Denis Villeneuve's Arrival

Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival appropriately used lighting in many ways to convey mood. For instance, throughout his film nearly every scene is background lit rather than foreground; separating the subject from the background, as well as creating a sense of depth. Ultimately contributing to much of the mood, particularly when Louise and Ian make first contact with the heptipods, the majority of light was in the background. This technique put most of the emphasis on where there was light, the background. Even more it creates the sense that the characters in the scene are insignificant, and that their actions are what progress the story. As a result of the background light and the depth achieved through it, the viewer is effectively distanced from the film; furthermore assisting in the impact of the mood. More specifically, this put the viewer in the shoes of Louise and Ian who, in their own way, were distant from the strange occurrences. …show more content…
For example every scene in the alien vessel was primarily bright whites and dark blacks, even the usual vibrant canary was unsaturated. This had haunting effects on the feeling of the scene, making everything appear to be through a dark lens. Certainly the high contrast between black and white creates a nearly silhouette of the character of the white background. Furthermore, creating senses of danger and uncertainty, which played with both the characters as well as the viewer. Had the dimly lit faces of Ian and Louise been vibrant, vivid, and luminous the scene would have had a much less intriguing feel to