’
chance encounter with alien fluid slowly opens his eyes to an alternate version
of the narrative that he thought he knew.
By suffering at the hands of his military counterparts, Wikus begins to
enter into the story of the alien population himself. As a result, this experience eventually begins to challenge his
beliefs about their culture, reshaping his own behavior as well. In a powerful
example for the church, Wikus suffers with the oppressed and, potentially, may
serve as an advocate on their behalf in the future. As a result, Wikus’
‘plight’ becomes his greatest blessing—and, potentially, an opportunity for
hope for the prawn culture.
In the end, District 9
finds an effective balance between sci-fi action and social commentary by
drawing the audience into the story of an unknown culture. This invitation to
suffer with those who suffer echoes the heart of Christ as He calls us to seek
His Kingdom here on earth. What’s more, in doing so, Blomkamp also invites his
audience to re-examine their own hearts and, potentially, offer a voice to
those who have none.
Elysium will be
released on August 9th, 2013.
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