Denis Villeneuve's Film 'Arrival'
In Denis Villeneuve’s film, Arrival, the question of how one perceives time and memory not only works to shape the film visually, but also narratively. Following the film’s point of attack, Arrival opens with a montage sequence that introduces the main character, Louise, and her daughter, Hannah. Documenting Hannah’s life from her birth to her premature death as a teenager, this sequence provides a great deal of exposition for Louise’s character and acts as a crucial thread in an intricately woven syuzhet. From this point on, it is assumed that the montage sequence represents moments of Louise’s past as she is repeatedly reminded of and haunted by fleeting glimpses of memories of her late daughter throughout the rest of the film. As a result