![]() To make a choice then, is for an agent to act in accordance with their beliefs and desires, even if those beliefs and desires are ultimately determined. So where does free will come into this? Despite everything being determined, free will merely describes actions that are consistent with our beliefs and desires. Additionally, I believe that by learning the Heptapod language, part of the change that takes place in one's way of thinking, is this acceptance of the necessity of things. So I believe Louise was unable to alter her future, instead she learned to accept the necessity of events that transpired. Given that both the Heptapods (and later Louise) have knowledge of the future, they, by definition, cannot change what will happen, given that it is not knowledge if they can change it. Costello could not avoid his death, nor could Louise avoid her husband’s divorce nor the death of her daughter Hannah.ĭeterminism and free will. ![]() However, things are not moving according to anyone’s plan-not Louise's or the Heptapod's-they are moving according to the universe’s plan: all creatures are merely conscious observers, following their scripts and acting accordingly. So rather than trying to communicate with humans the Heptapods are using language as a source of action: They use it to give Louise ‘the gift’ so things move according to the plan. The Heptapods (and later Lousie) are prescient, and therefore have knowledge of events before they happen (from the perspective of a human who has a linear perception of time). Two or more observers may disagree about what event is past, present or future, given their relative state of motion, yet all observers will agree on the ordering of events, event A can never come after event B (but it can be simultaneous with B).įor the Heptapods (and later Louise), language is primarily performative rather than communicative. There is no absolute reference frame, or no absolute present moment. It is supported by empirical findings, such as those that are a consequences of the theory of special relativity. In contrast, the Heptapod language is one that demands a non-linear view of time, where all moments exist equally, and therefore speakers of the Heptapod language tend to become eternalists.Īs an aside, eternalism is the better supported approach. We tend to think of past, present and future as being separate categories in time with a unique asymmetry, where the past is set in stone, the future is open, and the present is where change takes place. In Arrival, human languages typically lead to their speakers becoming presentists. This view is opposed to presentism, which states that only the present is real, that we only exist now. The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis (Also referred to as ‘linguistic relativity’) is a paradigm in linguistics and cognitive science, suggesting that a learned language will physically alter the speakers’ brain in such a way that the specific structure of the language will bring about particular changes in cognition, and ultimately how one views the world.Įternalism is an approach in the philosophy of time suggesting that all moments (past, present and future) are equally real there is nothing special about the present. This film explores some scientific and philosophical themes: You owe it to yourself to experience this in the theatre as was intended. The final sequence of the film left very few dry eyes in my theatre and this is quite possibly the highlight of a fantastic score with violin that perfectly fit the mood, capping it beautifully. ![]() Things are just open ended enough as to where you don't really know the aliens' true intentions right until the end so it keeps you guessing as to what they really want here. The movie does a great job making both viewer and actor feel like they're learning together and that really helps with the immersion factor. The pacing does get a little slow in the second act, but it's required for properly displaying the monumental effort that it took to learn how to communicate even on a basic level with the aliens. Film is at its core a work of art, and Arrival certainly qualifies in that regard. It's not often musical scores stand out to me but this one certainly did. Villeneuve strikes again with his usual great cinematography and a fantastic musical score accompanies each scene seemingly perfectly. It isn't often that I say to myself "Damn, that was a really cool shot" mere minutes into the movie but I certainly did that tonight. If you're a fan of sci-fi or great movies in general then you owe it to yourself to see this. Just got back from a 7 PM show and here's the short version: A beautifully shot film gives way to an even more beautifully told story that becomes so much more than your typical alien invasion movie.
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