Racism in District 9

District 9 is a politically charged film and it has created a bit of controversy. Many now claim (and I can see it myself) that the film is racist. For instance, the aliens (which are suppose to represent the oppressed black population) are disgusting creatures that eat cat food, live in filth, defecate on their own homes, and kill without remorse. At the beginning of the film, the audience is suppose to side with the MNU and their plan to remove the aliens from the city. Who would want this horde of destructive aliens living in their city among their children? I know I wouldn’t. Only later in the film do we begin to see how badly the humans treat the aliens and begin to have some sympathy for them. But this is only because of Christopher (the main prawn) and how he acts more like a human. A question arises about how these aliens could have all this high tech weaponry and still act like total savages. Supposedly, the aliens took all there lower class citizens and put them on a ship to earth because they were unsure if it would ever return. Christopher is the only educated prawn and was most likely the pilot of the ship. So, the aliens on earth are seen as stupid, destructive, and unclean. Only the one educated alien (Christopher) allows the audience to contain any sort of sympathy for the aliens.

I can see how this could be considered racist but that is only if the viewer believes the aliens are suppose to represent the oppressed black population directly. Making the aliens this way was most likely done to make the films visuals more gritty and scary and to get the bigger message of oppression out there rather than to be a direct representation of black people. Due to this, I do not believe the aliens represent the black population directly nor should it be considered racist.

Where the racism occurs is with the black Nigerian gangsters. The racism occurs when we learn the Nigerians are cannibals who sell Nigerian prostitutes to the aliens. This becomes racist because the Nigerians are already shown as despicable humans; the cannibalism and prostitution are unnecessary and even create some plot holes. Why have the main Nigerian gangster be a cannibal? When he finds Wikus he wants to cut off his arm and eat it in order to become more powerful, risking the only asset he has to the use of alien weaponry. I understand the gangster probably isn’t the most intelligent guy but he has been shown eating alien flesh before with no result. A better option for him would be to cut off the arm and use it to shoot the weapons or try and force Wikus to use them. Having the Nigerians be cannibals only makes them look that more bloodthirsty and really has nothing to do with the story.

This is also seen through Nigerian prostitution. The MNU as well as South Africa knows there are human prostitutes having sex with aliens and therefore know it is most likely impossible for a human to transform into an alien due to sexual contact. An ad is shown warning other South Africans to stay back from Wikus because his STD is contagious and if they see him to call the MNU. Although it is unclear if the general public knows that he is transforming into an alien, the viewer is led to believe that some people do know. During a conversation with his wife Wikus states he is going, “To make himself better” and “Turn things back to the way they use to be” leading the viewer to believe she knows of his metamorphosis. So why include Nigerian prostitution? The viewer knows as well as South Africa that sexual relations have been going on between the aliens and humans but now suddenly there are alien STD’s that are contagious and can possibly transform a human into an alien? The cannibalism and prostitution by the Nigerians is only included to add to the gruesomeness of the Nigerians and this is why they have become so upset about it.