What was the significance of…(spoiler)
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EyeInSky — 9 years ago(November 19, 2016 06:11 AM)
Yes (the still experience "death process"), but also knowing about the pending bomb Abbott was still willing to sacrifice himself to save Ian and Louise! That says a LOT about the culture of the heptapods versus humans, wouldn't you say?
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Stev-2 — 9 years ago(November 19, 2016 06:24 PM)
And what did he die of? Old age? Not specified or important?
Not (as some of your other responders have been saying) of the explosion. It was implied he died of old age. Note how he was the skinnier one, and he turned up late to meetings.
I think him (her/it?) turning up late was there for a reason.
There was no suggestion that he had been killed, just that he was dead or dying. The significance was just to show even the aliens weren't immortal and understood death. -
Stev-2 — 9 years ago(November 19, 2016 08:03 PM)
We don't know that it died immediately after. It would be odd to have a scene where they make a point of wondering why Abbott was not there, otherwise completely irrelevant to the story, if it wasn't something the viewer wasn't meant to realise had significance later.
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bensfiction — 9 years ago(November 20, 2016 06:51 AM)
While I find your analysis interesting, I have to disagree and say it was the explosion. Before the explosion is when the two need to find out the big chunk of info. I think Abbott sacrificed himself to assure they got what they needed and lived to figure it out. Costello swims (or whatever) away before the explosion. If the explosion didn't kill him, then it's implied that Amy Adams' character at least thinks the explosion did because she says, "I'm sorry" followed by a look of remorse then says, "we're sorry"
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!!!deleted!!! (12526472) — 9 years ago(November 20, 2016 06:22 AM)
It didn't occur to me while watching it that the bomb killed Abbott. It's possible that is what was intended but it's (maybe intentionally) unclear. I guess the main point was just to show that they can die so they are not super god-like beings, they can see future/past events but are still stuck 'now'. If it was intended to be the bomb, then I guess it also shows the heptapod's tolerance and un-vindictive nature because they just accepted it.
Maybe it shows Abbott was a martyr and hung around long enough to push Amy and the guy out of the ship to save them, getting killed in the explosion. Maybe it was the bomb AND that Abbott was old, so more frail and less able to survive the bomb compared to Costello. -
doorclosed321 — 9 years ago(November 20, 2016 06:41 AM)
They can't see all time, they do experiance their entire life all at the same time and they have infinite access to it for an infinate amount of time. That heptopod if ineed was killed by the bomb had already died by that bomb
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EyeInSky — 9 years ago(November 20, 2016 07:46 AM)
I still say it shows a lot of character for the aliens to accept the bomb. Abbott certainly COULD have avoided his own death (but chose not to). Just as Costello (and all the others) choosing not to retaliate.
Look at the "choices" Louise makes. She chooses to make the call to General Shang. She chooses to have a child. She chooses not to specifically tell Ian ALL the details up front about their daughter Hannah.
So just like Louise. who is still "making choices at the moment" The Heptapods are also making choices at the moment.
The "clencher" is that Louise, The Heptapods. and the rest of the humans (and rest of the aliens) were ALWAYS going to make that SAME choice.
So choice can be an "illusion" like humans' perception of time. But that doesn't mean these "mirages" don't exist! After all, the story could have played out differently to where the heptapods attacked (all along). I think this is the significance of the title "Story of your Life"
DoorClosed you must really despise my posts because they are so contrarian to your impressions of the film. I'm sorry for that and don't mean to be this "thorn" in your side. In the end though, its typically telling of a well made film of it inspires discussion and thoughtful opinions afterward. We certainly don't have deep discussions after watching "Fast and the Furious" or most Marvel films, right?