{"id":4352,"date":"2017-01-30T16:00:02","date_gmt":"2017-01-30T20:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ata-divisions.org\/ID\/?p=4352"},"modified":"2018-11-05T18:38:17","modified_gmt":"2018-11-05T22:38:17","slug":"arrival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ata-divisions.org\/ID\/arrival\/","title":{"rendered":"ARRIVAL \u2013 Down-to-Earth Communication in a Time of Alienation"},"content":{"rendered":"
By Marsel de Souza<\/strong><\/h5>\n

[WARNING: This review contains spoilers]<\/em><\/p>\n

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\u201cArrival\u201d can be seen from three different points of view: as a portrayal of the spirit of communication among people from different cultures and languages in our time, as an account of the adventure of learning a foreign language, and as evidence of the visceral relationship between a mother and her child. It is compelling not only in terms of how each of these layers was developed, but also how they interconnect. Part of the beauty of the film lies in the dazzling barrage of semiotic elements that parade across the screen, which could not be more timely given its core theme.<\/p>\n

Communication Breakdown<\/h3>\n

First, wouldn’t it be bizarre if, precisely during the current boom in information and communication technologies, humankind was utterly unable to engage in a dialogue with newcomers to planet Earth? The premise behind \u201cArrival\u201d is actually a pretext to probe into a more down-to-earth, yet serious, problem \u2013 the mounting difficulties people of different cultures face to understand each other.<\/p>\n

Over one hour into the film, linguist Louise Banks (Amy Adams) reveals that it will only be possible to make sense of the intention of the foreign visitors if each of the countries hosting the 12 \u201cshells\u201d cooperate in communicating with them, and even so some of these countries choose to isolate themselves in this endeavor; worse still, they are quite willing to resort to belligerent language in the face of a communication dilemma. As such, it is rather telling \u2013 and hopefully not premonitory \u2013 that \u201cArrival\u201d was in production before the outcome of the British referendum and the U.S. presidential elections in 2016.<\/p>\n

“The film is abundant with situations that are symbolic of the process of being immersed into a foreign language.”<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n

An inclination towards alienation can also be seen when China attempts to use the rules of its traditional Mahjong game as a template for communication with the visitors \u2013 a clear reference to our unwillingness to try and understand others’ points of view. At the military base, note how the screen for monitoring the situation at the 12 sites with the mysterious shells indeed resembles a game board! The deadlock in the \u201cgame\u201d of global communication becomes evident as countries break off communication and the rectangles they occupy on the board black out. Would this be the nations\u2019 fear of sharing knowledge? Incidentally, director Villeneuve is very skillful in ensuring that a sense of fear of the unknown permeates virtually the entire film.<\/p>\n

The Americans are also impatient with the slow progress of communication efforts, and have trouble understanding that when two such disparate civilizations first enter in contact a stage of \u201cnegotiated uncommunication\u201d is required (and it is certainly this rushed approach that prompts China to go down the decommunication path).<\/p>\n

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