An Understanding of Restraint

The practice of wordless storytelling is not one that would be considered new by any means. Many mediums beyond that of the still image have employed this, most often the film industry, but it tends to have its greatest impact in the still image. Something about being able to focus on just one image and take in every intricate and important detail makes a narrative have much more impact and strength than it may have had on it’s own.

            The Arrival utilizes this in the way it’s images are presented in almost a flip-book style. For me, personally, I had difficulty comprehending the story coherently. This does not mean that the narrative was completely unsuccessful, because although I did not completely grasp the plot (which may or may not have been because of my own shortcomings, and of no fault of the author) I understood the tone and something about The Arrival makes me feel like that was somewhat more important than the plot. The way this was arranged gives a strong sense of a feeling of an abstract world, and an odd eeriness that the complete lack of text only compliments.

            I, personally, cannot imagine a different version of this narrative that included words that would do anything but weaken the overall impact of this excellent tonal setting. In the same way that unfitting music can ruin the feeling and emotional impact of a scene, the addition of unneeded text can do the same to still images. This clear understanding by Shaun Tan speaks volumes about this silent author.