Christopher SoallSeemingly Threatening...
March 29th 2010 11:32
During the 1995 Rugby World Cup Final in 1995, a Boeing 747 flew over the Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg, wishing the native team good luck in the big game. In Clint Eastwood’s film ‘Invictus’, this was used excellently as a dramatic device; with the security taking responsibility for Morgan Freeman’s Nelson Mandela standing in helpless fixation as it swoops down towards the stadium, only to harmlessly fly past with the aforementioned well-wishing message.
In reality, the security team were well briefed about the planned flypast, but in terms of cinema, that moment, for me, ranks up alongside the giant steamship gliding through the sand dunes in ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ for pure visual impact.
It also reiterated the thematic reoccurrence of things being seemingly threatening, but turning out not to be so, a device used to great effect with the van delivering the batch of newspapers near the beginning of the film; when it had been set-up that it would contain potential assassins on a drive-by shooting mission.
However, that thematic strand, for me at least, seemed to be a microcosm for the whole film; as there was a lot of implied conflict that never really lead to any sort of causal
complications later on in the film.
‘District 9’ was another release that was set in Johannesburg, and like parts of Eastwood’s film, showed the squalor that marginalised groups of people (or aliens) had to suffer. The arrogance of the white people in power (the black population of ‘District 9’ are also shown as criminals who run the District and are themselves marginalised) is brilliantly epitomised by the performance in the first act by first time actor Sharlto Copley, who pokes fun at the unfortunate ‘prawns’ and seems blissfully ignorant of the tragedy of their situation. The difference is that Copley’s character is essentially punished for this, when he is infected, and slowly becomes one of these ‘prawns’. He understands the lives that these aliens live under the oppressive regime of the white man; and he learns to realise that he can’t plea on behalf of the group that he now belongs to, and starts to live in exile. For me, that is more effective than implied racism when the new security teams under Nelson Mandela discuss the differences in the players of rugby and football.
Some people might suggest that it is folly to compare two such generically different films; as on the surface, one is a gentle, feel good film about a Global hero and the other is a high concept Science Fiction film; and they might be right to do so. What I would argue is that while ‘District 9’ is a high concept Sci-Fi film, it cost $30 Million to produce, around half as much as ‘Invictus’, and had no superstar talent attached to it, so the lines of how high ‘concept’ it is become somewhat ambiguous.
Make no mistake, ‘Invictus’ is a fine film that will always leave the audience satisfied that its two immensely popular characters have achieved what is seemingly impossible. The performances too, are excellent.
What I would argue is that as far as South Africa is concerned, ‘District 9’ is a more valuable commentary, allegorically, for not only the state of South Africa under Apartheid, but for that area of the World and the current predicament it faces by corrupt authority.
That to me, should be made to be more of an imminent worry than a plane swooping towards a stadium; especially if it’s been pre-arranged.
It also reiterated the thematic reoccurrence of things being seemingly threatening, but turning out not to be so, a device used to great effect with the van delivering the batch of newspapers near the beginning of the film; when it had been set-up that it would contain potential assassins on a drive-by shooting mission.
However, that thematic strand, for me at least, seemed to be a microcosm for the whole film; as there was a lot of implied conflict that never really lead to any sort of causal
complications later on in the film.
‘District 9’ was another release that was set in Johannesburg, and like parts of Eastwood’s film, showed the squalor that marginalised groups of people (or aliens) had to suffer. The arrogance of the white people in power (the black population of ‘District 9’ are also shown as criminals who run the District and are themselves marginalised) is brilliantly epitomised by the performance in the first act by first time actor Sharlto Copley, who pokes fun at the unfortunate ‘prawns’ and seems blissfully ignorant of the tragedy of their situation. The difference is that Copley’s character is essentially punished for this, when he is infected, and slowly becomes one of these ‘prawns’. He understands the lives that these aliens live under the oppressive regime of the white man; and he learns to realise that he can’t plea on behalf of the group that he now belongs to, and starts to live in exile. For me, that is more effective than implied racism when the new security teams under Nelson Mandela discuss the differences in the players of rugby and football.
Some people might suggest that it is folly to compare two such generically different films; as on the surface, one is a gentle, feel good film about a Global hero and the other is a high concept Science Fiction film; and they might be right to do so. What I would argue is that while ‘District 9’ is a high concept Sci-Fi film, it cost $30 Million to produce, around half as much as ‘Invictus’, and had no superstar talent attached to it, so the lines of how high ‘concept’ it is become somewhat ambiguous.
Make no mistake, ‘Invictus’ is a fine film that will always leave the audience satisfied that its two immensely popular characters have achieved what is seemingly impossible. The performances too, are excellent.
What I would argue is that as far as South Africa is concerned, ‘District 9’ is a more valuable commentary, allegorically, for not only the state of South Africa under Apartheid, but for that area of the World and the current predicament it faces by corrupt authority.
That to me, should be made to be more of an imminent worry than a plane swooping towards a stadium; especially if it’s been pre-arranged.
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