I just saw this today and I only remember one Black South African that looked “like he had a high standard of living”, the MNU worker in the beginning. The men-on-the-street interviewees didn’t strike me this way.
But more to the point—maybe they didn’t focus on that because that IS the subtext of the film. Showing too much of it in parallel with the plot that it already obviously parallels would be laying it on too thick.
I do agree that the Nigerians are completely portrayed in a negative and primitive light.
As an aside, I thoroughly enjoyed the film for what it was.
Josh Ryan
The living standards I’m referring to are, I guess, implied. People pouring out of office buildings, working in western style fast food shops, mid level MNU workers.
Yeah, to be explicit about problems in South Africa risks “laying it on to thick”. But it’s not inevitable. District 9 did a lot of things well, they might have succeeded…
My point is that the film lets the South African government off the hook for some real failures, and reinforces the really negative stereotypes about the Nigerians.
I don’t see how it can claim kudos for such a lovely subtext and then fail on these key issues.
For me the subtext is so blatant that the film is pretty scathing about the South African government’s failures.
But I ain’t arguing with you about the Nigerians. I don’t see a defense there.
If there’s an interpretation that can link the Nigerians to the political critique, I’d feel a lot better about having so much fun watching District 9.
John M.
For a pro con back and forth go to Disappointed by district 9
This film does something interesting with it’s Alien refugee camp. It levels pretty scathing charges at multinational capitalism, the UN, blackwater type contractors, and the whole military-industrial-academic complex. Accusing them (us?), of all sorts of bad -isms. It was surprisingly effective at making me think about unpleasant realities.
At the same time it seems to fall back on these tribal cliches by including mystical alien eating Nigerians as a sort of third force. A sort of evil that exists on the same plane as the multinationals. The Nigerians and the multinational company are involved in the alien weapons trade.
Actual refugee camps are not included in the film. Black South Africans often look like they have a high standard of living in this film. While in fact there are huge problems in South African society.
I wonder why the film, which seems so willing to be critical on one hand, turns a blind eye to reality on the other. Maybe it’s on purpose for some artistic reason. Maybe it was due to the fact it was filmed in Johannesburg.