District 9 New Peter Jackson UFO Film!!

reply to post by BaronVonGodzilla



As of the whole UFO phenomena, South Africans are just as much into it as other countries. People over here love the unexplained, indeed.

I have watched D9 but will keep comments to myself. I have been in a few racial debates, thanks to D9, and because i am a white South African people love ganging up on me Not that it bothers me, i am used to some foolish & idiotic responses.

I would still recommend the movie to anyone, it is good. Blomkamp did put a "message" in there, which South Africans (of all colours) should get. As a fact, i think some Americans would catch on as well with the influx of illegals down south. District 9 does in fact try to say something about South Africa and the experiences of its peoples.

The problem when South Africa are in the news some racial story will submerge, no matter what. Technology of an ET kind will bring power ofcourse, even if aliens would choose a country like South Africa, such a small country will seek to profit from it & the same goes for any other country. Oh, it would be the aliens biggest regret choosing S.Africa, as their crafts will be hijacked within the day of arrival.

Man will be man, the power hungry will seek anything to their advantage to rule, no matter what the nationality.

I will pass. I saw the trailer and think that it is absurd to think guns will defend against alien life. If an advanced species of Aliens decided to fight our military it would likely result in total victory.

Originally posted by RightWingAvenger
I will pass. I saw the trailer and think that it is absurd to think guns will defend against alien life. If an advanced species of Aliens decided to fight our military it would likely result in total victory.

Good to know you can't be trusted when the aliens come to take over the Earth.

I will make sure to label you an ALIEN LOVER!!!!! You know, when they come to murder us.

I found that the film used the Science Fiction genre to generate a social commentary of Apartheid South Africa. Did any of you see that as well? Just as the white's kept the native South Africans separated from the ruling class, you see it with the aliens in this film. I found it interesting that the locale was none other than South Africa which in it's past resorted to draconian methods to contain the South Africans of color.

It was an excellent film and that goes with out saying. However, there is a hidden message with in and it shows how humanity treats those that are different from the status-quo. The treatment is usually fraught with cruelty, inequality, substandard living arrangements, poor education, and a general lack of rights compared to the ruling elite class. Director, Neill Blomkamp's, victims in the film were a marooned extraterrestrial race, but take that away, it could be the Jews during the Second World War, African Americans during Jim Crow, or the Native South Africans during Apartheid. Another film that is similar in scope to this story would be "Alien Nation," which dealt with a marooned extraterrestrial race trying to integrate alongside humanity and the fearfulness held by humans with the alien's emergence into everyday life in the United States.

[edit on 25-8-2009 by Jakes51]

Originally posted by qonone
reply to post by BaronVonGodzilla

 

As of the whole UFO phenomena, South Africans are just as much into it as other countries. People over here love the unexplained, indeed.

I have watched D9 but will keep comments to myself. I have been in a few racial debates, thanks to D9, and because i am a white South African people love ganging up on me

Not that it bothers me, i am used to some foolish & idiotic responses.

I would still recommend the movie to anyone, it is good. Blomkamp did put a "message" in there, which South Africans (of all colours) should get. As a fact, i think some Americans would catch on as well with the influx of illegals down south. District 9 does in fact try to say something about South Africa and the experiences of its peoples.

The problem when South Africa are in the news some racial story will submerge, no matter what. Technology of an ET kind will bring power ofcourse, even if aliens would choose a country like South Africa, such a small country will seek to profit from it & the same goes for any other country. Oh, it would be the aliens biggest regret choosing S.Africa, as their crafts will be hijacked within the day of arrival.

Man will be man, the power hungry will seek anything to their advantage to rule, no matter what the nationality.

That is a good point. There might be some "messages" contained in the film that relate to South Africa specifically and perhaps more broadly to issue of "migrants".

I read one article in the Globe and Mail which refers to the views of residents of the area of Soweto where the film was made (can't recall the specific location). Many of the residents are hopeful the movie might help their plight by focussing world attention on the squalor and poverty that persists for many South Africans, more than 20 years after the collapse of Apartheid rule.

There might also be a "message" relating to the refugees from neighbouring Zimbabwe which is suffering under the oppressive rule of the despot Robert Mugabe. Many analysts outside South Africa have criticized the weak response of the ANC government and president to the problems plaguing Zimbabwe, which have spilled over into South Africa in the form of what I hear are hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans fleeing the turmoil and economic collapse of the Zimbabwe economy.

I don't know if there is any other more universal message that might be distilled from District 9 but the movie does make an interesting comment on how the MNU corporation seems to be making all the decisions and writing the news to suit its agenda. I can't recall any mention of any government making any decisions in the movie so that might be a key point being made by the filmmakers.





