Hatty Lee

A Love/Hate Relationship with District 9

ColorLines executive editor, Daisy Hernández, went to check out the new film District 9, and found herself not knowing whether to love it or hate it. The film has been attacked for racist stereotypes, but it’s still worth watching. Why is it so compelling?

Here’s a peek at what ColorLines has to say about the film:

Given the film’s bloodthirsty Nigerians, its hateful black South Africans and the malnourished aliens, what, then, makes District 9 worth watching?

Wikus, the white anti-hero.

Played superbly by Sharlto Copley, Wikus is the petty bureaucrat whose job it is to evict the aliens. But when he finds himself in the middle of an accident, Wikus becomes overnight a fugitive, one that’s being hunted by his own company and its private military. It is this white character’s emotional journey that makes District 9 such a moving and, in the end, memorable film.

Posted at 3:49 PM, Sep 02, 2009 in ColorLines Features | Permalink | View Comments