Rencontres du troisième type

In Spielberg's first step into sci-fi we find a truly unique film of psychological admiration and fascination. John Williams made one of the most famous soundtracks ever with the tension filled 2 notes in Jaws, this time he adds 3 more notes to create a spectacular sound that mimics the ringing of a door bell between the humans and aliens struggling to communicate.

'The Ten Commandments' plays on the TV early on, acknowledging the film's links to the Old Testament. The tower of Babel was formed to reach the heavens just as the Devil's Tower is marked as the place where humans and aliens can finally begin to understand each other. It is also the place where a struggle to understand each other takes place, it is a language unknown to us just like the creation of differing languages at the Tower of Babel. Roy (Richard Dreyfuss) almost displays a Moses like character of being a prophet, especially with his face burnt from the ship's lights just as Moses' face shined at the sight of God.

The climax is a wonderful spectacle of brilliance. It is one of Spielberg's most gripping scenes in his career but all it displays is a spaceship and some humans playing music to each other. Literally. It is beautiful work formed from the collaboration of Spielberg (Director/Writer), John Williams (Composer), Vilmos Zsigmond (cinematographer), and Douglas Trumbull (Visual Effects) among other talented individuals.

The use of family is very important in the first half of the movie. However, when Roy watches on as the aliens make contact in the film's mesmerising finale, I almost forget all about him and his family. All I want to see is this ship play music with these scientists. When we cut back a minute later to see Roy watching on it is just a reminder that this is still his story, but by now it almost feels like our story. We have been in just as much wonder as Roy as to what is going on in the sky and now all we want to do is find out. Spielberg understands this and allows us to do so whilst also wrapping up segments of the story without pulling us away from the beauty of the moment.

It is a film that stays very real and does not allow itself to fall into fantasy, which sounds strange to say about a sci-fi film about aliens forcing a man to become obsessed with a strangely shaped natural tower. It is a psychological sci-fi. People call this film odd because it is kept so real, we are so used to alien's being associated with fantastical universal wars and ridiculous special effects. However, Spielberg's most prominent effect in Close Encounters is the use of lights. A common Spielberg trait, beams of light are not alien to us. He holds our hand and gradually walks us through the experience of the film to help us understand this phenomenon. We slowly learn each aspect of these extra-terrestrials along with Roy (Richard Dreyfuss), so, by the time the gigantic mother ship rises above devil's tower we are in the same disbelief and awe as Roy and everyone else watching on. It is as though we are also witnessing aliens coming down to earth along with everyone else, it is our first view of a real spaceship. Even at the end we only see the aliens from afar through a stunning glimmer of light.

This is a film that must be watched in the cinema for the full effect! You will no doubt be in complete awe as the sound reverberates around the theatre and the lights beam through the screen. No, this is not my favourite of Spielberg's movies, but I believe that it is possibly his most genius motion picture. It is a story that grips you until the very end, not particularly because of its use of supporting characters but because of the way Spielberg presents the aliens as a genuine possibility of fact rather than fiction. In 5 years' time he'll eventually introduce us to a little extra-terrestrial but for now we live in wonder.

Strange phenomena, have caught science attention, all the things that they believed now in suspension, certain craft are turning up, in places they should not be put, it defies all known belief and comprehension. Roy Neary, catches sight, of strange night flights, it overwhelms, engulfs and leaves his face in stripe, causes family concern, an obsession starts to churn, as creative conjurings, are set alight. It consumes him every minute, every hour, until he links the creations, to Devils Tower, then he makes a bee line for, along with others just in awe, summoned by an unknown source, with unknown power.

Original and innovative for its time, and not too shabby when revisited many years later.

Close Encounters Of The Third Kind is a film about aliens landing on earth, but instead of descending into the usual laser-gun confrontations between humans and aliens, this one dares to remain "peaceful". It is a film about contact, not conflict. It is also a wonderfully thoughtful film and a prime example of compelling story-telling. If there is a weakness with Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, it is that the director Steven Spielberg occasionally allows sentimentality to enter into the proceedings, but in truth it is a very minor weakness and it doesn't significantly spoil this tremendous movie experience.

