Arrival

 Arrival

Narrative > Linear - chronological order. It follows a simple narrative - however, doesn’t end in a resolution more of a cliff-hanger as we don’t know what final decision she chooses. Yet, the film follows an Ryder of revealing information in order to us

Representation > The representation in this film, isn’t the easiest to acknowledge or write about. In my opinion, I feel as if it is attempting to showcase a reality that most women go through in their lives - and their target audience is women, specifically, those who have been through he same situation or similar to. 

Genre > comedy..? I believe, as it comes across almost as a joke but in a relatable way. The comedy conventions are followed through in this film, with the use of a very ‘advertised’ situation and also a inner monologue which kind of adds to the comedic effect - having her say everything she is really thinking but only to the audience and not everybody else, almost like we’re her friend she can spill everything to.

Micro Elements: 

Cinematography > The entire film, is a long sequence which slowly zooms in over time. This is an important feature as it showcases the chaotic ness that is slowly occurring , as she becomes more stressed out and continues to question herself and her actions. The use of the slow zoom grabs our attention and focuses us to the key point of the movie - her. Another important focus is that there is only one camera angle the entire time, it’s a very basic shot. A possible wide shot, as it captures all the details we need to… but most importantly the main character is in the scene the entire time. We don’t move away from her, we just become closer to her. Matching with the sound during the scene close to the end where we see she begins to panic - an important note would be how dark it becomes and closed-in it begins to feel. It’s like her vision (our vision) is becoming less clear, tunnel like. Furthermore, adding to her panicked behaviour 

Sound > Near the end of the film, the sound becomes less audible to us for example, a train goes past the café. This changes the original effect, from very quiet and calm to quite erratic. (loud noise/ contrasting her panicking silently and all in her head) - it seems as though we are hearing what the character hears, we are put into her POV but only through sound, the use of muted background noise adds to the tension and panic that she is experiencing, we too are experiencing. I think this also adds o the ability to get audience members to relate and align with the character, to feel how she feels, know what she is going through.

Editing > the editing focuses more of added effects for aesthetics and visual design more so than editing out certain content. Due to it being a long scene and without a lot of dialogue there is less of a need to edit. The effects and tones edited though, do create a more engaging atmosphere and visual representation, they fit the vibe of the movie - stress, chaos, worry. It’s a darker visual and fits consistently with the narrative, specifically when we see her panic and everything becomes more dark, there’s a point of focus just on her.

Mise En scene (Props) >  The most important prop would definitely be the coffee that she has ordered. This is the rising point of the narrative, it is the factor that sets off the main event (her panic). She worries if it was the right decision or not. Considering she is pregnant, which is quietly yet quickly hinted at us. 

Mise En Scene (setting) >  The café, Fake setting, more animated lighting and environment - adds to the feel of almost like an advertisement or little comedy sketch. Also the café being the place of interest as this is important as to why she is there in the first place. She is meeting someone, and we soon realise why. It is important. 

Performance >  The performance in the Arrival is very natural and realistic, it is quite calm and showcases how a person may truly react and behave in this situation. The character is composed yet clearly anxious on the inside, which is further backed by her internal monologue we are exposed too. The performance by the young and underrated actress Emily Barber is highly well done, as she pushes herself into a relatable and nerve-wracking performance - her body language explains in detail how she feels, the constant shifting positions, and moving of her hands, as if she doesn't know what to do with them. It is a true portrayal of an anxious person. Her consistent questioning and stress even interferes with her daily and normal actions such as, when she gets too deep in thought and begins to overfill her mug with coffee till' it spills.

Influence > The use of lighting and editing is influential to me - I like the aesthetic visuals and how they fit well into the tone of the film itself and environment.