ARRIVAL
"In war there are no winners,only widows."
MAIN CHARACTER
LOUISE BANKS
Before the ‘Arrival”,Dr.Louise Bank ,the main and also a linguist character showing her maternal love while the times that she is with her daughter,Hannah.I can see Louise’s life in an emotional sequence, from the birth of Hannah to early death.
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Throughout the whole story, Dr.Bank turn form a gentle lecturer to a heroic character. I think this is the purpose that they create this heroic character with her powerful ability, Language to solve out this critical problem throughout the story. Before the landing, she was a lecturer teaching languages in a university. From the scene, she shows her passion in languages and she is also a responsible person that she still carries on her duty, teaching although there are mostly student absent because of the “Landing”incIdent.
Louise is a calm and stay woman, she didn’t show her fear towards the “Landing” but she watch the news in her tidy neat house and think of it, unlike the people which actually make a commotion in the town. After that, Louise also believes in herself by accept and continue the challenge that she could understand and solve the Arrival of the 12-space ship.
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“I can tell you that it’s impossible to translate this from an audio file. I would need to be there to interact with them” said by straightforward personality Louise to the Colonel Weber. And here start a little bit heroic character that Louise is not going to meets the others thought if she thinks that her one will be better advice.
Normally, we will think of a woman would be much difficult when carry on duty compared to a man, but as the character Louise who is actually a leader that guide a team even include the Colonel during the effort to approach the Heptapod, which is the “Alien”.She explain the process or steps clearly and she perfectly know what she is going to complete. Every steps she took, the will be a purpose or intention inside.
The character was well design that Louise is able and willing to accomplishes her mission by putting in much effort with her partner, Ian Donnelly to try communicate with Heptapod although they meets with the difficulties. With Louise and Ian’s patience, careful study to the Heptapod and for sure their determine, they manage to teach and communicate with Abbott and Costello (the two Heptapods) by the language.
During the every contact with the Heptapods, the two partners show the determination and courage to accomplish the mission. They did not recoil at all and even walk closer to Abbott and Costello for the first time “Proper Introduction”. Louise also plays audacity characteristics that she glances at the bird before removing her hazmat suit to get a better look at the aliens, as if there is any risk of poisonous gas or lack of oxygen and the bird will stop chirping. Ian is also a supportive partners and he believe in Louise that that is the better way to do it.
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For Louise Character as a linguist, she try her best to communicate with the heptapods.From this part ,this was really awesome to me as Louise is doing her character role that she think out of the box. From my point from Louise part, Language is not only the ‘SPEAK’ ,besides it may included ‘WORDS” ,“DIAGRAM”, “PICTURES”, “ACT “and etc,as long as the action conveys meaning. With her passion and stubborn she was finally get how to communicate with Abbott and Costello.
“Heptapods Purpose Earth”______“Offer Weapons”
When this sentences come in, the world start to uproar, but still Louise believe in Abbott and Costello are using the word that they didn’t fully understand. Means Louise believes that they did not come and harm the human species. I agree with Louise’s point of view that Language like a culture is messy; we cannot judge someone with that might be some differences among the meaning. The heroic character still growing up to another peak when Louise try to approach Heptapods again even she know they are offering “Weapons”.
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With a well explored character, Louise tries to talk to the team although they might not support her point of view. She shows her courage when she get into the capsule alone and communicate with Costello by her own. And at the first sight of seeing the Allien, Louise is not afraid of it. Between the communication between Louise and Costello, she found out that she have the “weapon” that she can see future, which means Hannah will be her daughter in the future but not the current or past. And Louise accepts with her “weapons” and she uses this to solve out the whole situation.
To control the situation from getting worse, Louise bravely she call out to reach General Shang from China for stopping the war by using her “weapon” that she is able to “remember” a conversation she has in the future, in which General Shang offers his private phone number and tells his wife’s dying words. And here, the character make the whole story become more twist and interesting. Furthermore, by knowing the future, she knows that Ian will be her husband and she accept the situation although she knows their daughter will early die.
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In my opinion, Louise is well designed character. She has a purpose in this movie that is to save the human species. With the knowledge from her research to Heptapods, she might able to help Heptapods in 3000 years later as Louise can communicate with them by LANGUAGE. Without Louise, this movie might be a war-story movie with aliens instead of with a harmony ending.
OTHERS CHARACTERS
IAN DONNELLY
Ian Donnelly is the partner and later then become the husband of Louise. He is a Theoretical Physicist and also being invited to find out the purpose of “The Arrival of The Heptapods”.
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During the effort, Ian help out Louise a lot and most importantly Ian give her fully support for example he also take out his hazmat suit for their “proper introduction” with the heptapods .Ian is then named the two heptapods Abbott and Costello.
He is also a calm man that he would not take any action clumsy, he always give Louise new idea to reach their target.
In my opinion, I think Ian was a great partner to work together and he pays many effort during the research. His hard work is finally pay off. At the end of story, Ian left Louise because Ian is not ready to receive their daughter, Hannah’s faith that Hannah is going to die at young age.
COLONEL GT WEBER
Colonel GT Weber, a senior US military officer who is tough, strong and dignity .He is the man who take steps very carefully as his action, words might influence the world.
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Every action of Colonel will be a target there. He will want to solve this “Landing” as soon as possible. Although he is the military officer, he still willing listen to Louise’s opinion and he did not abuse his power towards Louise and Ian. This make the whole story goes smooth and I think it will be a support to Louise and Ian.