[edit on 25-8-2009 by bluestreak53]

Originally posted by Jakes51
I found that the film used the Science Fiction genre to generate a social commentary of Apartheid South Africa. Did any of you see that as well?

Oh, believe me, exactly what the message is. It upsets me, as a South African. It, the "message" comes through in this way and not from both sides, all one sided. Now if they would have concentrated on the "true" ways of these "prawns" whom cannot behave and burn schools, kill each other with the classic tire method, raping, to slaughter their own race with such disgust that it is inhuman, then people would not have felt so sorry for the prawns. Ofcourse there are bad humans, real mofo's whom are a disgusting waste of space on mother earth. There are those who are humane, who don't see "specie" but love.

Then South Africa gives the country to the prawns and soon all other alien species arrive. They rape, plunder, kill and do what they want and the "new" weak government sits back.

The prawns will win the vote of movie goers. Sadly, it is much more than a movie.

Good for the prawns!! And so they will take over the world and all those who screamed "Prawns!" will see reality.

As far as aliens go, i stand with humans.

[edit on 8/25/2009 by qonone]

reply to post by qonone


Yes, I agree with you there are always to sides of a coin when it comes to inequality. I, and apparently you, would love to see all get along and live with each other on equal terms with mutual respect and compassion. However, I am realist and that dream is one of fiction with our current level of consciousness; highly unlikely.

In tune with the Science Fiction genre as highlighted in this thread, maybe humanity needs a xenophobic extraterrestrial race to come from beyond the stars and lay waste to everything that is human. Maybe in that respect, humanity would be able to put it's petty differences aside and unite as human beings to tackle an all encompassing threat as mentioned above. I know the above scenario, is probably unlikely, but something needs to break the barrier between ourselves. We must stop the hate and killing if we are going to progress as a species.

Originally posted by Jakes51
I found that the film used the Science Fiction genre to generate a social commentary of Apartheid South Africa. Did any of you see that as well?

no, I didn't see the messageon Apartheid in South Africa. What was it?
To me, any message or redeeming social commentary was was obscured by the exceessive violence and poorly thought out storyline.

Originally posted by Jakes51
It was an excellent film and that goes with out saying.

It was a mediocre movie that fits squarely into the "violence, action, violence" genre quite solidly. I do agree that some people love the movie and others (such as myself) think it has been over-hyped.

Originally posted by Jakes51
However, there is a hidden message with in and it shows how humanity treats those that are different from the status-quo. The treatment is usually fraught with cruelty, inequality, substandard living arrangements, poor education, and a general lack of rights compared to the ruling elite class.

But the aliens are much more technologically advanced than the humans who possessed advanced weapons which could easily have wiped out the humans. If they had done so, this might have been a good analogy for man's treatment of the less powerful. But as the movie storyline goes, there really is no clear message of this sort. The movie is just a muddled mess of action and violence with little or any coherent storyline .

I do think the movie might be a comment on contemporary South Africa as the poverty and squalor persists in Soweto even though Apartheid ended 20 years ago (as was suggested by one post).

reply to post by bluestreak53


Well, apparently the film wasn't your "cup of tea," and that's okay. People walk away from movies with different impressions than the next person. Maybe I saw more in the the film that was meant to be seen by the audience. It was your run of the mill shoot em up Sci-Fi movie and there is no denying that.

However, I still saw the underlying motif of inequality aimed at the Prawns by the humans. They were rounded up and made to live in squalor on the very fringe of human society. We separate and destroy what we don't understand. That is human nature at present and there is no denying that. I appreciate your thoughtful analysis of my comments. Maybe "Avatar," will be more to your liking when it comes out next year!


[edit on 25-8-2009 by Jakes51]

I don't see anything racist about District 9. I mean, the aliens weren't a different race, they were a different species.

All humans were depicted as greedy, heartless, self-serving slave masters in this movie. The whites made jokes as they destroyed the alien egg chambers, and the blacks dismembered and ate the aliens. Humans throughout the film slaughtered the aliens like contaminated livestock.

No, I do not equate the aliens with any "race" of humanity. If there was a racial statement in this flick, it was that the Human race as a whole is utterly despicable. No single "race" of humanity is without its own repellent barbarity.

— Doc Velocity

Originally posted by qonone

Originally posted by Jakes51
I found that the film used the Science Fiction genre to generate a social commentary of Apartheid South Africa. Did any of you see that as well?

