A Matter of Life and Death: Cinematic Necropolitics in ‘Arrival’ (2024)

Abstract

In Denis Villeneuve’s 2017 film Arrival, twelve alien pods land across the world. In focusing on the experience of linguist Louise Banks (Amy Adams) as she learns to decode the alien language, the film explores cinematic representations of death in a multitude ways. This paper considers the various ways in which death is signified in the film including the depiction of melancholia and warfare in mise-en-scène, trauma and sublimation in temporal structure, and the expression of language in the film’s unfolding narrative. By considering how other contemporary science-fiction genre films play with time in their narrative structure, this paper argues that Arrival’s linking of language, death and time is particularly sophisticated in how it weaves these three concepts in its overall construction.This article uses psychoanalytical theory to recognise the ways in which Arrival communicates the interplay between the life/death cycle and language, with particular reference to the work of Jacques Lacan, and the interpretation of Lacanian theory by Joan Copjec and Todd McGowan.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)121-141
Number of pages20
JournalFree Associations
Issue number79
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2 Aug 2020

Keywords

  • cinema
  • death
  • Lacan
  • language
  • science-fiction

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'A Matter of Life and Death: Cinematic Necropolitics in ‘Arrival’'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

View full fingerprint

Cite this

  • APA
  • Author
  • BIBTEX
  • Harvard
  • Standard
  • RIS
  • Vancouver

Slattery, J. L. (2020). A Matter of Life and Death: Cinematic Necropolitics in ‘Arrival’. Free Associations, (79), 121-141. https://doi.org/10.1234/fa.v0i79.350

Slattery, James Lawrence. / A Matter of Life and Death : Cinematic Necropolitics in ‘Arrival’. In: Free Associations. 2020 ; No. 79. pp. 121-141.

@article{204bf53511134daa98f0beda3b7529fe,

title = "A Matter of Life and Death: Cinematic Necropolitics in {\textquoteleft}Arrival{\textquoteright}",

abstract = "In Denis Villeneuve{\textquoteright}s 2017 film Arrival, twelve alien pods land across the world. In focusing on the experience of linguist Louise Banks (Amy Adams) as she learns to decode the alien language, the film explores cinematic representations of death in a multitude ways. This paper considers the various ways in which death is signified in the film including the depiction of melancholia and warfare in mise-en-sc{\`e}ne, trauma and sublimation in temporal structure, and the expression of language in the film{\textquoteright}s unfolding narrative. By considering how other contemporary science-fiction genre films play with time in their narrative structure, this paper argues that Arrival{\textquoteright}s linking of language, death and time is particularly sophisticated in how it weaves these three concepts in its overall construction.This article uses psychoanalytical theory to recognise the ways in which Arrival communicates the interplay between the life/death cycle and language, with particular reference to the work of Jacques Lacan, and the interpretation of Lacanian theory by Joan Copjec and Todd McGowan.",

keywords = "cinema, death, Lacan, language, science-fiction",

author = "Slattery, {James Lawrence}",

year = "2020",

month = aug,

day = "2",

doi = "10.1234/fa.v0i79.350",

language = "English",

pages = "121--141",

journal = "Free Associations",

issn = "2047-0622",

publisher = "Free Associations",

number = "79",

}

Slattery, JL 2020, 'A Matter of Life and Death: Cinematic Necropolitics in ‘Arrival’', Free Associations, no. 79, pp. 121-141. https://doi.org/10.1234/fa.v0i79.350

A Matter of Life and Death: Cinematic Necropolitics in ‘Arrival’. / Slattery, James Lawrence.
In: Free Associations, No. 79, 02.08.2020, p. 121-141.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - A Matter of Life and Death

T2 - Cinematic Necropolitics in ‘Arrival’

AU - Slattery, James Lawrence

PY - 2020/8/2

Y1 - 2020/8/2

N2 - In Denis Villeneuve’s 2017 film Arrival, twelve alien pods land across the world. In focusing on the experience of linguist Louise Banks (Amy Adams) as she learns to decode the alien language, the film explores cinematic representations of death in a multitude ways. This paper considers the various ways in which death is signified in the film including the depiction of melancholia and warfare in mise-en-scène, trauma and sublimation in temporal structure, and the expression of language in the film’s unfolding narrative. By considering how other contemporary science-fiction genre films play with time in their narrative structure, this paper argues that Arrival’s linking of language, death and time is particularly sophisticated in how it weaves these three concepts in its overall construction.This article uses psychoanalytical theory to recognise the ways in which Arrival communicates the interplay between the life/death cycle and language, with particular reference to the work of Jacques Lacan, and the interpretation of Lacanian theory by Joan Copjec and Todd McGowan.

AB - In Denis Villeneuve’s 2017 film Arrival, twelve alien pods land across the world. In focusing on the experience of linguist Louise Banks (Amy Adams) as she learns to decode the alien language, the film explores cinematic representations of death in a multitude ways. This paper considers the various ways in which death is signified in the film including the depiction of melancholia and warfare in mise-en-scène, trauma and sublimation in temporal structure, and the expression of language in the film’s unfolding narrative. By considering how other contemporary science-fiction genre films play with time in their narrative structure, this paper argues that Arrival’s linking of language, death and time is particularly sophisticated in how it weaves these three concepts in its overall construction.This article uses psychoanalytical theory to recognise the ways in which Arrival communicates the interplay between the life/death cycle and language, with particular reference to the work of Jacques Lacan, and the interpretation of Lacanian theory by Joan Copjec and Todd McGowan.

KW - cinema

KW - death

KW - Lacan

KW - language

KW - science-fiction

U2 - 10.1234/fa.v0i79.350

DO - 10.1234/fa.v0i79.350

M3 - Article

SN - 2047-0622

SP - 121

EP - 141

JO - Free Associations

JF - Free Associations

IS - 79

ER -

Slattery JL. A Matter of Life and Death: Cinematic Necropolitics in ‘Arrival’. Free Associations. 2020 Aug 2;(79):121-141. doi: 10.1234/fa.v0i79.350

A Matter of Life and Death: Cinematic Necropolitics in ‘Arrival’ (2024)

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Mrs. Angelic Larkin

Last Updated:

Views: 6008

Rating: 4.7 / 5 (47 voted)

Reviews: 94% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Mrs. Angelic Larkin

Birthday: 1992-06-28

Address: Apt. 413 8275 Mueller Overpass, South Magnolia, IA 99527-6023

Phone: +6824704719725

Job: District Real-Estate Facilitator

Hobby: Letterboxing, Vacation, Poi, Homebrewing, Mountain biking, Slacklining, Cabaret

Introduction: My name is Mrs. Angelic Larkin, I am a cute, charming, funny, determined, inexpensive, joyous, cheerful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.