BrianKoller's Full Review: Close Encounters of the Third Kind
"Stars Wars" and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" were both released in 1977, and were enormously successful films, both critically and commercially. This began a new era in Hollywood, in which special effects became much more important as a lure to bring customers to the theater.
The plot has aliens visiting the Earth with a fleet of enormous, glowing spaceships. Scientists learn how to communicate with the aliens through musical and mathematical codes. The U.S. Government, of course, launches a massive conspiracy, inventing a deadly nerve gas leak to force citizens away from the site of the alien visits.
Richard Dreyfuss is well cast as an average man
who sees the flying saucers one evening, and soon
loses his job, his sanity, and his wife (Teri
Garr). Melinda Dillon is a mother of a young boy
(played by wide-eyed and mute Cary Guffey) who is
abducted by the aliens. Dreyfuss and Dillon are
compelled to visit Devil's Peak, not knowing why,
where they become part of the alien's landing
ceremony.
Steven Spielberg wrote and directed "Close
Encounters". As with his later film "E.T.", the
aliens are benevolent, and the special effects
are used to create a mood of childlike wonder.
This mood is ultimately manipulative, however,
and the jaded viewer may not be especially
impressed with hairless, big-eyed, unisex aliens
and glowing spaceships. Ethical considerations,
such as the rights of aliens to kidnap whomever
they wish for close inspection, are not addressed.
Tellingly, "Close Encounters" won the Academy
Award for Best Cinematography, but was not
nominated for Best Picture or Screenplay. While
it is a very good film, it is not outstanding.
The story succeeds as a drama, but there is more
form than content.
There are two major versions of "Close
Encounters", with perhaps fifteen minutes of
differing footage. After the film's release and
great success, Spielberg reassembled most of the
cast and filmed new scenes including the interior
of the alien spaceship. Some other scenes in the
original version were cut or replaced. I have
not seen this latter version. (73/100)
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