Arrival (Denis Villeneuve, 2016) Movie • Page 8

I mean, the Americans set off a bomb in their ship, causing them to all lift off, which eventually convinced the Chinese to declare war. It's not like America is blameless in this movie for what transpires.

 

It is deliberately not "America", but individuals acting alone.

 

The "use/offer weapon/tool" bit caused China and Russia to cut off communications and request a UN gathering. China declares war right after the Americans attack their ship and they all lift off. I guess it's the sequence of those events that cause it, but whatever. My point is, I didn't read the movie's portrayal of the countries as "America=good Others=bad." Louise often has to fight against her own people to get to what she believes is the truth.

The peaceful resolution ends up being the result of individuals acting alone as well. Those soldiers were rogue, but I think they're meant to represent at least a significant portion of America, given that their grievances are represented in part of the media.

 

From Reddit:

 

I have been a fantasy nerd my entire life, and it's been at odds with science fiction in an almost Yankees-Red Sox way. I never "hated" sci fi, but I would always steer towards a different option if a movie night went to a vote and the new sci fi title was batted around. However, a couple of weeks ago, I finally watched Interstellar. It was the only major Nolan work I hadn't seen, and I was absolutely floored by it. We followed that revelation up last night by watching Moon, and then Arrival.

All great films, but this and Interstellar were some of the best I've seen in years. What I appreciate about all the tiles I mentioned is that they show "the leap" to whatever the main sci fi component of the story is. Interstellar starts by showing a not-too-far off dust bowl future and explains that new world's stance on space exploration, Moon sets the stage as space basically just being a new resource to be farmed to sustain our way of life, and Arrival feels like it may be exactly how such an event goes down in today's social/political climate. I appreciate these films establishing how we got to where the narrative is, with point A being a somewhat realistic portrayal of now.

Idk, it really helps me lose myself in the stories. I feel spoiled now to be running through all of the great science fiction flicks that I had disregarded forever. This one will be hard to top, though.

 

I love Arrival more, but Sunshine is incredible.

 

Adding that high up on the list, then. Will probably tackle it or The Fountain next.

 

I would watch Sunshine next. Incredible film.

 

both are incredible.
The Fountain is more fantasy with sci-fi elements, imo.

 

Sunshine is awesome but The Fountain has the potential to change your life.

 

I love Sunshine, third act included. One of my favorite theater experiences ever.

 

It's a classic, but have you ever seen 2001?

 

That is required viewing for sure. Best movie ever made.

I agree that The Fountain is incredible, but I wouldn't even call it sci-fi. I guess I'd call it drama/fantasy?

 

I have indeed! My girlfriend's nerdiest claim to fame when we met was that she was #1 in Stanley Kubrick trivia on Trivia Pop, so his body of work got forced on me pretty fast lol. I loved it, though. It just lacked that connection to modern earth that I babbled about loving earlier.

 

I'm not a fan of Interstellar or The Fountain so perhaps I should bow out of this conversation, but if we're talking sci-fi connected to modern earth then my favorite would probably be Children of Men.

 

Rocky IV is probably my favorite sci-fi connected to modern earth movie honestly.

 

Her is one of my favorite sci-fi movies.

 

Third act? Really? Dang, thought that was universally hated, haha. The whole Pinbacker character I felt was tacked on/used as a plot device because they ran out of money or something, haha.

So for me, the first 2/3rds of the film is probably the best/most enjoyable sci-fi I've ever seen. I never tired of watching that movie, especially seeing those beautiful visuals and the incredible soundtrack. Think I saw the film a good 4 times in the theatre.

 

I still don't get the hate for the third act. Pinbacker is a character throughout the film, albeit only in conversation. But his decisions and actions in the third act make complete sense.

 

For me it was the plausibility of his character being in the third act itself, that I and many other had trouble with. How he remained alive so long, how badly he was burned, him wanting to kill the other characters, etc. To me it broke with the realistic feel the first 2/3rds of the film had.

 

Not trying to argue, but each of those issues have validity to them:

1. He remained alive because the garden kept growing producing food and oxygen. Plus, there were less people to reduce either resource.
2. He was burned due to extreme exposure to the sun in the viewing room like Searle was on Icarus II.
3. He killed the other characters because he lost his mind and wanted to be the last man with God.

 

Yeah I can see those points, but to me they're all a long stretch. There was so much cool science and realism in the first 2/3rds, and then it shifted into this strange hard science fiction.

Still one of my favorite scenes

 

Shooting a bomb into the sun to reignite it is cool science and realism? ;)

I'm just poking at you really; we can agree to disagree.

And yeah, that scene is fantastic. The score for this movie is fantastic.

 

Well, it wasn't really touched on in the film, but the Sun had been hit/affected by a theoretical thing called a Q-ball, and so the purpose of these two missions was to use a giant uranium bomb to trigger a massive explosion that would restart the Sun's energy/power. Astrophysicist Brian Cox advised on the film. Anyways, yeah agree to disagree, haha

I want more science/space films in general

 

Just watched this for the first time. Loved every second of it. Wish I caught it in theaters.