Essay about film The Terminal

By : Ayu Wulandari
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Film is an audio visual communication media to convey a message to a group of

people who gather in a certain place. (Effendy, 1986: 134). Basically, this type of film is
divided into fiction and non-fiction. There are also films made based on true stories. One of
them was the film “The Terminal”. The Terminal is a 2004 comedy-drama film based on a
story by Andrew Niccol and Sacha Gervasi. The film, released on June 18, 2004 and is 128
minutes long, is estimated to cost around $ 60,000,000. This film was made and directed by
Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Hanks and Catherine Zeta-Jones. The main character in
this film is Tom Hanks who plays Viktor Navorski. Then the female lead is Catherine Zeta-
Jones as Amelia Warren. Other actors who took part in this film were Stanley Tucci (Frank
Dixon), Chi McBride (Joe Mulroy), Diego Luna (Enrique Cruz), Barry Shabaka Henley (Ray
Thurman), Kumar Pallana (Gupta Rajan), and Zoe Saldana (Dolores Torres).
This film tells the story of Viktor Navorski (Tom Hanks) who came from Krakozhia
trapped in the JFK International Airport terminal because his passport was refused. The
reason for the refusal of his passport was because Krakozhia turned out to be a coup d'etat for
his government, which meant that his new government had not been recognized by the US
government. Because Viktor could not speak English, he could not understand what the
immigration officer was saying. Viktor could not be released to live in America or return to
Krakozhia. But immigration officials also have no right to detain him. Finally, airport
officials allowed him to stay in the international transit waiting room (terminal). He tried to
adapt and learn English. He also began to make friends with several staff at the terminal,
including Enrique Cruz (Diego Luna), a food delivery officer at the airport who asked him to
become his match-maker with Dolores Torres (Zoe Saldana) who was an immigration officer.
Through the slippery floor incident he met a flight attendant Amelia Warren (Catherina Zeta-
Jones) and in short Viktor fell in love with Amelia. Although at that time Amelia already had
a lover, but eventually they broke up and Amelia became close to Viktor. Frank Dixon
(Stanley Tucci), the head of JFK immigration who was confused by the Viktor case, did not
remain silent and continued to try to trap Viktor by sharing ways so that Viktor violated and
then deported. This was because Frank Dixon wanted this case to end immediately.
One day Amalia was angry with Viktor for feeling deceived. Viktor finally explained the real
reason he visited New York City was to get an autograph for the jazz tenor saxophonist
Benny Golson. His father who had died was a jazz fan and collected all the autographs of
every musician, only one person whose autography he did not have, Benny Golson.
Therefore, Viktor wants to complete the latest collection to fulfill his father's dream. A few
months later, happy news came. The media reported that the war in Krakozhia was over. That
means Viktor can be free. Amelia asked for help from her 'friend' who was a government
staff member, to help Viktor get permission to travel in the US even though it was only for
one day. Viktor was very pleased and decided to invite Amelia to go with him. But Amelia
refused, and revealed the truth that the 'friend' who was asked for help by her was actually her
husband and they had long had a secret relationship. That is where Viktor's love was rejected
and Amalia decided to leave Viktor. On the other hand, Dixon still did not allow Viktor to
enter the United States and instead made this problem more complicated. He was reluctant to
sign Viktor's temporary visa and instead threatened to deport Viktor's friends. At first Viktor
surrendered and decided to return to Krakozhia. But all his friends did not stay silent.
Because of the support and assistance from his friends, he was allowed to leave the airport
and managed to set foot in the land of Uncle Sam. He directly called for a taxi, but before
entering the taxi, he saw Amalia come out of the other taxi and smiled at him, Viktor smiled
back and immediately entered the taxi which went straight to the place where Benny Golson
appeared. Finally he got the last autography and decided to go 'home'.
The story raised in this film is also quite good and weighty. Tells about determination
and hard work. About someone who wants to fulfill the promise he made to his father.
Although there are many obstacles to overcome, but he is still optimistic that he can face it.
On the other hand I was very touched by Viktor's struggle when he survived at the airport. He
must quickly adapt and also learn English. Trying to get a job while at the airport in order to
survive. Never give up and always dare to try new things.
What's interesting about this film is the setting of the place used, the airport. From the
data that I got, the production team built the airport set from zero specifically for this film.
The storyline that is not easy to guess, the actors involved, and the stories that are not boring
make this film extraordinary. Although not nominated for an Oscar, but this film still has
advantages that are not owned by other films.
The message that I get from this film is don't lose heart and keep fighting so you can
achieve what you want. In life, one day we will experience difficulties in achieving the
desired goals / expectations. The things that Viktor did can be an example for all of us to
always try and not give up easily. In my opinion, this highly motivating film is perfect for
teenagers and adults to watch, especially for students who often complain. Because many
lessons can be taken and taken as examples for daily life.