Oh, believe me, exactly what the message is. It upsets me, as a South African. It, the "message" comes through in this way and not from both sides, all one sided. Now if they would have concentrated on the "true" ways of these "prawns" whom cannot behave and burn schools, kill each other with the classic tire method, raping, to slaughter their own race with such disgust that it is inhuman, then people would not have felt so sorry for the prawns. Ofcourse there are bad humans, real mofo's whom are a disgusting waste of space on mother earth. There are those who are humane, who don't see "specie" but love.

Then South Africa gives the country to the prawns and soon all other alien species arrive. They rape, plunder, kill and do what they want and the "new" weak government sits back.

The prawns will win the vote of movie goers. Sadly, it is much more than a movie.

Good for the prawns!! And so they will take over the world and all those who screamed "Prawns!" will see reality.

As far as aliens go, i stand with humans.

[edit on 8/25/2009 by qonone]

That is an interesting comment and I think reflects that South Africans are going to have a vastly different response to the movie than those people from North America and Europe who have never lived in South Africa and seen it go through its turmoil, very close and real.

I think the poster is suggesting that a lot of people who are not from South Africa may be taking a completly different interpretation of what the movie might be saying about South Africa - derived from a simplistic and skewed view of South Africa as it has been presented by the mass media.

I have never been to South Africa but I was briefly posted to Mozambique during the height of the civil war and it was a rather revealing glimpse into the reality of post-colonial Africa. I also spent one week in Zimbabwe which at that time was doing much better than it is today because it still had a fairly productive economy which collapsed, partly due to the forced expulsion of white farmers from their lands and their expropriation by gangs of the ruling party.

reply to post by Doc Velocity


Good points Doc! Yes, the human race can be very savage and you highlighted all the socials ills of humanity quite well by your analysis of the human characters in the film. You saw as well as I, what we would most likely do to another species with how the humans treated the aliens in film if given the opportunity.

However, what is more mind numbing is that humans do those things to our own with glee. We have proven to be the most savage of all beasts in the jungle with our current track record and have a blood lust unlike any other species on this earth. That is what's most troubling to me. Maybe a hostile alien race needs to set foot on the earth and humble the human being a little?

reply to post by bluestreak53

no, I didn't see the messageon Apartheid in South Africa. What was it?

well there was very clear parallels between the movie and aprtheid in SA. You seen the bus stops and shops with signs saying "no prawn" or designated seating for prawns. This parallels the treatment black people had on buses and in shops in SA during apartheid. The movie title is another deliberate parallel to distric 6 a real black ghetto in SA where they were going to be forcefully evicted by the white government. The message is apartheid is wrong and leads to sub standard treatment of one group of people.

But the aliens are much more technologically advanced than the humans who possessed advanced weapons which could easily have wiped out the humans. If they had done so, this might have been a good analogy for man's treatment of the less powerful

The movie does explain that this colony of aliens are the "workers" theyre not very bright and described as "aimless" without their leadership. I dont think even with their handy wepaons they could defend against stealth bombers or cruise missiles theyre not smart enough. They also explain all the leaders seem to have died presumably through illness.

I think christopher may be one of the smarter breeds and not just a worker like the others.

Theres a sequel coming you may get your human slaughter in the next movie. The tables may be turned.

fairly well done, no movie's perfect. Hear some saying it had racist things in it but I haven't the slightest what that's about. It's an action packed sci-fi fictional movie, so stop with the philsophical and politically correctedness...it's just a darn movie.

Originally posted by Jakes51
I found that the film used the Science Fiction genre to generate a social commentary of Apartheid South Africa. Did any of you see that as well?

That is exactly what the movie is about. What it comes down to is this:

If they actually did a movie about Apartheid in South Africa it wouldn't sell (at least not in the U.S.)....however, throw in an Alien species as the ones being separated, degraded, beaten, etc. and a lot of violence and the movie sells tickets.

However, since this thread is in the Aliens and UFO's forum that's what should be taken apart here, the social aspects of the movie are for a different forum...or site.

When it comes to technology, plot holes, etc. for the Aliens the movie fails miserably

Originally posted by yeti101
The message is apartheid is wrong and leads to sub standard treatment of one group of people.

That is possibly what was intended, but it is ironic that the location is a real location in post-apartheid South Africa, and the poverty is just as bad as it was when there were all the employment barriers and pass laws under Apartheid 20 years ago. To put it in the movie's terms, the "prawns" are still stuck in District 9, even though the MNU was replaced by the prawn's insurgency organization.

Originally posted by yeti101
The movie does explain that this colony of aliens are the "workers" theyre not very bright and described as "aimless" without their leadership. I dont think even with their handy wepaons they could defend against stealth bombers or cruise missiles theyre not smart enough. They also explain all the leaders seem to have died presumably through illness.

I think christopher may be one of the smarter breeds and not just a worker like the others.

