Arrival: Unraveling Alien Language and Time

Introduction "Arrival" was released last Friday. It tells the story of a linguist who saves the world by deciphering an alien language. I watched it last night and have a few thoughts to share. [Spoiler alert]

Linguistic Approach The movie didn't delve into the phonology or phonetics of the alien language, as humans cannot produce the alien speech sounds. This omission isn't entirely justified because machines could potentially generate those sounds for us. Instead, the linguist in the movie chooses to learn the alien orthography. This approach makes sense since describing alien speech sounds is challenging without knowing the aliens' physiology. In introductory phonetics classes, we learn terms like bilabial, plosive, and aspiration, all related to human physiology. Without understanding the aliens' anatomy, creating equivalent terms would be difficult. However, this issue is more relevant to the filmmakers or the novelist than to real-world linguistics. Many animal language experts have found ways to analyze and describe animal "speech sounds."

Alien Orthography In the movie, the alien orthography resembles a circle and exhibits non-linear word order, implying free word order. There appear to be symbols corresponding to concepts (semantics), somewhat like Chinese orthography. Free-order languages aren't entirely alien to us; some human languages, such as Irish, exhibit relatively free word order at the syntax level. Linearization in the Phonological Form (PF) might impose additional constraints on word-order formation.

Philosophical Themes Overall, the movie conveys a philosophical idea that is quite human. The concept of non-linear time perception, for instance, aligns with core ideas in Buddhism and various Hindu philosophies (e.g., Samsara). The plot itself is structured non-linearly, reminiscent of films like "Memento" and "Mulholland Drive."

Impact of Language The depiction of the alien language might seem dull, but it's crucial to the plot. As briefly mentioned in the movie, learning the alien language allows one to adopt the aliens' way of thinking (the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis). The linguist can foresee the future because she learns the alien language and thus acquires the aliens' non-linear perception of time.

Cultural Depictions The portrayal of the Chinese and Russians as the ones wanting to attack the aliens casts them as the "bad guys." As a Chinese person, I find this neither surprising nor offensive; it's a common narrative in American media today. I would be more surprised if an American film depicted the Chinese as the good guys. However, one point worth noting is that in China, Army generals do not have the authority to declare war; that's the president's responsibility, and the president, by law, should be a civilian. The filmmakers should have fact-checked this detail. Perhaps I'm expecting too much from them.

Movie Poster Mishap: Oriental Pearl Tower Misplaced in Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour, Highlighting Production Oversight of Chinese Elements