Comments on: Culture Warrior: ‘District 9′ and the Legacy of Highbrow Sci-Fi

By: Ted

Ted — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 23:22:11 +0000

You seem to be under the impression that “highbrow” is something that requires taking every erg of itself far too seriously and with grim intent.

District 9 is full of dark irony and grim humor. The pig-shot is meant to cause a snigger – not a bolsterous, beer-swigging raucus cheer.

Actually, some of the best “highbrow” movies and literature have contained plenty of humor and wild, off-the-cuff situations. District 9 is not some sort of artistic masterpiece for the ages – and the creators did not intend it to be, so have not “failed” in their aspirations – but it's not Transformers 2 either.

By: Ted

Ted — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:22:11 +0000

You seem to be under the impression that “highbrow” is something that requires taking every erg of itself far too seriously and with grim intent.

District 9 is full of dark irony and grim humor. The pig-shot is meant to cause a snigger – not a bolsterous, beer-swigging raucus cheer.

By: igpnicki

igpnicki — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 04:05:16 +0000

What a really interesting piece! I appreciated how well Blomkamp walked the line between entertainment and preachiness. I convinced a friend of mine to come see it with me, but he was very skeptical, thinking it was going to be an overt science fiction of apartheid. I know he was greatly surprised at the direction it took, and yet the apartheid themes were very intelligently addressed. I liked that Wikus didn't just do a complete 180 when his situation changes. He was a prat pretty almost all the way to the end. Now very Hollywood heroic-y but, more real.

By: Matt

Matt — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:48:57 +0000

D9 isn't highbrow. A man fires a pig from a gravity gun. Stop trying to pretend it's highbrow. It *tries* to be near the beginning, but then it fails miserably at the end. If anything it's just as silly as Transformers 2 and GI Joe, and can only be praised for trying harder. It still failed.

By: Sharon Dreyer

Sharon Dreyer — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:11:23 +0000

Thank you so much for this review of District 9. Hopefully, I'll be able to go see District 9 this week. Great review! Check out my first and recently released novel, Long Journey to Rneadal. This exciting story is a romantic action adventure in space.

By: Landon_Palmer

Landon_Palmer — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 06:32:26 +0000

The subject of apartheid seems to me to be rather unavoidable for much of the film, as the slums of D9, the central and most revisited location in the film, seem rather resonant in that respect. But knowledge of apartheid or reading this subtext is not essential to experiencing the film. I also don't think the film is as much profound as it is thoughtful, rather its ability to allow the audiences to take with it what they will enables profundity. I do agree, however, that the way D9 deals with these subjects were not THAT deep or extensive, and yes, often utilized sci-fi action setpieces and the forward-moving plot in favor of exploring these aspects further. Not much more was illuminated regarding its apartheid allegory that wasn't featured in the trailer or “Alive in Joburg”

By: LeeAnna

LeeAnna — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 05:43:34 +0000

Reading this I had to smile because I actually want to get a PhD in postmodern literature, specifically Science Fiction because of this reason. Its good to know that there are others that recognize the importance of science fiction. In stead of screaming the message at you, it makes you think about it.

By: RobHunter

RobHunter — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 21:13:34 +0000

I agree with everything you say here except for the parts that heap praise on District 9 for being smarter and deeper than it really is. Blomkamp himself has said the apartheid subtext is a minor one at best. The topic itself is alluded to in very general terms then left on the floor in favor of some fantastic action scenes. I think a film like Blade Runner (or even Spielberg's E.T.) does a better job of integrating the serious issues of defining humanity and our treatment of “others” than D9 does. And that takes nothing away from D9… sometimes a fun, kick-ass movie is just that.