Summary
- Arrival deals with an alien species known as the Heptapods arriving on Earth.
- Amy Adams' Dr. Louise Banks tries to learn from them with the help of Jeremy Renner's Ian Donnelly.
- What they come to discover is that the Heptapods have a lot to offer humanity, including how to look at one's life and the value it has.
Arrival tells a story about alien life forces known as Heptapods taking residence in different parts of the world in dome-like objects. Floating in the sky, they make no moves to attack. In order to make contact with the aliens, the military hires Dr. Louise Banks (Amy Adams), a notable linguistics professor, to translate their language and ask what their purpose is for being on Earth. With the help of theoretical physicist Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner), the duo sets out to solve the complicated puzzle. Meanwhile, the entire world becomes anxious about these visitors, causing havoc and mayhem amidst the confusion.
Arrival is known as one of the best science fiction films in recent years. Instead of leaning into otherworldly elements, screenwriter Eric Heisserer and director Denis Villeneuve stick to the source material, "Stories of Your Life" by Ted Chiang. He leans into the human aspect of the story and provides a realistic take on how people would react if they were in contact with aliens.
What Is Arrival About?
Louise, a linguist expert, lives a very monotonous lifestyle, going to and from work. But her world is turned upside down when Colonel Weber (Forest Whitaker) asks for her help making verbal contact with the aliens on behalf of the government. After gaining the trust of the Heptapods, Abbott and Costello, she finds out their language is non-linear. There's no beginning nor end, as their sentences are in the shape of a circle and written all at the time. It's later revealed that it's associated with how they perceive time. When asked why they are on Earth, they reply, "Offer weapon," which causes the United States to launch defensive measures. At the same time, other countries, such as China and Russia, are planning offensive acts when they receive a similar message.
During all that, Louise begins to reflect on what appears to be her daughter's past as a baby, child and preteen. But over time, Hannah gets sick and dies of a rare disease. This is where things get strange. She doesn't recognize the child. When she finally meets Costello face to face, the audience realizes these memories aren't from the past but rather her future. As she understands more of the Heptapod's language, she begins to view the world as they do. There is no such thing as a past, present or future; life has no beginning or end. And what was translated as "weapon" truly means "gift." The Heptapods want to give a gift to humans so that, in three thousand years, humans will help them.
Arrival's Ending, Explained
Louise doesn't have enough time to convince the US government that the aliens don't mean to harm them. After receiving the initial translation "Offer weapon," they want nothing to do with the Heptapods. And the other countries are aiming to start a war against them. This is all from simple miscommunication, and Louise is running out of time. Luckily, she begins to have other memories of herself at a ceremony that appears to be for her eighteen months in the future. Louise speaks to General Shang (Tzi Ma), who is happy to see her there. As this occurs, she begins to recall the conversation with Shang, where he thanks her for what she has done for Earth.
At this moment in time, her future self doesn't know what her past self had done because her past and future happen simultaneously, so when Shang mentions Louise had his phone number, she's initially confused. But when her past self begins to catch up with her future, she remembers his phone number from the future to save the present day. He then restates the same sentence that his ailing wife said to him that made him change his mind about setting war on the aliens: "War doesn't make winners, only widows," which Louise restates in the present day. In order to do this, she steals Agent Halpern's (Michael Stuhlbarg) phone to call General Shang, setting the future in motion.
It's teased that Louise and her husband separated in the future, but it isn't clear who her partner is until the end of the film. Louise, along with the audience, realizes her future husband is Ian. Knowing what she knows about their future together, she asks him that if he knew the outcomes of his future, would he change anything? He gives a suitable answer, basically saying no and that he would just say how he feels more often. Ultimately, this bites him in the end as in the future, his daughter is destined to die, and when Louise informs him of that fact when Hannah is older, he begins to resent her and separates from his wife.
What is the Deeper Meaning Behind Arrival?
Miscommunication
Language is a massive part of Arrival. That's because the story of the film hinges on figuring out how to communicate with the Heptapods. When Louise first translates the big question as to why the aliens are on Earth, they say, "Offer weapon." This causes fear within the US government. But instead of trying to figure out an alternative meaning or asking further questions to ensure there isn't a miscommunication, everyone jumps the gun. It isn't until Louise goes back a few other times that they get the truth of what they really mean.
The first line Ian speaks is a quote that Louise writes in one of her linguistic books that summarizes the purpose of this theme: "Language is the foundation of civilization. It is the glue that holds people together. It is the first weapon drawn in a conflict." More times than not, battles start with words and phrases, whether spoken aloud or inside a person's head. The way a person speaks negates how they articulate specific ideas, which are spoken about throughout the film. Another way to look at the quote is circling back to the concept of miscommunication, which appears to be the main issue throughout the entire movie. When dealing with conflict, it's a common practice for people to draw weapons to solve an issue rather than trying to figure it out through peaceful means.
It's something that's all too common in relationships, as most issues tend to come from miscommunication or misunderstanding someone. This is reflected in Louise and Ian's future relationship, with their marriage failing because Louise chose to tell Ian about Hannah's illness after everything was already set in motion. Louise asked Ian if he would change his future if he knew about it. Instead of explaining why she's asking or the truth coming out, information is withheld. If Ian had known about the outcome, he likely would have come to a different conclusion.
Living Life Without Fear or Regrets
People die every day in various ways. It's something everyone is destined to deal with. But with that thought in mind, the idea of death should not force someone to live a sheltered life. When Louise sees the future, she still follows through with it, even when she knows it'll hurt in more ways than one. She lives with that fact, knowing there will be good memories along with the bad. She wants to live life for herself and not anyone else.
Death is the most essential part of the human experience. People tend not to think about it actively unless they're faced with it. But whether a person has an accident or contracts an illness, they're constantly at risk because anything can happen. What Arrival wants people to come to terms with is life being malleable, an ever-changing experience that doesn't always come out the way one wants it to. But that's the whole point. Expect to endure sadness, grief, anger or resentment. But don't forget there is more to look forward to than just suffering. There is always good to balance out the bad. And that's precisely why Louise chose to give birth still and raise Hannah.