Going Home: The Problem of Dwelling in Contemporary Film

District 9 is a politically charged science fiction film that was released in 2009. Set in the volatile world of Johannesburg, South Africa, the film tells the story of a group of insectoid aliens (called Prawns) that get stranded on Earth when their spacecraft loses an important command module. Like most space invader films, District 9 utilizes a simple narrative opposition: as a group of inexplicable outsiders, the aliens form an imminent danger that must be excised immediately by the humans; however, while District 9 follows this traditional narrative structure, its low-fi, even quotidian treatment of the alien invasion distinguishes it from most contemporary science fiction films. Unlike many high-octane sci-fi films, that all too often portray the aliens as a formidable military force that is ready and willing to decimate the human race, in District 9 the enthralling and sensationalistic powers of military technology are permanently sidelined. In short, there are no impressive intergalactic battle scenes; no explosive displays of military technology and violence. Neither are there any awe-inspiring scientific breakthroughs that allow the humans to vanquish the aliens and save humankind. Quite the contrary, instead of cunning and intelligent creatures the Prawns are portrayed as pathetic beings that are barely able to sustain themselves, let alone wage a massive assault on the human race.