Theres a sequel coming you may get your human slaughter in the next movie. The tables may be turned.

Somehow I seemed to miss that information - perhaps I would have picked that up if I had watched it again. I found the violence to be a big turn-off so I am as unlikely to enjoy the sequel "District 10: Revenge of the Prawns", as I am its sequel, "District 11: Beneath the Planet of the Prawns"... and so on ...



[edit on 25-8-2009 by bluestreak53]

Originally posted by RightWingAvenger
I will pass. I saw the trailer and think that it is absurd to think guns will defend against alien life. If an advanced species of Aliens decided to fight our military it would likely result in total victory.

It's not a war movie, in District 9 the aliens weren't trying to wage war or destroy the humans, so your post makes absolutely no sense there...
Perhaps in the sequel you could be right, but it doesn't apply to District 9.

Originally posted by bl4ke360

Originally posted by RightWingAvenger
I will pass. I saw the trailer and think that it is absurd to think guns will defend against alien life. If an advanced species of Aliens decided to fight our military it would likely result in total victory.

It's not a war movie, in District 9 the aliens weren't trying to wage war or destroy the humans, so your post makes absolutely no sense there...
Perhaps in the sequel you could be right, but it doesn't apply to District 9.

Some people will pass life by because they can't see or won't believe. It's like willingly depriving yourself of a sense. Bizarre behavior. District 9 was a hell of a movie regardless of whether or not you think it's message is right or wrong, or what have you. Just for a good time, it's a good movie. As something deeper, it expresses alot of information and does a good job, explaining in a single film how we as a race have come so far, but also, gone so very little in our quest to make a better world.

We treat immigrants and those who are different from us like prawns all the time. Someday you may find yourself in an unfortunate position to be treated that way. I hope we never do, but many people have. This movie really can teach a positive message of change and redemption, Wikis van de Merwe's changing was physical and mental and emotional, and I hope we can all take a piece of that understanding with us when we leave the theater.

This is a great film for anyone who is brave enough for the violent scenes and uncomfortable lessons. It's a great film for those trying to learnn about the world. I recommend it highly.

Originally posted by BaronVonGodzilla
... District 9 was a hell of a movie regardless of whether or not you think it's message is right or wrong, or what have you. Just for a good time, it's a good movie. ...

I think the movie was largely aimed at entertaining the young male demographic which is the main target demographic for films made these days - so yoiu can't argue it has been successful in appealing to this demographic. That is the primary way that a movie is measured as successful - how many people watch it in theatres.

But I would argue that it really isn't that great of a science fiction movie quality wise. However, that is a subjective reaction based on my assessment of the things I like to see in a movie like great drama, storytelling, cinematography, sound and music. I did like the movie sets but I didn't like the aliens themselves, although I can admit that it is hard to make convincing looking aliens in the harsh bright lighting conditions of District 9. Unlike "Aliens" which had dark lighting so the aliens looked really terrifying and convincing.

I was expecting much better storytelling as I was a huge fan of Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, but he was working from a great classic trilogy, so I guess that helped.

Originally posted by BaronVonGodzilla
This movie really can teach a positive message of change and redemption, Wikis van de Merwe's changing was physical and mental and emotional, and I hope we can all take a piece of that understanding with us when we leave the theater.

I would agree that his predicament does perhaps "humanize" him by forcing him to find refuge with the "prawns". So perhaps that is a "positive" message within the film.

Originally posted by BaronVonGodzilla
This is a great film for anyone who is brave enough for the violent scenes and uncomfortable lessons. It's a great film for those trying to learnn about the world. I recommend it highly.

So we are better people if we are "brave enough" to like watching violence? That would be great way for Hollywood to market this film to young men.

"District 9.. Are you brave enough to watch it?"

Originally posted by qonone

Originally posted by Jakes51
I found that the film used the Science Fiction genre to generate a social commentary of Apartheid South Africa. Did any of you see that as well?

Oh, believe me, exactly what the message is. It upsets me, as a South African. It, the "message" comes through in this way and not from both sides, all one sided. Now if they would have concentrated on the "true" ways of these "prawns" whom cannot behave and burn schools, kill each other with the classic tire method, raping, to slaughter their own race with such disgust that it is inhuman, then people would not have felt so sorry for the prawns. Ofcourse there are bad humans, real mofo's whom are a disgusting waste of space on mother earth. There are those who are humane, who don't see "specie" but love.

Then South Africa gives the country to the prawns and soon all other alien species arrive. They rape, plunder, kill and do what they want and the "new" weak government sits back.


As far as aliens go, i stand with humans.

[edit on 8/25/2009 by qonone]

Couldn't have said it better myself my man!