19 March 2023
Avatar/District 9 Comparative Analysis Essay
Dylan Pienaar
12C – MAL
Science fiction is a medium intended to convey vital real-world messages such as morality and
responsibility to a modern audience in a way that makes them contemplate their own actions in
life. Avatar and District 9 are two science fiction films that undeniably contain a strong theme of a
hero’s journey, and their path to enlightened morality.
In the beginning of Avatar, the protagonist, Jake Sully, is a paraplegic marine veteran who lands
on the planet of Pandora with no intention of becoming a hero to the Na’vi people, but rather
intends to have what he refers to as a “fresh start”. This
hint at his initial self-serving nature is reinforced by the
scene when he is initially implanted into his Avatar and
runs free around the base camp, something he was
never able to do in his wheelchair-bound years. Fastpaced camera movement and Jake’s Avatar taking up
large amounts of screen space strengthen the idea of
Jake’s initial “larger than life attitude”, blissfully ignorant of
the imminent destruction of the native tribes’ home. His disregard for orders to acclimatise to his
Avatar are another example of this. However, this disobedience could be seen as foreshadowing
for Jake’s insubordinate nature later in the film.
Where Jake is indifferent to the so-called “other” in the beginning of Avatar, Wikus – the
protagonist of District 9 – initially displays an obviously bigoted nature towards the offensivelynamed “prawns” that populate District 9. When serving
eviction notices to the aliens, he often insults their
intelligence and disregards their wellbeing, and even
manipulates one of the aliens to “scrawl” on their eviction
notice for a mere tin of cat food. In that scene, and many
others throughout the eviction sequence, Wikus is put in
frame by a low-angled shot. This is not to make him
appear threatening, but rather to indicate the
dominance he has over the aliens. Even the grey-black colour tones of the sequence and Wikus’
wardrobe choice echoes the formality he sees in the eviction of the “prawns”, as if it is justifiable
due to the prejudice he has against them.
As the storyline of Avatar progresses, Jake Sully develops an endearment for the Na’vi people,
after spending time amongst them, and learning their ways from his love interest, Neytiri. Jake He
begins to slowly but surely become more comfortable in his Avatar, which is symbolic of the fact
of his growing connection to their culture as a whole. A
notable scene when speaking of Jake’s newfound
connection to the Na’vi and their ways is the one in which he
kills his first Pandoran creature, and recites a prayer in the
Na’vi language before culling it. This scene not only perfectly
illuminates Jake’s devotion by having him perform a
traditional act with no hesitation, but also includes a line from
Neytiri claiming that Jake is “ready”. This encompasses the viewers’ perception of Jake’s
progression. The darkened hues and low lighting in this film make Jake’s usually bright blue
coloured Avatar appear to blend into the surrounding forest better, a subtle nuance once again
to his new connection to the forest.
A similar “transition” phase is seen in District 9, however it is not voluntary or learnt in Wikus’ case.
Instead, Wikus learns of the malicious practices of his superiors after his contamination by the alien
fluid that causes his physical transition into an alien. He is strapped down on an examination bed,
forced to murder an alien, and all of this while being watched by his own father-in-law. This
dehumanisation causes a gradual epiphany in Wikus that
causes him to slowly become more and more
sympathetic towards the aliens, especially Christopher
and his son. It could be said that there is a definite
correlation between Wikus’ visible alien characteristics
and his connection to them. And while this understanding
is a product of circumstance, Wikus’ emotions are
genuine. As seen in the shooting range scene, after being
forced to shoot an alien, a disempowered Wikus cries strapped to a chair, with sweat dripping
down his body. In this scene, the attitudes of both parties are cinematographically intertwined in a
perfect manner. Wikus’ remorse is signified by his pale skin colour being the dominant hue in the
shot, and the blurriness of the close-up shot shows his confusion and trauma from the event. The
uncoloured background and digital lettering in the foreground add a sense of cold formality to
the shot, which represent the feelings of the MNU.
At the end of Avatar, Jake Sully makes his transition into his Avatar permanent. However, his full
changeover into one of the Na’vi comes prior to this, as he lands in front of their gathering on the
back of a gigantic Toruk, a symbol of great power and
respect within their culture. This scene serves as the
pinnacle of Jake’s permanence as a member of the
Na’vi, showing that he has a clear understanding of their
culture, having listened to Neytiri speak of the importance
of the Toruk to the people. The newfound respect and
admiration that the Na’vi have for Jake is emphasised by
the warm, inviting colours that add a sense of grandeur to
the shot, as well as Jake’s dominant stance in front of the
crowd. However, it should be noted that Jake being pictured as the same size as those in the
crowd is important, as it once again shows his interconnectedness with them, and that they are
one in the same. This interconnectedness is what makes Jake ready to fight against his own kind.
District 9’s conclusion is no less grandiose. In the closing scenes, we see Wikus facilitate
Christopher’s escape from Earth, by forfeiting his chance at leaving with Christopher and returning
to his human form, in order to hold off the assault from the
MNU soldiers. This is the peak of Wikus’ connectedness
with the aliens, even being willing to go so far as to fight
against his own kind in order to ensure their survival. In
addition to this, his connection to them is once again
linked to his bodily transformation becoming increasingly
severe. The most important scene linked to this change is
as Christopher’s pod heads toward the mothership, Wikus
looks up at the camera with a yellow eye and semi-alien
body, all the while with a smile on his face. His happiness with his decision is not just a testimony to
his enlightened sense of empathy, but also to his positive change in character. This admiration for
the ‘new and improved’ Wikus is presented to the viewer by the usage of bright, warm lighting.
All in all both films showcase perfect examples of character progression, by being placed in the
position of another with less than you. Both films adhere to the science fiction-esque intention of
bringing issues to light through an entertaining medium. Both films make us question our empathy
within our own circumstance, with similar journeys of discovery being experienced by both
characters. These films certainly made me contemplate my ability to ‘put myself in another’s
shoes’.
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