The Arrival

 Expectations based on the name

Some kind of dramatic film about someone arriving – possibly returning from abroad or maybe an alien arrival like sci-fi. 

Response and Analysis

The use of only a single camera angle and shot for the entire film was interesting, as most films cut from one shot to the next within 3-4 seconds. 

The use of micro-elements overall was interesting, the camera slowly zooming in as Anna becomes increasingly more invested in actually having this child and the thoughts of how they will be like. 

The use of lighting to create the aesthetic of a train, making a literal reference to the arrival of a train to display how Anna arrives at the decision of keeping the baby. 

Also the use of lighting as the lights get darker while Anna gets stuck inside her own head, thinking about the baby, until she is brought back out of her head by the waiter talking to her and the lighting brightens. 

Majority of the sound is diegetic background noise, like the baby crying, or a voice-over portraying the thoughts in Anna's head. 

Arrival also forces the viewer to figure out what is going on by using their mind instead of being directly shown that Anna is pregnant when she in on screen, the viewers catch this via her lines instead of how she looks.