Rated S for Science: Arrival
Presenting the sublime beauty of the movie Arrival and its genre-redefining Sci-Fiction story.
“Despite knowing the journey and where it leads, I embrace it and welcome every moment.”
The earliest record of science fiction on a cinema screen was 120 years ago when French filmmaker Georges Méliès left the audience in awe and astonishment with his short film — A Trip to the Moon (if one hasn’t watched it yet, they should, for it is an 18-minute masterpiece in filmmaking and the human capacity to wonder). Even though the movie wasn’t even close to being scientifically accurate as space travel was a thing of fiction at the time, it left behind a legacy of creativity and imagination which led to further advances in filmmaking. From 1902 to 2022, one can easily chart the growing obsession of Hollywood with sci-fi movies. It has been a hallmark of Hollywood to create something new or sometimes churn out old movies with a twist but venturing into the fictional side of science has led to some classic movies in cinematic history. Be it 2001: A Space Odyssey or Star Wars (technically Star Wars isn’t pure science fiction and would fall under fantasy but that’s another debate) or the long-running Doctor Who series, we all at one point have been fascinated by spaceships and the promise of intergalactic travel. Even though a lot of superhero movies have made the genre a little saturated (looking at you, MCU), one idea that still captures our imagination is the idea of visitors from outside this planet. There is something ethereal about seeing aliens on screen that makes us appreciate the fragility of our lives.
There are numerous movies that fall under the category of extraterrestrial life, filled with war, comedy and whatnot, but one recommendation that we particularly suggest is the 2016 Academy award-nominated, Arrival. Before we get into the beauty with which the director made this movie, let’s get some facts about the movie out of our way. Arrival is based on a short story called ‘Story of Your Life’ by Ted Chiang, who is an exquisite sci-fi writer of our age and has written numerous other short stories that deserve our attention. Even though the film has chosen to leave out a few of the technical aspects of the story, director Denis Villeneuve’s vision has made the movie a cinematic masterpiece and a staple of science fiction movies (if you are not convinced by the Oscar for best sound editing and the star-studded cast, you should know that Denis Villeneuve was also at the helm of the movie franchise Dune, which again is an old sci-fi presented anew and a visual treat with a lot of Academy awards under its belt). Arrival officially falls under the category of a sci-fi thriller but it provides a whole slate of different emotions, philosophies and an existentialist lens to humanity’s search for life outside the earth.
Now before we go ahead, a spoiler warning is due because we are about to delve deep into the movie. So go ahead and watch the movie before you head further. Trust us, you will not be disappointed.
To unsuspecting viewers, Arrival would seem like any other science fiction movie, with the idea of aliens invading the Earth while humans scramble to find a way out of the mortifying situation. Sure, aliens make their entry into the scene early on; we get to know that twelve alien pods have appeared all over the world, and there is panic. But there is something about the treatment that tells you that this is different. And it absolutely is. Arrival is a beautiful story about time, linguistics, empathy and communication.
The director’s portrayal of non-linear time frames puts us in everlasting suspense and on the edge of our seats, trying to anticipate where the story is going next. The main difference between the short story and the movie comes from the director’s brilliance in deceiving us to assume that we are following a linear story with flashbacks. And that is why Nerdwriter from YouTube calls Arrival a “response to bad movies”. The director acts as a magician and we become a mystified audience.
Amy Adams portrays the lead role of a linguistic researcher, Dr Louise Banks, co-starring with Jeremy Renner as a physicist, Dr Ian Donelly. Amy Adams’ performance in the movie is nothing less than exceptional. Her command over emotions and scenes hook us to her pain and wonder from the very beginning. And that is the beauty of her portrayal because to feel that you are in her shoes and then proceed to live her life marred with pain really brings out the emotional aspect of the movie.
Just as Amy Adams put up a brave performance, her character is nothing short of a daring adventurer. Even after an initial fainting episode after seeing the aliens for the first time (which, by the way, was a spectacular first look of our E.T. guests — kudos to the graphics department), going beyond the call of duty, she desperately tries to communicate with the aliens and doesn’t look at them as enemies from the word go, as others do. She, along with her fellow taskmaster, Ian Donelly, names the two aliens Abbott and Costello (isn’t that adorable?) and that meeting changes the way we look at those aliens. It is mesmerizing to see them communicate and try to derive meaning out of those dynamic and graceful ink splotches that Abbott and Costello create for them. In a world where humans are averse to communicating in the face of turmoil, as China does in the movie, it is heartening to see Louise sticking to her will to communicate and understand the other species instead of vilifying them.
Some vignettes from Louise’s personal life and snatches of “memories” of her daughter that are interspersed with the current alien situation seem scattered at first, but the movie ties everything beautifully together at the end. In a poignant moment towards the end, the empathy and all the painstaking efforts of Louise and Ian make sense. We are left heartbroken with a revelation but also left with a feeling of veneration for time, space, and language.
The underlying theme of Arrival isn’t just first contact but it’s the breaking of our long-held beliefs on how species communicate. Ted Chiang, the author is known for his command of language and for mixing science with it, thus it is no surprise that the movie relies heavily on the understanding of language. Arrival uses a well-known hypothesis in linguistic theory to drive the point home.
Known as the “Sapir-Whorf hypothesis,” this theory states that language doesn’t just give people a way to express their thoughts — it influences or even determines those thoughts.
In our case, these thoughts that the new alien language generates aren’t merely thoughts but the way we observe the reality. The aliens have the capability to view time as a circle, knowing the end and the beginning at the same time, which is reflected in their language (even though many critics argue that this is a huge exaggeration of the hypothesis but nonetheless it provides an interesting vantage point). The idea of free will then isn’t about making choices but enacting them in a manner that the future unfolds the way it is supposed to. Many of us will be uncomfortable with this idea and we see the character of Ian also struggle through it when we find out the reason for his departure from the marriage. But the fact remains that for heptapods, life’s a stage and their language is a way to cement reality.
Similarly, knowledge of the future was incompatible with free will. What made it possible for me to exercise freedom of choice also made it impossible for me to know the future. Conversely, now that I know the future, I would never act contrary to that future, including telling others what I know: those who know the future don’t talk about it. Those who’ve read the Book of Ages never admit to it. — Ted Chiang, Story of my Life
The movie and story both provide a solid ground for the celebration of life even when our choices are shaped by pre-existing notions. It is a sign of a good movie to leave its audience with a sense of fulfilment while at the same time leaving room for a plethora of new questions that one can ponder upon and Arrival nails that perfectly. The brilliance in executing a story written so exquisitely that it questions the very nature of our language and understanding of time can only be attributed to the mastermind of Denis Villeneuve. It also opens up further debates into a large area of metaphysical and existential philosophy, the future of extraterrestrial research, our capabilities to interact with other species and the experience of human life in general. Such is the sublime messaging of Arrival, and we are all in for such genre-redefining science fiction movies that go above and beyond.
The curtain was about to fall on this act of our performance.
Stay tuned for more recommendations from Zeroing In.
The article was written by Atotmyr and Vagisha Bhatia, with all the love for the movie and the short story!
