Examining a Contemporary Feature Film

French New Wave cinema was established by film critics, who founded the Cahiers du Cinema, whom felt cinema had become too commercialized, formulaic, and unoriginal. This group of critics would come to identify two major characteristics of the New Wave movement, which included the manner in which mise-en-scene was utilized in the film and how their auteur theory could be applied to work of art created. A contemporary film that incorporates French New Wave cinema elements into its production and design is the 2009 film District 9.

Among the major elements used in French New Wave film are loose story plots; improvised dialogue; erratic character behavior; unique use of jump cuts; and the use of natural lighting, location, and direct sound recording. District 9's unique documentary style and editing allows Neill Blomkamp to successfully incorporate these elements into the film's narrative while maintaining a cohesive feel.

Additionally, District 9 is a commentary on social issues of racism and social stratification. It can be argued that the commentary of these issues is a commentary on the institutionalized discrimination and racism (apartheid) that was rampant in South Africa from 1948 until 1994.[footnoteRef:1] [1: "The History of Apartheid in South Africa," accessed November 13, 2012, http://www-cs-students.stanford.edu/~cale/cs201/apartheid.hist.html]

District 9 is reminiscent of the sci-fi/film noir film Alphaville by Jean-Luc Goddard as it combines issues of unwarranted persecution and advanced, albeit alien, technology. Moreover, like Alphaville, District 9 comments on bureaucracy and how the government influences social behaviors.

Through its narrative style, social and political commentary, and genre, District 9 builds upon the foundations of French New Wave cinema.

I. Introduction

a. French New Wave origins[footnoteRef:2] [2: Keven Krasko, "La Nouvelle Vague (The French New Wave)," accessed November 13, 2012, http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&ved=0CE8QFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffaculty.ccri.edu%2Fpanaccione%2FFall07StudentPresentations%2Fleon%2Ffrench%2520new%2520wave.ppt&ei=qZShUOOENIONyAGs9oGoAQ&usg=AFQjCNGe_SMYFR3dsIK0FuZq5q22sihHbw]

i. Started by group of critics who founded Cahiers du Cinema

i. These critics considered popular films to be too formulaic and unoriginal

ii. Cahiers du Cinema identified 2 main characteristics of the movement

1. Mise en scene

2. Auteur theory

a. Celebrated directors who were auteurs such as Renoir, Hitchcock, and Welles

b. Major elements and characteristics of French New Wave cinema and how they relate to District 9. [footnoteRef:3] [3: Ibid.]

i. Loose story plots

1. Gives audience members the feeling that anything can happen in the film. Allows for open endings.

a. The development of the story and plot in District 9 is organic and allows the audience to see how circumstances influence Wikus van de Merwe (Sharlto Copley) and how these influences determine how Wikus interacts with those around him.[footnoteRef:4] [4: District 9, DVD, directed by Neill Blomkamp, (2009; South Africa, TriStar Pictures, 2009).]

b. The origin of the aliens in the film is unclear. They just appeared in Johannesburg one day in 1982.[footnoteRef:5] [5: District 9, directed by Neill Blomkamp.]

ii. Improvisation of dialogue

1. Most, if not all, of the alien interaction and dialogue with Wikus during the eviction scene was improvised by Jason Cope or the actor Sharlto Copely (Wikus).[footnoteRef:6] [6: Meredith Woerner, "Five Things You Didn't Know About District 9," accessed November 13, 2012, http://io9.com/5341120/5-things-you-didnt-know-about-district-9]

2. "So we would film the two of them and then we would go to a different shack. And he'd pretend to evict a new alien. Then we'd go somewhere else and somewhere else. So it was just the two of them. It's the conversations between those two, the actual dialogue and what actually came out of them was totally improved. Any details in words and the language between the two happened right there on the day of shooting. That what makes it feel like they are really communicating...

"But stuff like when he walks up in to the shack and says, "this is a gang sign, we're in a gang area right here," we would draw the sign on the wall and he would randomly say it's a gang area. And that meant because he's walking up to a shack that has an alien in it with a whole story that we've written with those guys distilling their fluid and I'm like, "that's interesting you just said that the supporting alien character is a gangster." But if it works, we keep going," (Neill Blomkamp to Meredith Woerner). [footnoteRef:7] [7: Meredith Woerner, "Five Things You Didn't Know About District 9."]

3. "All of my dialogue, all of my actual lines are improvised. There's a script but Neill works within a structure. "This is what neebds to happen in the scene -- go there, evict the guy, pull the guy outside, go inside and see the computers." And then I'll work with Jason and improvise and keep throwing stuff, throwing different options."[footnoteRef:8] [8: Brian Tellerico, "Interview with Sharlto Copely Star of District 9," Videohound's Movieretriever, accessed November 13, 2012, http://www.movieretriever.com/blog/404/interview-with-sharlto-copley-star-of-district-9]

iii. Characters are odd and often act on a whim

1. In the film, the Wikus's actions and behavior are reactionary. This is further evidenced and supported through the improvised dialogue.

2. Additionally, Wikus is characterized as an indifferent bureaucrat who happens to be married to Tanya, who is the daughter of Piet Smith (Louis Minnaar), an MNU director.[footnoteRef:9] [9: District 9, Directed by Neill Blomkamp]

iv. Use of unnatural jump cuts.

1. District 9's editing incorporates documentary style interviews intercut with traditional film narrative and editing. The film is initially presented to be a documentary until the concepts of aliens is introduced into the film.

v. Shooting on location, natural lighting, and direct sound recording.[footnoteRef:10] [10: Craig Phillips, "French New Wave," Green Cine, accessed November 13, 2012, http://www.greencine.com/static/primers/fnwave1.jsp.]

1. This element of French New Wave is facilitated through District 9's documentary style, which extends beyond the interviews that are incorporated into the narrative.