| Culture Watch DVD Review |
 CultureWatch DVD ReviewDistrict 9 Cert. 15 A spaceship floats above Johannesburg with a million alien refugees on board. The South African government forcibly evacuates the ship, confining the aliens to District 9. It’s a slum, ruthlessly controlled by private security firm MNU. 28 years later, resentment and fear of the ‘prawns’ has grown like cancer. With obvious echoes of apartheid, the film portrays a two-tier society, with the aliens at the bottom. It’s a society driven by self-interest and bigotry. Aliens are discriminated against, neglected and cruelly exploited. In the minds of most humans, ‘prawns’ just don’t deserve the same rights, and they willingly turn a blind eye to MNU brutality.  An operation to resettle the aliens begins, headed up by MNU official Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley). But when his DNA becomes contaminated by alien DNA, he swiftly finds himself on the sharp end of MNU’s vicious ruthlessness. Wikus goes on the run – an experience that challenges both his prejudices and loyalties. He’s basically a decent man, but like most other humans, he is motivated by fear and self-interest. He contrasts sharply with a tolerant, brave and selfless alien who has the unlikely name of Christopher Johnson. Although Wikus wants only to save his own skin, vChristopher watches out for him, despite him being the enemy. District 9 is not easy film to watch. It’s violent, intense and disturbingly realistic, thanks to its mock documentary elements. More troubling, though, is the portrayal of the inhumanity to which human beings can stoop. And we know that the same kinds of attitudes and behaviour lurk just beneath the surface of our own world, sometimes making their ugly presence felt. If we’re honest, they even lurk just beneath the surface of our own lives, too. We may do a good job of hiding it most of the time, but we know just how much our prejudice, resentment or selfishness drive us. Wikus finds some redemption through someone exposing his shallow assumptions and challenging his self-centredness. But that doesn’t deal with the core problem of corruption in the human heart. It’s not enough to be challenged; we need to be forgiven and transformed. The good news of Jesus Christ is that God stepped into our world as a man to be rejected, abused and killed in our place. And, by rising from the dead, he offers us forgiveness, transformation and a new life. Just what Wikus really needs. Image credit: Sharlto Copley in TriStar Pictures’ sci-fi thriller DISTRICT 9. Courtesy of TriStar Pictures This article was first published on Damaris’ Culturewatch website (www.culturewatch.org) – used with permission. © Copyright Tony Watkins |
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