District 9, the sci-fi hit directed by Neill Blomkamp is widely respected for its use of sci-fi to explore themes of xenophobia and police militarization. The film is emotive, touching, and packed with suspenseful and visually gripping scenes -all done on a meager budget.
The low-budget animation of the film proved to be very successful, depicting immensely expressive and sympathetic creatures -a testament to the fact that one doesn't need the latest high-tech animation for something to feel "real." The emotional depth of the characters is moving, allowing for the greater themes of the film to really strike home. Here are 10 quotes that speak to the brilliance of District 9.
10 "I Mean You Can't Say They Don't Look Like That. That's What They Look Like, Right? They Look Like Prawns."
The Aliens in District 9 are quickly subject to slang terms based purely on the way that they look and cruel, essentializing stereotypes. Humans refer to them as "prawns," partly because of their appearance -scaly, large heads with big eyes, pincer hands- and also because of what the name implies. Prawns are bottom-feeders that live off of the scraps other creatures leave behind. Similarly, the aliens are made to live off of the trash and cast-offs of humans.
9 "Is That Tear Gas?" "No, It's Cat Food!"
Wikus is appointed leader of the team to re-locate the Aliens from District 9 to a new area. The film uses Wikus's quirky humor to shed light on human dynamics with aliens. When the eviction team arrives at the district, the aliens, who are used to being abused by humans, become alarmed and act up. Wikus pulls out cans from his bag and starts throwing them.
The team assumes he must be throwing tear gas, but Wikus reveals that it's actually cat food, a treat to the aliens. It's a funny moment until we recognize the implications in the team assuming it's normal to throw tear gas.
8 "We're Spending So Much Money To Keep Them Here When We Could Be Spending It On Other Things."
We hear this quote, then cut to scenes where the aliens are shuffling through garbage to try and salvage food and supplies to survive on. This makes the speaker of the quote look ignorant, and it's easy to scoff at such characters and declare their stupidity. In reality, this is not a rare response to foreigners. People love to shroud their prejudices in supposed economic concerns -to behave as if it isn't fear and discrimination that fuels their disapproval of the government aiding foreigners, but their love for their country.
7 "If They Were From Another Country We Might Understand, But They're Not Even From This Planet."
Another civilian attempts to explain away their prejudice under the guise of intelligent argument, as if it makes sense to help someone so long as they are from your own planet. This is the same argument that people use for national concerns today, of course -it's merely being played up to the next-level scenario. Sci-fi is often used as a way of acting out real-life instances and behaviors in a fictional, fantastical context which makes them seem new, allowing us to defamiliarize ourselves from things that we take for granted and therefore see them anew.
6 "He Needed Help. Special, Medical Help."
Wikus' friends and co-workers abandon him in his time of need. People he has known for 19 years drop him in the blink of an eye once the government spreads lies about him. It's easier for people to trust in the word of the government than to think for themselves because if they were to think for themselves they would have to face the fact that they are being compliant with horrific acts against humanity.
5 "He Became The Most Valuable Business Artifact On Earth."
The further Wikus' human body progresses into being an alien, the more he is seen as an object and not a person. It's a horrifying scenario for us to watch -seeing a human quickly degrade into a thing rather than a fellow human. It enacts a nightmare scenario for humans, the process of being alienated from one's own body as well as rejected from society. Through this horror, we are also made to face a small fraction of what it would feel like to be seen as an oppressed, inferior race bound in reliance to a corrupt society.
4 "How Many Moons Does Our Planet Have?"
Little C.J. is the only breath of fresh air in the entire film. He follows around his father, timidly witnessing the violent conflicts in the district while holding onto the hope of escaping and returning home to the alien's original planet which he has never been to. C.J. is friendly and gentle, instantly wanting to relate to Wikus upon meeting him. He places his arm next to Wikus' and compares how they look alike, to which Wikus responds with disgust. For all the times Wikus lets us down, C.J. brings us up.
3 "All I Want Is To Eat That Arm."
The human gang leader in the district is a corrupt man who is obsessed with obtaining alien qualities. He abuses both humans and aliens alike, holding loyalty to no party but himself. We see him cheat and attack aliens, stealing their weaponry and killing them to inject their body parts -something witches in the area instruct him to do as a means of ingesting the aliens' power. When he sees Wikus' alien arm he becomes obsessed with the idea of eating it, giving us the humorous, if disgusting, quote.
2 "I Will Send You Home In A F*cking Jar."
Wikus screams these words at soldiers attempting to stop him and alien Christopher from taking back Christopher's capsule of alien fuel which he needs in order to fly his ship back to the mother ship.
The quote comes in a time when Wikus is back in the lab where doctors performed horrid experiments on him, and so the comic humor is not lost on us. The humor is soured later when Wikus doesn't empathize with Christopher being scarred by seeing the experiments being done on aliens in the lab. He only cares when it's him who is being tortured.
1 "We Stick Together. I'm Not Leaving You Here."
Unlike Wikus, Christopher is honorable and compassionate. As difficult as it is to watch the lead human character of the movie continuously let us down, it's a smart move to have made an alien the most morally conscious character. By the end of the movie, the person who has the most reason to empathize with the aliens still fails to be as good as the best of the aliens. Wikus does eventually choose to help Christopher, but this doesn't negate the fact that every other move he makes in the film is a selfish one. The oppressor does not get to be fully redeemed. Instead, the aliens end as the most respectable, heroic characters -which is actually much more realistic.
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