"In war there are no winners, only widows" - General Shang's wife's last words.

Just like Louise went ahead with her life with Ian knowing the pain in her future, so did the aliens go knowing one of them would die in an explosion trying to pass on the weapon.

I'm a student of linguistics, and at my university department, this movie has immediately become "THE linguistics movie" - I expect it to be held in high regard by linguists in general.
and on top of being a great introduction into why linguistics rocks as a field of study, this movie manages to also be one of the best sci-fi movies of the last 20 years or so, easily.

"I hope this movie doesn't make me sad".... oh girl...

I've rarely seen a sci-fi movie get this deep.  This one is underrated.

What really got to me was the message. Amy’s character definitely thought her daughter’s short life was worth the pain. Now, let’s apply it to our own life. Many of us are scared of living because living confronts us with death. In an irrational way, if we don’t live, we don’t die. But death is inevitable. If we knew how long we had, we might take the effort to enjoy life, because it will be worth it.

I know a lot of people in the comments are debating about free will and whether she would have a choice or not...but I think the main point is that even though there would be heartbreak...there would be a lot of love, beauty and happiness too. And in a way, isnt that what life and death is all about?

Hannah is a palindrome, which is a word, number, phrase, or other sequence of characters which reads the same backward as forward. It’s like the language, circular, no start and no end. Brilliant.

The score and sound design are practically characters in the film; they are so incredible and absolutely integral to the whole tone.

Hat's off to whomever suggested this amazing film! 👍

There was a great HBO documentary years ago called “Letters from Vietnam”.  They showed clips fro the war while famous actors and actresses read letters that were written by soldiers and their families to each other.  One devastating letter was from a mom who left the letter at her son’s grave and said (paraphrasing here) “I would rather have the 20 amazing years I had with you and all the pain since you’re gone than never having known you”.  So yeah, that sentiment of ‘would you have that child knowing the pain that’s to come?’ is so poignant.  The central thesis from this movie is how amazing love is that humans can share for one another if they just decide to open up their hearts and accept the potential pain.  Wonderful movie and great reaction!!

I'm so glad you liked this film, it is a sci-fi masterpiece. One of the rare occasions where they took and made the movie better than the original story and if you haven't read any of Ted Chiang's short story collections, he really is one of the best sci-fi writers writing today.

Imagine KNOWING the worst thing is going to happen to you, but allowing it to happen anyway. It’s the journey she embraced, not the destination. She welcomed it all. This film, from aesthetics to score never fails to move me. ♥️

"you are stupider than a bag of hair" i'm gonna use that one, thanks Alanda

Arrival: Talk to the Hands

"I hope it doesn't make me sad."

(Takes LOOOOOOONG sip of tea)

Oh, Alanda, let me tell you....

Yours was easily the most astute, thoughtful, and heartfelt reaction to this film that I've seen. I'm so glad to see such appreciation of this absolute gem of a movie. Good sci fi is a rarity nowadays, but Arrival delivered in spades and it was a thrill to see someone react to it the same way I did. It was so rewarding to share in that sense of wonder again. Thanks so much for sharing.

Since you're on a Villeneuve path, try watching Blade Runner 2049 and the YT clips before the movie. You can watch the first Blade Runner too for context.

Fun fact: "orudie" in Russian may mean tool/instrument or artillery weapon. As the English word "piece" may mean a pistol.

This movie destroys me every time I see it. It's so profound, and the pain of knowing she will lose her daughter and her husband, but being aware of how much more valuable it is to have the experience than to live a totally safe existence. And the music. Just all of it. It's a work of art and it's heartbreaking, but I love it.