Analysis of Communication Barrier Happened in the Movie

‘The Terminal’
Synopsis
Viktor Navorski (Tom Hanks) arrives at JFK International Airport, but finds that he is not allowed
to enter the United States. While he was en route to the US, a revolution was started in his
home nation of Krakozhia. Due to the civil war, the United States no longer recognizes
Krakozhia as a sovereign nation and denies Viktor's entrance to the US. Unable to leave the
airport or return to Krakozhia, Viktor instead lives in the terminal, carrying his luggage and a
mysterious Planters peanut can.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Head Frank Dixon (Stanley Tucci) wants Navorski
removed from the airport. Navorski collects money for food by retrieving vacant baggage
trolleys for the 25-cent reward from the machine, until Dixon prevents this. He then befriends a
catering car driver named Enrique (Diego Luna) who gives him food in exchange for information
about a female Customs and Border Protection officer (Zoë Saldana), who Enrique is infatuated
with. With Viktor's help, Enrique and Dolores eventually marry each other. He meets flight
attendant Amelia Warren (Catherine Zeta-Jones), who asks him out to dinner, but he tries to
earn money in order to ask Amelia out instead. He finally gets an off-the-books job as a
construction worker at the airport earning $19 an hour.
Viktor is asked to interpret for a desperate Russian man with undocumented drugs for his sick
father. Viktor claims it is "medicine for goat," barring the drug from confiscation and resolving
the crisis. Under pressure and the watchful eye of the Airport Ratings committee, who is
evaluating Dixon for an upcoming promotion, Dixon has a falling out with Viktor. Though Dixon
is advised that sometimes rules must be ignored, he becomes obsessed with getting Viktor
ejected from the airport. An airport janitor, Gupta Rajan (Kumar Pallana), exaggerates the
"goat" incident to his fellow co-workers and as a result, Viktor earns the respect and admiration
of all of the airport staff.
One day, Viktor explains to Amelia that the purpose of his visit to New York is to collect an
autograph from the tenor saxophonist Benny Golson. It is revealed that the peanut can Viktor
carries with him contains nothing more than an autographed copy of the "Great Day in Harlem"
photograph. His late father was a jazz enthusiast who had discovered the famous portrait in a
Hungarian newspaper in 1958, and vowed to get an autograph of all the 57 jazz musicians
featured on the photograph. He succeeded in obtaining 56, but died before he could finish his
collection.
A few months later, the war in Krakozhia ends, but Dixon will still not allow Viktor to enter the
United States. Amelia reveals that she had asked her 'friend' actually a married government
official with whom she had been having an affair to assist Viktor in obtaining permission to

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travel within the US, but Viktor is disappointed to learn she has renewed her relationship with
the man during this process.
To make matters worse, Dixon needs to sign the form granting Viktor the right to remain in the
United States, but refuses. He instead blackmails Viktor into returning to Krakozhia, or he will
have Enrique fired for allowing Viktor into the restricted food preparation area and deport
Gupta back to his native India, where he is wanted for assaulting a corrupt police officer. Upon
hearing this, Gupta runs in front of Viktor's plane and asks Viktor to go anyway. The plane is
delayed, giving Viktor enough time to go into the city and obtain the autograph. With the
blessing of the entire airport staff, Viktor leaves the airport after receiving a uniform coat from
a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Assistant Port Director and hails a taxi. Dixon, watching
Viktor leave the airport, decides not to pursue him. As Viktor prepares to take the taxi to a
Ramada Inn where Benny Golson is performing, he observes Amelia exiting from a cab, where
she gives him a wistful smile. He has a short conversation with the cab driver, telling him how
to avoid traffic on the way to the hotel and that he is from Krakozhia. The driver tells Viktor that
he is from Albania and arrived earlier that week. He attends the show and collects the
autograph, finally completing the collection. Afterwards, Viktor leaves and hails a taxi, telling
the driver, "I am going home." (The Terminal (2004) - Plot Summary -iMDB, n.d.)

Analysis of Communication Barrier involved

1. Environmental Barrier
Viktor Narovski arrived in America, where people are individualistic and always mind
with their own business. That what made Viktor was having a hard time getting help
from people. So he tried to know some people that worked there, befriended them, and
helped them. Then everyone helped him to get out from airport in the latter.
2. Language Barrier
Viktor can’t speak nor understand English well. He didn’t understand at all what was
happened or questions asked by officials. So he bought two books, in English and
Krakozhian, to learn English and communicate.

3. Trust Issues Barrier

Gupta Rajan, a janitor in JFK airport, didn’t trust Viktor because he thought that Viktor is
a secret agent. So Viktor tried to get close to Rajan, let him checked through X-Ray so
then Rajan believed that he is not an agent.

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 4. Organizational Barrier
Dixon, an official in the airport, was getting promotion until Viktor came and became a
hindrance towards his promotion. He tried very hard to get rid of Viktor and passing
‘this problem’ to another. Viktor then befriended with everyone and helped him getting
out from airport, nobody listens to Dixon anymore.

5. Organizational Barrier
Enrique, an in-flight catering car driver, fell in love with an official Zoe Saldana. But
because of her higher position he didn’t have any guts to talk to her. Viktor then willing
to help Enrique to find Zoe’s personal information and interests in an exchange of free
food from catering.

6. Emotional Barrier
Amelia asked her ‘friend’ who a married govt. official she has an affair of to help Viktor
is getting out from airport. But then Viktor disappointed when he knew that Amelia is
going out with him. He then letting Amelia go, proved when he was going to enter the
cab, he saw Amelia exiting the cab and giving her a wishful smile.

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