Crickets Vs Cats Pt 2

Welcome To Part 2 of the Things In Jars Oscar Special

On the eve of Oscar night we’re looking at District 9 and Avatar – two very similar films both nominated for this year’s Best Picture Academy Award. Although I’ve seen no serious talk of District 9 taking the top award one can’t deny these movies share a lot more in common than just their status as genre films. Yet at the same time they sit at utterly opposite ends of the spectrum from a production point of view.

If you haven’t yet, be sure to check out Part 1, where there’s a little more background about each of the films.

SPOILER WARNING SPOILER WARNING SPOILER WARNING
I’ll be speaking extensively about both films in this entry so expect some MAJOR SPOILERS for each movie. If you prefer your discussions spoiler-free then this is not the blog entry you are looking for – YE HAVE BEEN WARNED!
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District Nine Vs Avatar – Similarities

Story and Themes - Both Avatar and D9 have essentially the same story – in a conflict between humans and aliens, the protagonist changes his attitude and comes to the aid of the aliens after literally starting to become an alien himself.

In Jake’s case in Avatar this change is voluntary – and temporary. Whenever his avatar goes to sleep he awakens back in his human body in the research station. In fact he loves the change to the new body since it allows him the use of his legs again, having been rendered a paraplegic during a military campaign. By the end of the film he agrees to undergo a ritual which allows him to permanently transfer his consciousness into his alien body.

In District 9 Wikus’s change is accidental, and completely unwanted – in fact he resists literally kicking and screaming. Wikus’ major motivation through 95% of the film is his determination to change himself back to normal, by any means necessary, so he can return to his old life and his beloved wife. He’s been promised a cure by the alien Christopher Johnson, but by the end of the movie this promise still remains unfulfilled.

Wikus’ arc is really a mirror image of Jake’s – in a way they both end up in the place where the other began. Jake starts out physically and emotionally damaged and finds peace of mind, acceptance, and love amongst his new people. When we meet Wikus he has a wife he adores, a life he’s happy with and with his new promotion the feeling that his prospects are looking up. The last time we see him, his old life has been completely ripped away and he is left utterly alone – whether he then rises again from the ashes remains to be seen. Wikus has only just started down the road to redemption by the end of District 9 – although both men have come to learn to respect lives that are different from their own.

This connection between different forms of life, and how we must learn to respect this connection is given a very literal representation in Avatar - the Na’Vi can commune with the other creatures on Pandora through special nerve cells and by the end of the movie the planet itself literally comes to the rescue of its inhabitants. Although less obvious in D9, Sharlto Copley has mentioned in interviews that as the film progresses he feels Wikus "becomes more in line with life itself". As Wikus' conditioning is stripped away and everything he considered certain crumbles he learns to recognize and respect the aliens as other life forms.

District Nine Vs Avatar – David Vs Goliath

Production wise, the differences between District 9 and Avatar are immediately obvious. Weta Workshop did designs for both films (although the actual Prawns were created by Vancouver’s Image Engine) but there the similarities end.

Directors - Avatar has James Cameron at the helm, a very experienced director with a long string of hits under his belt. In contrast District 9 is Neil Blomkamp’s first feature length film after a number of successful commercials and several years as a computer animator.

Budgets - Avatar is now the most expensive movie ever made costing 20th Century Fox nearly $500 million dollars. D9’s budget? $30 million, a mere fraction of Avatar’s. Peter Jackson produced District 9 out of his own pocket, without studio backing.

Looks - District 9 has a true indy look to it. The hand held camera work is extensive and much of the footage is made to look as though it’s been recovered from security cameras and other less than pristine sources. Avatar uses absolutely cutting edge 3D technology to create a brand new world and is visually sharp and stunning.

Cast - Blomkamp purposely cast unknowns to give District 9 a more realistic feel and there is no better example of this than having Sharlto Copley, who had never acted in a feature before, as main character Wikus. Sigourney Weaver heads up the cast of Avatar, although Sam Worthington who plays Jake, is a relative newcomer.


Two movies so close in themes yet one is the absolutely embodiment of the mega Hollywood blockbuster, the other an indy film which came out of nowhere to become a sleeper hit. Who will win? Stay tuned tomorrow when I post my pick!