Several missing aircraft turn up over 30 years after they were reported lost. More baffling still is the fact that they vanished over Florida but have turned up, in pristine condition and without pilots, in the middle of Mexico. Other weird things happen: an aeroplane pilot reports a near collision with a brightly lit spacecraft; a Navy warship missing for decades is found in the desert; thousands of Indians report a light in the sky which "sang" to them; and across America there are scores of inexplicable UFO sightings. Electrician Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss) is a normal family man who sees one of the UFOs. Soon after, he is tormented by a vision apparently implanted in his mind by the aliens. His torment becomes obsession as he tries to figure out the meaning of a hill-like shape that has become embedded in his mind. As his marriage collapses, he desperately tries to find answers and is finally gratified when he discovers that the picture in his head is trying to tell him where to go in order to witness an extra terrestrial landing.

The fact that Roy Neary is just an everyday guy cast into the most incredible of circumstances gives this film a real human dimension. Roy could represent any one of us - you, me, your next door neighbour, your father, whoever. Spielberg tells his story very carefully, adding clues and more layers of mystery before actually revealing where the story is heading. It is probably the most controlled and skillfully paced of Spielberg's '70s films. The ending, featuring the alien arrival, is a technical tour-de-force, but it works well on an emotional level too because the viewer has grown to know Roy and has been drawn into his quest for answers. John Williams provides yet another legendary music score - including an iconic five-note tune which the aliens and humans use to communicate with each other. Close Encounters Of The Third Kind is a classic sci-fi film, as fresh and absorbing now as it was back in 1977.

Was SOOOOOO excited to see this as a kid, with my friends and big sister (who got us in, since it was a PG movie) and it was AMAZING!!! We lived in New Mexico and would stay out late trying to spot UFO's . Ha hahaha Loved Crazy Richard Dreyfuss. That ship reveal was mind boggling to all us kids. ;D Ahhhhh Good Times!

When the whole area suffers a full blackout, electrician Roy Neary is called out to service some poles suspected of being down. Sitting in his truck trying to find directions he is suddenly caught in a bright light and the electric's on his truck fail. Shortly it passes and he sees a craft pass overhead. At the same time nearby a woman pursues her young son who has wandered out in search of the lights that have been calling to him. Both adults are left wanting to know the truth and filled with half-ideas and images that haunt them – when Gillian Guiler son is taken, this becomes even more important to them. Meanwhile the military, led by investigator Claude Lacombe uncover planes and ships that have been missing for decades and uncover hidden codes and signals in the mysterious crafts.

I am currently ploughing my way through Speilberg's Taken on BBC2 so I thought I'd give this classic another view just to remind myself how good Speilberg and aliens can be. The plot is perfect for any UFO nut – the government are behind everything and know of everything. The story unfolds really well – the three main stories complimenting each other and giving the film a sense of pace. The strand with Lacombe following events all round the globe is the least personal (and thus least involving) but it is enticing us for the climax of the film. Neary's soul searching maybe does go on a little too long but the emotion in the family situation is intense and his frustration and sense of confusion is very real. Although the thrid strand has less screen time the abduction of the child is a powerful scene and the emotion is well brought out.

The special effects are very good but the glue of the film is the emotional telling. This is Speilberg doing well – he never really gives into his American Apple Pie style sentimentality and the film keeps moving along and has a real emotional heart to it. The climax of the movie always sort of messes me up and I find it best not to question it's logic on any level for fear of holes opening up all over it – but it does have a sense of childlike wonder to it, which I guess Speilberg was trying to get across.

As usual Dreyfuss does well under Speilberg and he is mostly responsible for keeping the emotion in his character realistic without being all syrupy and sickly. Truffaut is OK but it's impossible to see him as anyone but Francis Truffaut and his character suffers as a result. Garr and Dillon are both strong female characters for different reasons and the support cast are generally very good (including a good handful of the Dreyfuss family).

Overall this film never gets me as one of the greatest sci-fi's of all time, but it is certainly a very good film that takes `real' people as it's driver and not flashy effect shots. That `Taken' seems to be slipping into Norman Rockwell type mawkishness is good enough reason to revisit CE3K.