The Oscar-nominated movie "arrival" is based on a 1998 short story called "Story of Your Life," which is written by Ted chiang. Chiang's depiction of aliens and their language in the movie has created new opinions and perspectives. The language, Chiang said, is actually possible in reality. What is the significance behind this language form?
'Arrival': Ted Chiang believes the language can be true
Chiang stated in an interview with The Huffington Post, that the written Alien Language which was described in his story is a complete language. Although, it is not a manifestation of speech, however, he believes it is possible.
He stated that he has never perceived anything of this sort in a historical context. Thus, he stressed, the language form he created can actually be possible in reality. "We have never seen anything like that historically. But something like that ought to be possible," Chiang said.
In contrast, Chiang stated that the concept associated with the language in the movie is far from reality. According to him, there was no obvious way to perceive the future through the language.
The movie is about a linguist who is called to interact and understand communication techniques used by alien visitors. As the story progresses, the linguist becomes embroiled in a relationship with a physicist. The movie delivers a futuristic notion, while dealing with philosophical and personal questions in between.
Directed by Denis Villeneuve and adapted by Eric Heisserer, "Arrival" shows a communication technique used by the alien visitors. The language, written by these alien visitors, is in the form of circular drawings which looks like splatters of ink or more precisely, stains of coffee cups bottoms. In the movie, the linguist, ends up penning down a book on culminating their language so that readers can get off themselves from linear time.
Arrival: Circles are all over the movie
The entire movie uses circular semantics as a major theme. Circles are repetitively and systematically used in the movie as a significant visual theme. They mostly defined the concept of time as non-linear. The vessel in which the visitors arrives in the movie are somewhat oval in shape, the hospital where important events take place has a circular architectural plan.
Villeneuve, the director, demanded that the aliens must have a circular written language in the movie. At a press conference, production designer Patrice Vermette and artist Martine Bertrand stated that all ideas they came up with were rejected because they were unnatural. "We wanted to have something that was aesthetically pleasing, and that [viewers] could not at first know that it's a language or not," stated Vermette.
Finally, Bertrand took a day to create certain language symbols which was later seen in the movie as the finished product, said Space.com. These language symbols are somewhat a black circle containing dangling tendrils and blots protruding out of the solid ring.
"Arrival" is now available on Blu-ray today in 4K high dynamic range (HDR).
