To some extent, science fiction has always been based on people themselves. Especially good science fiction texts always presuppose questions of speculative significance, and their purpose is to inspire readers or audiences to reflect on the human situation.”Coming” is such an excellent case. Its discussion involves both macro and micro aspects. At the macro level, the film actually treats the human group as an experimental object, and the sudden visit of the alien seven-legged bucket is a catalytic factor. We can clearly see that in the face of the unknown, especially beyond the concept of human cognition, the human group psychology shows, first of all, a great fear, followed by mutual distrust and lack of communication, which gradually evolves into the possible result of violent confrontation. Of course, this was fortunately avoided under the role of the heroine Louise.
Therefore, the existence of the seven-legged bucket has formed a kind of mirror image meaning, from which we can see various disadvantages of human beings, such as fear, lack of trust, and even the way to solve problems through violence, etc., and we can also find a corresponding explanation for the generation of such thinking, that is, the language of human beings. Language, in a large sense, actually shapes the way we think. According to the film, it is a linear thinking mode. This mode of thinking makes people’s first reaction when facing the unknown is a sense of threat, which also generates fear. Fear is the key word of the film “Coming”. The difference between the seven-legged bucket and human beings is mainly the language itself. This language can also be seen as a gift of seven-legged bucket to human beings. It finally eliminates human fear, closes the gap between human groups, and enables human beings to truly achieve a kind of, at least understandable, mutual cooperation to cope with the crisis.
In addition, “Coming” is moving enough to put aside the discussion at the macro level. It also goes deep into the micro level, and really touches the crisis faced by an individual, and it is so detailed, real and profound. If we look at the film as a whole, we will realize that the flashbacks in the beginning of the film are not from the past, but from the future. The narrative significance of the seven-legged bucket is that it gives the protagonist Louise the ability to predict the future. Then, we can’t help asking what this ability really means.
In the film, Louise gradually understands that at some point in the future, her daughter will die of illness, and it is unstoppable. The prediction of the future results itself brought Louise endless pain first, and then we want to know how she will choose. If we don’t discuss the problem of double paradox, there are two different choices, or more accurately, two different attitudes. First, the protagonist accepts all this frankly, because fate cannot be disobeyed. This is a way to settle for fate, or choose not to have his daughter come to this world at the beginning. It is better to have no pain than to accept pain. In essence, the above seemingly two attitudes actually share the same tone, namely, a fear and an escape. In the movie, Louise made another choice. Even if her daughter would leave the world at some point in the future, she would spend this short time with her and love her as much as possible. This courage to face fear is so moving that its strength even exceeds the ethics in the secular sense. Louise’s behavior has given us a direction to move forward. Even if we are faced with problems and challenges in the future, what we should learn to do is to face bravely, embrace our life enthusiastically, feel every breath in our life, experience the moments hidden in details, and appreciate the unspeakable beauty inadvertently. And fear or escape will only let us miss the precious and wonderful life itself.
The sci-fi setting in the film gives Louise the ability to predict the future, thus completing the discussion of speculative issues in a person. For each of us, the only thing we can predict is our death. Death is a matter that we don’t need to rush for success. It is an inevitable holiday. So what should we do in the face of life before death? This may be one of the values and significance of science fiction itself. It inspires us to think about what kind of person we want to be, what kind of life we want, and how to live.
