Arrival (Denis Villeneuve, 2016) Movie • Page 7

I don't really see the racist undertones. They needed to make the opposing force a formidable country for it to have any sense of realism and tension. I also never thought they really portrayed them as "villains" because their fear was very logical and human. And they managed to make General Shang so three-dimensional by the end. He ended up being one of my favorite characters.

 

I loved this

 

You don't need any of that, though. For a mainstream film, and based on the previous work of the director, it was a surprisingly adult and moving film before it dives into that realm.

 

*SPOILER ALERT*

But the entire point of the plot was that the aliens were trying to unify mankind and there needed to be a major split in the world's powers to set up that conflict. Then we get the beautiful payoff in the final act when the whole world is unified. The best part about it is, the unification doesn't even begin on a broad scale. It begins with Louise involving herself in Shang's life by telling him one of the most personal and dear things to his heart. That's when it clicks. This linguistics professor from the U.S. and this Chinese general both share the same pain. And Shang is so deeply moved by this that it changes the entire landscape of the world. It's such a gentle way of showing how peace and unity work on an intimate level before it works outward. That's what moved me the most about the film.

I absolutely get what you're saying, and I hope I wouldn't just brush off racism if it were an actual factor, but in this case I just don't think it is. If anything, the opposite is true. It's about how all of us in this world are the same at heart and we can't discount each other or let ourselves be divided. We all need each other.

(I know that was just a passing comment you made about the movie and I turned it into a long post. My apologies.)

 

No need to apologize. Intelligent, well thought out responses are always welcome.

I can't remember where all twelve sites were, but I believe one of them was in Canada and another was down near Indonesia. The decision to make the Chinese the aggressors just seemed like the film banking on the American audience already having a general queasiness toward Chinese aggression in the South China Sea recently. If anything, America would strike first.

 

but it was just in how they went about interacting with the heptapods, though, right? the Chinese chose to use a game with war terminology and so learned their language through those terms, and thus they interpreted their message as threatening vs helping. it could have been anywhere that they landed that someone could have used a similar technique and come to the same conclusion.

 

Another great video essay from Nerdwriter.

 

Grabbed this on 4K Bluray on Tuesday.

Don't have a 4K Bluray Player or a 4K set yet, but I gave in.

 

I just watched this movie. Quick question:
If she eventually makes the book that can teach anyone the language, does this mean everyone can gain the ability to view time non-linear like she can? If so, wouldn't Ian be aware of their daughter's fate? Or is that how he finds out?

 

Finally saw this and absolutely loved it.

 

I think they passed their knowledge to her physically. She says that she told Ian about how the daughter was going to die.

 

"Come back to me."

Ugh, that crushes me.

 

Finally watched this tonight. It was good, in some ways great, but admittedly the pacing threw me off - there was something really jarring about the way it cut away from big moments (each of the first three encounters, if I'm not mistaken). For me it kind of moved too fast despite an overall feeling of slowness.

That said, the question(s) it raises give one of the most well executed sci fi endings I can think of. It stuck the landing in such a big way.

 

Is there a song missing from the soundtrack on spotify? I keep looking for the track that plays as the movies winding down cuz its so heartbreaking but I can't find it.

*EDIT*

Never mind I wikipedia'd it and its a separate track. I also learned that since they used it so much it made the score ineligible for oscar consideration. I was wondering why it wasn't nominated I thought it was amazing.

 

Yeah, On The Nature Of Dayligt is amazing

 

The score for this was perfectly unsettling

 

"First Encounter" playing mixed with the stunning visuals of first seeing the aliens made me hold my breath through the whole scene.

 

Not sure if anyone reads The Editing Rooms: Abridged Scripts but they are sort of like honest trailers but written. This one had some parts that almost had dying at work.

AMY sees a montage of her DAUGHTER sculpting the ALIENS out of PLAY-DOH and DRAWING PICTURES of the ALIENS and getting the ALIEN McHAPPY MEAL and demanding the SINGING ALIEN BACKPACK WITH BLUETOOTH for Christmas and getting the ALIEN ARRIVAL REVIVAL TOUR 10TH ANNIVERSARY T-SHIRT.

AMY ADAMS
Wait a sec... what we thought were flashbacks of my daughter, are actually visions of the FUTURE! The audience only ASSUMED they're memories, and I don't know what I assumed since none of it had happened yet.

AMY returns to the MILITARY BASE to try and convince FOREST what's really going on.

AMY ADAMS
You don't understand! I learned the circle language so now I can see the future! That's what they've been trying to tell us!

FOREST WHITAKER
Oh okay. Pardon me, I'm going to go binge Russian porn and thus gain the power to shoot vodka out of my dick. Then I'll read everything in 144-point bold type from now on and become the Hulk.

AMY ADAMS
No no, that's not what I mean! Thinking of entire sentences before uttering them, it alters your brain and lets you perceive time non-linearly because-

FOREST WHITAKER
Hey, I can do that too! FUCK THAT SHIT. I thought of that entire sentence all at once before saying anything. And what about actors who memorize an entire Broadway musical and have HOURS of communication all mapped out in their head, how about them? Can Lin-Manuel Miranda see the future?

AMY ADAMS
Based on his SNL opening monologue, I'll say no. Argh, how to convince you! What if I magically knew the Chinese general's phone number because he tells it to me in the future?

FOREST WHITAKER
That would do it. But don't tell me this plan, just run around breaching security everywhere until you almost get shot, cool?

The link incase anyone wants to check it out Arrival: The Abridged Script | The Editing Room

 

That's unfortunate.

 

I wonder if they will release an extended edition blu-ray with the additional seven minutes of footage.

 

Making the Chinese and Russians the villains seemed like a pretty lazy move. American military would make a more appropriate boogeyman.

 

Only saw this movie once and loved it but can't stop thinking about that totally stupid line Jeremy Renner says to Amy Adams at the end that was like "All this time I didn't know it was you I was looking for" or something to that effect ugh

 

You didn't like that part?

 

That scene would've been great but that line felt horribly forced and clichéd.

 

That line was just fine. He's an awkward, single scientist dude.

And I don't get the criticism of the whole Japanese/Russian thing. This movie is about aliens. It doesn't have to be accurate with real life.