The summer has brought us some relatively decent films, including Harry Potter x 6. I love me some Harry Potter but District 9...has a special place in my heart.
District 9 is a must must see for several reasons, the most important one being that it is a stellar social commentary. It also boasts superb special effects. Critics have called it 'transfixing'...and although I sort of despise critics of any kind most of the time, I agree.
I saw this movie during it's opening weekend and I recall reading a quote from another blogger, laden in the 'District 9' reviews of the Washington Post Express, as a response to the very clear language barrier between the human population and the 'prawns' in this film. She questioned how humans could understand the aliens and vice versa. Having seen the movie, the answer is crystal clear...perhaps if she had watched instead of I don't know, sucking face with some boy she would have engaged in a process of gaining insight otherwise known to the wise individual as thinking.
The setting of the movie implies in several ways that the aliens had been on Earth...long enough to be detained within a freakin' ghetto. Correct me if I am wrong but, if you have successfully detained aliens (or a language-and-intelligence-having-species other than your own) in a ghetto, subjected them to human practices, and ascertained that they are coherent enough to abide by human laws...they are probably going to learn to understand you after awhile.
I don't even think I need to rant on about this topic as I proceed to do with most other ones. I think it's clear that socialization occurs automatically upon the coupling of different groups and even in cases where one language is never learned or agreed upon...other methods of communication ensue, including sign language and the use of drawings or pictures.
As for the social commentary part, I commend Neil Blomkamp for his excellent portrayal of what I believe to be an adequate yet exaggerated account of reverse inhumanity. It also begs the examination of exactly 'who and what' should and can be exempt from human rights. Of course the outcome of current affairs with human treatment will be left to posterity but, what are we to do if people start comparing one another to the likeness of a 'stupid prawn'? In my experience lots of people already think this about certain classes of people.
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