#12: Arrival

Arrival is a film about human communication. Like all science fiction, the story is not really about aliens or robots or space, it's a reflection on humanity, and what we see within ourselves.

On its surface, Arrival focuses on the communications between an alien race who seemingly encroaches on the human property of Earth, an action viewed with some hostility by some. As Amy Adams' Dr. Louise Banks begins to decode their language, a bridge of communication is formed. This achievement, alongside the following developments (that will not be spoiled here), portrays the ingenuity of the human race, as we are able to evolve and shape who we are through our environment.

Delve down a level, and the film also is a form of communication. Through the medium of film, Denis Villeneuve forms his own bond of communication. Throughout Arrival, Villeneuve expresses a deft control of his craft, combining stunning visuals and a powerful script to form a well-rounded tale of linguistics. It's a beautiful piece of film thanks to its strong acting and cinematography, with some stunning wide-lense shots of the landscape around the alien ship. Finally, Max Richter's recurring theme of "On the Nature of Daylight," hugely contributes to the emotional impact of the film, that works alongside Villeneuve's direction to create the film's refined beauty. Through all of this, Villeneuve communicates to the audience a complex plot that portrays emotion and human connection in a thoroughly unique way.

On its final and deepest level, Arrival also makes multiple observations about communication within society. First, it's a cautionary tale of human cooperation, as governments struggle to communicate across their own languages and interests. Following along this thread, there is the theme of unity. When people do work together, amazing things are achieved.

There is another idea that can be found deep within Arrival. Maybe it's not even an intentional theme, but the idea still stood out. In the film, Banks discusses the theory of linguistic relativity, or the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, with Jeremy Renner's Ian Donnelly. She says, "It's the theory that the language you speak determines how you think," to which Donnelly replies, "Right, it affects how you see everything." So at its deepest level, Arrival is also a meditation about our language, and how we see each other.