Arrival Film Techiques

Tracking

• foreshadows Louise and Hannah’s involvement in a non-linear way of life/thinking

“Gavisti. He says it means ‘an argument'. What do you say it means?”

“‘A desire for more cows.’”

Dialogue

• shows that Louise does not make false or rash assumptions, she identifies and the ultimate truth and searches for clarity

Extreme long shot

• represents the physical and emotional distance between humans and the heptapods

• shows the sheer size of the heptapod shell

• creates eerie, mysterious tone

Extreme close-up

• sets the audience on edge because they can’t see outside the tight framing

• allows audience to see the shell - made up of an unknown extraterrestrial material

Dutch angle

• field of gravity changes

• angle disorients viewers, represents Louise’s state of mind and the confusing concept of the heptapods and their arrival

Louise’s breathing in the hazmat suit

Diegetic sound

• amplified by microphone

• draws attention to Louise’s emotional state

Low, basey sound/music

Non-diegetic sound

• creates ominous tone

• basey - makes it seem unnatural, extraterrestrial and ‘alien’

Close-up

• symbolism/allusion - canaries were used by coal miners to warn them of the presence of toxic gases because they are more sensitive and so would die first

• allows audience to realise the crew’s state of mind and approach to the heptapods

“Human. I’m human. What are you?”

Dialogue

• shows Louise’s attempts to communicate with the heptapods

• ‘human’ symbolises her traits that are associated with a humane and ideal human

Long shot, loose framing

• creates a gap between Louise and the heptapods, representing the physical and emotional distance between them

• loose framing creates the feeling of an out-of-control situation where anything could happen

Canary flitting about and tweeting

Close up, diegetic sound

• creates a sense of unease at looming danger of heptapods preparing a written response for Louise’s “HUMAN”

• helps the audience understand how the soldiers and crew are feeling

Long shot

• symmetry of one logogram and heptapod on each side represents the order and technicality of logograms

Mise-en-scene

• the ‘big question’ amongst Ian’s complex physics problems symbolises her intent to find a straightforward answer among the madness of the new concept of heptapods

• draws audience’s attention to question

• symbolises her ability/tendency to search for clarity

High angle

• symbolises her vulnerability while being so close to the heptapods

Medium close-up

• Marks watching Louise and Ian ‘bond’ with heptapods out of hazmat suits

• shows Marks’ facial expressions and body language

• distrust, fear, skepticism

Ian’s dialogue
“There’s no correlation between what a heptapod says and what a heptapod writes.”

“…a logogram is free of time. Like their ship or their bodies, their written language has no forward or backward direction.”

Dialogue

• Ian’s physics breakdown contrasts Louise’s language approach

• gives us more information on the heptapods and allows Villeneuve to skip ahead in time

Soldier listening to podcast about how the government should approach the heptapods, soldier exchanges look with Captain Marks

“What if the smartest thing we could do right now would be to give them a show of force?”

Diegetic sound + mid-shot

• Marks contemplating, looks thoughtful

• body language seems resigned, secretly fearful, he’s trying to be tough

“What if the smartest thing we could do right now would be to give them a show of force?”

Close-up, diegetic sound

• Shows the caption - “ALIENS INVADE: Government Asleep at the Wheel.”

• surrounding ads - gun ad - “Perfection in design.”, “IMPOTENT GOVERNMENT STANDS ASIDE, WELCOMES INVADERS”

• shows the panic that is being caused by heptapods’ responses to different countries

• builds on Captain Marks’ response to the unknown and helps us understand his perspective

“It’s the theory that the language you speak determines how you think.”

High angle, dialogue

• shows that her current lack of understanding of the language makes her vulnerable

• Sapir-Whorf hypothesis

• helps us begin to understand the premise of non-linear time being linked to logograms

Extreme close-up

• red symbolises danger

• dark background and tight framing sets audience on edge, can’t see surroundings or Louise and Ian

• creates a foreboding tone, sets the audience on edge

Mise-en-scene

• Louise draws logogram with hands

• progression of her relationship with the heptapods and logograms (and concept of non-linear thinking)

Mise-en-scene

• chaos of equipment symbolises the chaos caused by ‘offer weapon’ response

• backs facing the mess - symbolises that the cluster of logograms and their meaning are the way to move past and overcome the misunderstanding of ‘offer weapon’ (symbolised by scattered equipment)

Close-up

• shows General Shang’s aggressive approach to the heptapods

Mise-en-scene

• “DISCONNECTED” = red = danger

• helps the audience to understand the gravity of this moment

(Extreme) long shot

• Louise is made small, makes her seem vulnerable

• make heptapod seem large and intimidating

• emphasises the trust Louise has with the heptapods and her strong desire, despite the risks, to find clarity around the logograms and her visions

High angle

• makes Louise seem vulnerable

• Louise is positioned in logogram circle, represents how she has adapted to that way of thinking

• “Use weapon.”

High angle, long shot

• only the heptapod’s head visible versus Louise’s whole body visible symbolises heptapods’ way of thinking (their head) has taken over Louise’s whole body

• makes Louise seem vulnerable and confused because she’s in the dark