The repugnant appeal of the abject: cityscape and cinematic corporality inDistrict 9

Abstract

This article explores the different aspects of abjection in Neill Blomkamp's film District 9 (2009), namely abjection and the urban space, the aliens and the process of abjection, and the human body and the state of abjection. Julia Kristeva's model of abjection offers a useful lens through which to view District 9, as it is a theoretical exposition of the psychological origins and workings of loathing and disgust. Besides the tension and action of science fiction cinema, the viewer is constantly confronted with the dynamic of the abject which manifests in the dystopic cityscape of Johannesburg (and specifically the ghetto of Chiawelo) and the repulsive bodies and the repugnant social habits of the aliens. It is ironic and significant that the film's central character, Wikus van de Merwe, becomes the extreme manifestation of the state of abjection as a result of his metamorphosis into the repulsive appearance of the Other. This rupture of the boundary between the inside and the outside of the clean and orderly body evokes critical questions about real and symbolic identity, which implies a new comprehension of humanness/humanity. Ultimately the viewer's confrontation with the abject in District 9 is a confrontation with fear, as Hook (2006) argues.

Towards a structure of feeling: abjection and allegories of disease in science fiction ‘mutation’ films

“…They are subsequently evicted to a more distant location. While the film's focus therefore seems to be on apartheid, as is commonly suggested,64 65 it concurrently alludes to anxieties about biomedicine and science akin to those that have beleaguered the UK and US medical profession. Indeed, as Anne-Marie Rafferty66 states, “the urgency and complexity of South Africa's historical legacy is in the process of unravelling.…”

“…In another sequence, a Nigerian character named Obesandjo (Eugene Khumbanyiwa) also attempts to amputate De Merwe's arm, but for reasons of apparent cannibalism, although Adele Nel64 argues that this is not the case. Rather, Nel64 suggests that “Obesandjo's desire to eat the arm should be contextually associated with the production of muthi […].…”

“…Rather, Nel64 suggests that “Obesandjo's desire to eat the arm should be contextually associated with the production of muthi […]. Muthi medicine is an aspect of African holistic healthcare where, among others, human body parts and vital organs are used to make medicine.…”

Imagining Africa’s futures in two Caine Prize-winning stories: Henrietta Rose-Innes’s “Poison” and NoViolet Bulawayo’s “Hitting Budapest”

“…In this regard, it is important to consider briefly some of the ways in which such troubling representations of African cities contribute to the production and circulation of uncomplimentary visions of Africa. In her critique of the science fiction thriller film District 9 , Adéle Nel (2012) explores how the pervasive imagery of abjection in the portrayal of a Johannesburg slum appeals to what Barbara Creed (1993: 10) describes as the “desire […] for perverse pleasure”. Similarly, Gareth Jones and Ramola Sanyal interrogate the ways in which the production of the postcolonial “slum as spectacle becomes part of a fluid representational stock of images and experiences that circulate, with the potential to be picked up and acted upon by diverse actors” (2015: 433).…”

Uzaylı Olarak ‘Öteki’: Yasak Bölge 9 Filminin Post-kolonyal Kavramlar ile Okunması

“…Ardından da bu temalar ekseninde kaleme alınmış çeşitli makaleler Yasak Bölge 9'u sadece ilk akla gelen Avatar (2009) gibi dünya dışı gezegen ve canlıları konu alan filmler ile değil, Fly (Sinek, David Crononberg, 1986) gibi dönüşüm hikâyeleri; Mad Max (George Miller, 1979-2015), Blade Runner (Bıçak Sırtı, Ridley Scott, 1982 gibi distopyalar ya da Coming Home (Athol Fugard, 2009), Viva Riva! (Djo Tunda Wa Munga, 2010) gibi doğrudan Afrika kıtasına uzanan anlatılar ile karşılaştırarak çözümlemeye girişmiştir (Rieder, 2011;Veracini, 2011;Nel, 2012;van Veuren, 2012;Walder, 2014;Frassinelli, 2015ve Duncan, 2018. Bu film okumasının iskeletini ise 1970'li yılların sonundan itibaren edebiyat, kültür incelemeleri ve cinsiyet araştırmalarını da içine alan geniş bir yelpazeyi kapsayacak şekilde gelişen ve kolonyal geçmiş ve uzantılarının entelektüel üretimdeki baskın rolünü -geçmiş ve sömürgeciliğin tasfiye edildiği toplumlarla sınırlı kalmaksızın -sorgulayan post-kolonyal çalışmalar ve onun, 'melezlik' başta olmak üzere, 'ötekilik', 'aradalık', 'tektipleştirme' gibi temel kavramları oluşturacaktır.…”