It is simple to see District 9 as an alien vs. humanity movie, but once viewed it’s clear to see that it is much more than this. Neill Blomkamp created a story that is as relatable to what is happening in the world today than anyone could make with a story about aliens. District 9 is a section of South Africa that has been quarantined as a refugee camp for the aliens who’ve been stranded for the last 20 years. We are able to get an inside look at the district and find it horrifying. War lords are taking advantage of the aliens for their weapons technology, interspecies prostitution, violence and slum like living situations are what’s being revealed. This analysis of this film points to the fact that there are refugee camps set up all over the world for people who are attempting to escape the horrors of their home states. What occurs in this film shows that there are very few people who want the responsibility of taking care of the displaced people, and on a government level there is so much red tape that disempowers people from helping that no one wants to touch it.
Thus, the people become someone else’s problem. More money is being spent on them day after day to keep them contained and it takes away from funds for the people. This creates a tension between the two species and a hatred which leads to racism. People acting out in violence against what they don’t understand. It becomes a matter of us versus them, and if we aren’t surviving and they are, then they should not be allowed to live. Therefore, the aliens in this film represent the way we see refugees to often, as not human, not our problem. And instead of coming together to help these people find a foothold in life, we fight against them. They now live in a world where horror is at their backs and fear is before them.
Blomkamp elegantly explores walking in the shoes of another with the story of Wikus, a human who turns into an alien after having black fluid sprayed into his face. We discover the humanity in the alien race and the lack of it in the people of earth. It’s a very strong point that if put in normal circumstances with real people probably would not have drawn as much attention, nor made money at the box office. But because of the use of allegory to tell this very real, relevant story we are able to get a heavy dose of truth in the midst of the entertainment of the film. This use of allegory has long been used, but Blomkamp embraces it in a fresh way making the aliens as a species ones who are overpowered by the human race. This changes the story in a deeper way while keeping people in their seats for the duration of the picture.
