the many secrets of District 9

i've decided to break my thoughts on district 9 down into two parts.

part 1: what makes it great.
part 2: what makes it even greater.

let us begin.

for those of you who haven't seen it, please do. i believe this to be one of the most original works i have seen in quite some time. the premise is this:

aliens have broken down on earth. more specifically, south africa. we have decided to oppress them, segregate them, and eventually seperate and seclude them. much like we did with african americans. much like hitler did with the jews. and much like the struggles currently going on in south africa today.

the fact of the matter is, this is a social commentary about the prejudices of people. somehow a film about aliens is able to turn the mirror to society and show us an ugly truth. and if you're anything like me, it hits you at the core.

seriously, it's a movie about aliens but at the same time, it's not at all. there's awesome guns and robot suit things and blood and guts. and then there's deep felt emotion, intense feelings of anger, and yet extreme empathy for the characters. and yes, still an alien movie.

let me also touch on this: the documentary style filming works flawlessly. better than any mocumentary/docudrama i've ever seen. from the random experts to the tv station logo in the corner. perfect.

alright, that was part 1: what makes it great.

now for part 2: what makes it even greater.

writer/director: Neill Blomkamp
age: 29
previous work: 6 minute short called Alive in Joburg
district 9 budget: $30 million

to put that differently, here is a very young first time director who has never directed or written a full feature film working with a very low budget (as far as the movie business concerned)
and he creates an amazing amazing film. and by the way, even with the smaller budget comparatively, still some of the most amazing special effects i've seen to date.

that's unheard of.

so there's part 2.

combine with part 1, you've got yourself something you need to see.

go see it.