Edison Orellana19 February 2013

Sociology 160Holtzclaw-Stone

Social Analysis of District 9Throughout film history, science fiction has often been used to encapsulate

many anthropological themes. Science fiction often times pioneered in subjects

relating to social evolution; Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek, for instance, has

provided countless commentaries on historical events such as the cold war, the civil

rights movement, and the communist McCarthyism era in the form of well told

allegory. It is credited for having the first ever interracial kiss to air on television.

Neil Blomkamp’s District 9 is yet another example of excellent of science fiction that

presents human issues in new and thought provoking ways. The film explores many

issues: racism, colonialism, and more specifically, apartheid.

Neil Blomkamp, the film’s director, was born in and lived all of his childhood

in Johannesburg, South Africa. He grew up there during Apartheid and was therefore

able to experience first-hand what apartheid was like. Although he was light skinned

he was surely aware of the segregation through direct observation. His film does an

excellent job of portraying the cold reality of racism in a way that has never been

done before.

The film begins with a documentary style narration of previous events

concerning the arrival of the alien race. Interestingly, according to the film, the

aliens arrived in Johannesburg in 1982. This means that both the alien race and the

blacks were segregated alongside each other in their respective apartheids. The

juxtaposition of the two alienated (no pun intended) races is never specifically

addressed in the film but it is interesting to think about how over time blacks

eventually saw the end of their apartheid, but the aliens did not. Instead the black

and white population unify implicitly against the alien race who never get to see the

end of their apartheid. The mixing of historical fiction, historical nonfiction, and

science fiction creates quite an elegant narrative of human social values.

The parallels between apartheid and District 9 are abounding. “Separate

spheres” is initially the most obvious similarity between apartheid and District 9.

When the humans first encounter the aliens they initially welcome them as guests

upon earth. They are brought to the surface and given nourishment and housing.

The reasoning for such hospitality probably stems from the humans realizing that

there is another life form that is more advanced than humans apparent from the

superior aviation technology. Humans have been knocked off their pedestal and

therefore are probably fearful of the new guest. This xenophobia is historically not

unique to any encounter of the unknown. During the colonial period in European

history nations initially introduced themselves to new, far away cultures as friendly

visitors, but realistically they usually always see whatever new culture they

encounter as being inferior. The same goes for the alien race in District 9. Despite

their obvious technological superiority over the humans, they are given the

nickname of “prawns.” The derogatory term is used to make the humans feel better

about themselves after the discovery of more advanced life forms. Of course no one

is going admit explicitly that the aliens are more advanced, it just an unspoken but

universally held belief that manifests itself in overt and implicit ways.

The signs in some of the areas in Johannesburg warn against the presence of

aliens. Signs say “For human use only” or “No prawn loitering.” These signs are, of

course, direct parallels to signs used during apartheid which say things as “For

White use only” or “No Negro loitering.” The film makes it abundantly clear how

appalled many of the local people are against the aliens. It is fascinating to note

that even the local black population in Johannesburg objects to the presence of the

aliens in their community. Some of them call for the eviction of the aliens from

Johannesburg altogether. One would think that the black population might

sympathize more with the aliens considering their role in history regarding

apartheid. It just exemplifies the level of xenophobia that exists in humans.

The film also touches on issues regarding interspecies sexuality. Wikus is

rumoured to have had sex with aliens which is used to cover up the reason for why

his arm has changed. Prostitution among humans and aliens is portrayed negatively

in the film. The negative connotation that interspecies sexuality is given in the film

mirrors laws regarding interracial sex during apartheid. The Immorality act of 1950

made it illegal under apartheid for blacks and whites to copulate.

One of the main proponents of apartheid was about control. Whites wanted

control over the blacks so that they could serve their interests. Part of that interest

was protecting the whites, and at the time, apartheid seemed like the best way to

do it. Similarly, MNU uses their political advantage over the aliens in order to serve

their interests. District 9 is controlled more like a prison than a housing community.

The community was originally intentioned to be a form of “separate but

equal” type of housing but due to overpopulation and racism, the housing project

turned into a slum. This is another parallel to apartheid. Blacks were forced to live in

separate communities known as “homelands.” The homelands were controlled by

whites and were heavily regulated. Blacks needed special passes to leave the

homelands to work in the white areas. The aliens in District 9 are even worse off for

it is not made apparent in the film that prawns are even allowed to leave District 9.

The entrances and exits into District 9 are heavily guarded by MNU. The aliens are

not even permitted to work outside District 9. Their only real value comes from their

technology. The alien technology is one of the main conflicts in the film and is what

sets it apart, but simultaneously, has in common with colonialism.

The aliens possess a very advanced form of weaponry that MNU, as well as

the local crime lord, have taken notice of. The weaponry is much more powerful

than human technology and therefore makes the aliens quite valuable to the

humans. Colonialism in the past has usually consisted of one technologically

advanced civilization plundering a less advanced civilization for their natural

resources. The complexity of the colonialism in District 9 is that the alien race is the

more technologically advanced civilization but they are at the bad end of the deal.

Even though the alien technology is much more advanced than the human

technology they do not have the power to take on the entirety of the human

defences. Because of this position of disadvantage, the aliens assume a position of

servitude to the humans and accept cat food in exchange for their dignity and

freedom because they have no other choice.

Another interesting difference between the historical Apartheid and District 9

is that the aliens are visitors of earth. In the accepted definition of the term

colonialism, a colonizer will travel to some place and exploit that place to their gain.

In the case of District 9, the colonizers never leave their spot. Since there is no

precedent concerning interplanetary colonization, the current definition of

colonialism will just have to adapt to the situation.

Multi National United is the munitions corporation that was chosen to oversee

the housing of the aliens. Choosing a corporation to oversee such a delicate

operation is very interesting in the context of globalization. MNU has clear economic

and profit oriented interests which thoroughly complicates the plot of the film. If a

just government were given oversight of District 9, things may have gone very

different. It might have completely avoided creating a slum altogether. But because

MNU has to pay bills and pay shareholders, it is understandable that they may want

save money by doing the bare minimum of what they need to sustain the aliens.

Even morals get corrupted when MNU decides to do illegal genetic experiments on

the aliens as well as cover up the murder of Wikus in the name of ill-intentioned

research.

Science fiction is an excellent tool for dissecting social and cultural issues

both in general and in the specific context of South Africa as presented in District 9.

The simultaneous existence of allegory relating to racism in the film and the direct

representation of apartheid allows the viewer to analyse apartheid in a historical

colonial context as well as in the context of modern issues like racism.

Works Cited

Catsoulis, Jeannette. "In 'District 9,' An Apartheid Allegory (With Aliens)." NPR. NPR,

13 Aug. 2009. Web. 18 Feb. 2013.

<http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111628060>.

Peck, Michael. "District 9: A Military Analysis." Wired.com. Conde Nast Digital, 10

Sept. 2009. Web. 18 Feb. 2013.

<http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2009/09/district-9-a-military-analysis/>.

Rutter, Toby. "And Another Thing..." : District 9 Analysis. N.p., 21 Nov. 2010. Web.

18 Feb. 2013. <http://tr-animation.blogspot.com/2010/11/district-9-

analysis.html>.

Veracini, Lorenzo. "District 9 and Avatar." Journal of Intercultural Studies 32.4

(2011): 355+. Web. 18 Feb. 2013.