Hilarity Ensues: Episode Six: District 9--A Character Analysis

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE HAS MANY SPOILERS.

It doesn't take much to see exactly why Peter Jackson put his faith and money into Niell Blomkamp's premiere project District 9. As far as sci-fi goes, it stands alone as an instant classic. But on a much more human note, it's not only the action and extreme violence that propels this film way past any possible expectations, it's the characters.

District 9 was pretty much exactly what I hoped it would be. It was fully realized and multi-layered. Blomkamp left no stone unturned in telling his tale of woe, oppression, love, family, racism, and society. It's much, much more than just a science-fiction film. The film's characters no matter what importance they play (be it main, secondary, background) are deep and seem so real, you almost recognize these attributes in people you know.

To begin, I'd like to start with the most intriguing character (in my opinion) Obesandjo, or for those who don't recall by name, the Nigerian weapons dealer. It seems this is the most tragic of characters in a way. Of course, the central struggle within him is to appear tough and continue his cat food scam, leading his gang of roving criminals to bigger and better things. Yes, he wanted the weapons, and he wanted to learn how they'd work. But it's only when we see that he dwells in black magic that his character begins to take shape. At one point in the film (when Wikus goes to him in hopes of buying weapons), he tells Wikus he will eat his arm to gain his power. Sure, it's obvious Obesandjo wants the power of the prawns, and he wishes to find a way to be strong and dangerous, but most of all, he wants to walk. As you may recall, he was confined to a wheelchair the whole film, and, willingly played by Eugene Khumbanyiwa, paints a portrait of a very depressed man. His eyes bleed sadness, and his face everytime he's seen on screen, is deeply in pain. Perhaps that's why he chose this lifestyle in the first place: to overcome his handicap. There's no backstory as to whether or not he was born that way, or perhaps crippled at some point in his life, but it's obvious that, above all else, he wants badly to walk.

Wikus Van De Merwe is, of course, the most layered character in the film. In the beginning, we see a man working for his wife's father, trying desperately to climb up in the ranks of MNU. He's young, nieve, and dedicated to his job. Most of all, however, he has a big heart behind his cold exterior. It's my belief that the only reason he puts forth this cold font is in order to continue successfully with his job. At some point, he is afraid of the prawns, yes. But also, there's the other side of him that see's them as almost an equal from the get-go. As stated, he's just dedicated to his job.

Through the story, as his shape and body changes, Wikus has emotional changes as well. Towards the end, when Christopher is back against the wall, Wikus walks out on him, only to change his mind a second later upon hearing a transmission. His sense of honor and loyalty is what makes him the perfect candidate to accidentally be stricken with the prawn fluid in the first place. At the end of the film, we see a very different Wikus. Upon realizing he may not get out alive, he goes into a savoir mentality. He chooses to die for the prawns in order to save the lot of them, and, although he doesn't die, it's still a very selfless act for a man who in the beginning is seen as dedicated to his laborous rules. Of course, there's many factors that aided his decisions: seeing what MNU was really using the prawns for, knowing what the camps would hold, and overall, getting to see that Christopher and his son are not very different from himself.

Wikus is, at heart, a tragic character, and the deeply sad part at the end of the film sums up who he is, and has been, through the whole movie: a lover who had a fighting side.

I could continue and go over every single character of District 9, but these two were the most interesting to me. Of course, Christopher is very close to Wikus as a sort of "war buddy". It's assumed that at the end of the film, Christopher is as much a man of his word as Wikus is (although nothing was exactly said other than he promised). They both played one another like a fiddle, but when push came to shove, came together in a brotherly sense.

It's interesting to dissect characters in District 9, as many films don't feature such rich character construction and back ground (especially not most of the summer movies that came out this year). If you have any feedback, please comment and we can discuss other characters and opinions on the film. However, if we don't share alike views, please talk of it in a nice manner.