Posts Tagged ‘linguistics’

I recently watched ARRIVAL for a second time through Amazon Prime. In my first viewing, I was in a theater and I loved it. This second go-around, I was not disappointed. I watched with a group of my cousins who are all film/scifi nuts. The viewing was free for Prime members.

ARRIVAL is rated PG 13…it’s somewhat creepy and suspenseful, but a middle school child or a sensitive viewer could probably handle the production. I’m not sure why it did not receive the PG rating. It unfolds without graphic violence and there is no explicit sexual content. One might call ARRIVAL a quiet film, but the subject matter takes it from the quiet realm into the epic and deeply thoughtful.

ARRIVAL was released in theaters to much acclaim in 2016. The film is based on a short story by Ted Chiang. Eric Heisserer wrote the screenplay. I hope to read and review Chiang’s short story in a future post.

The film unfolds with slow intensity primarily around one character, Louise Banks, played wonderfully by Amy Adams. Banks is a linguist recruited by the US government to learn the language spoken by aliens who have alighted in giant oblong space ships in twelve locations around the globe.

The story is a linguist’s dream and as a science fiction fan, I recall a number of novels that view first contact in light of language and communication. China Miéville’s Embassy Town is a good example. In a story such as this, violence is often threatened, but not center stage. Mysteries and the push to understand the other dominate the narrative.

Five quotes from the screenplay to pique your interest:

1. “If this is some sort of peaceful first contact, why send twelve? Why not just send one?”
2. “Language is the first weapon drawn in a conflict…”
3. “Are they scientists or tourists? If they’re scientist, they don’t seem to ask a lot of questions…”
4. “If you could see your life from start to finish, would you change things?”
5. “Meeting you…was more important that seeing the stars…”

Five reasons to watch this film.

1. It’s free if you’re an Amazon Prime member.
2. If your family is into science fiction, ARRIVAL is a crowd pleaser which you can show to your kids with a clear conscience.
3. Lots to ponder about language and linguistics, language and meaning, the puzzle and the importance of communication.
4. Female hero with lots of brains and only a few characters to keep track of.
5. Potentially leads to fruitful discussion about love, suffering, beauty, grace, even religion.

To buy this DVD, click here.