Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (Collector's Edition) (DVD)

...be easy to think that Close Encounters of The Third Kind was a shameless cash in but this is not the case (they were in production at the same time for starters). As most people know, they are totally different films. While Star Wars was almost pure fantasy (Lucas himself doesn't like to even classify Star Wars as sci-fi), Close Encounters is far more human, and Spielberg would revisit the human side of sci-fi later with ET. The similarities between ...
...everything from a childlike perspective, Close Encounters is definitely more 'grown up'. We're in an adult world, dealing with adults, doing adult things (no, not THOSE adult things. This isn't an 18 you know).

Spielberg's story is, as I've said, human based. Yes the core of the plot revolves around alien visitors, but we don't get bogged down with technology or science. This is a story told from the everyday-Joe point of view. And ... more

Ok so I'm bending the rules a little bit. While this is in the DVD section it's really a review of just the film itself. Does this mean that I don't think it's worth buying the DVD? Err, more to do with me being tight fisted I think. But onto the review...

Blue collar worker Roy Neary leads the typical American life: wife, three kids, mortgage, and pretty thankless job. With reports of power outages across the area one night, Neary sets off to investigate and has the most life altering of experiences - a UFO encounter. Strange lights race through the sky and despite Roy's best efforts (and a sunburnt face), his family simply won't believe him. Becoming more obsessed, an image forms in Roy's mind - an image of a place in central America. Unbeknown to Roy and the rest of the public, the military have been investigating the UFO's for some time now and have received a message indicating a landing point...in central America. As Roy, and others touched by the UFO's, attempt to reach the landing point, the military try to evacuate the area. Can Roy get through and reach the aliens? Why are they here, and what are they ultimately after?

Following the smash impact of Star Wars onto the marketplace it would be easy to think that Close Encounters of The Third Kind was a shameless cash in but this is not the case (they were in production at the same time for starters). As most people know, they are totally different films. While Star Wars was almost pure fantasy (Lucas himself doesn't like to even classify Star Wars as sci-fi), Close Encounters is far more human, and Spielberg would revisit the human side of sci-fi later with ET. The similarities between the two films are numerous: small town American family, peaceful aliens, military interference... The list is long. They are not however the same film. While ET shows everything from a childlike perspective, Close Encounters is definitely more 'grown up'. We're in an adult world, dealing with adults, doing adult things (no, not THOSE adult things. This isn't an 18 you know).

Spielberg's story is, as I've said, human based. Yes the core of the plot revolves around alien visitors, but we don't get bogged down with technology or science. This is a story told from the everyday-Joe point of view. And as such, we have a very everyday-Joe series of events. We experience everyday-Joe family life, the frustration of everyday-Joe not being able to comprehend (or understand) what's happening to him, and the propulsion of everyday-Joe into a witness of something truly stellar and monumental. There are no blasters, fantastic creatures, starship battles, or anything else that typifies 'sci-fi' to most people.

The lack of 'conventional' sci-fi (and I use the term reluctantly) can appear to slow the film down and some people may find it a bit of a shock not to instantly get hit with aliens. Close Encounters isn't about that though. It deals with emotion and humanity and makes us think how we might actually deal with visitors who aren't intent on flattening the Earth and turning us all into slave labour for some far away alien planet. That's not to say that it doesn't have it's moments of excitement.

Spielberg weaves a complex web that manages to include humour, action, drama, tension, and in deed all of the elements that he knows that he can pull together to create a more rounded complete story. We've seen it to greater and lesser degrees in most of his work, from Jaws through to Indiana Jones. Keeping things simple, Spielberg allows viewers to almost discover things for themselves and it ends up being a very rewarding experience (how many times have we seen films that either spell the plot out in mind numbing detail, go too fast to allow you to even breathe, or just explain everything away in the last scene by using some scientific gobbledegook?).

Central to a human driven film is a cast capable of genuinely emoting on screen. The core character of Roy Neary falls into the lap of Richard Dreyfuss. Continuing the excellent work he did in Jaws, Dreyfuss manages to encapsulate the everyday-Joe magic that is needed. He's not the brightest bulb in the pack but he loves his family, and for some reason this 'thing' has chosen him. He doesn't know what it is, what it wants, or why it's chosen him, but it has. Dreyfuss manages to capture that air of naive innocence and generates such energy and enthusiasm that we can't help but want him to succeed (Does he? Well you'll just have to watch won't you). With Dreyfuss being so effective, it was possible that the rest of the cast would be somewhat overshadowed, and sadly they are. With Roy Neary getting so much screen time, the rest of the cast feel a bit like they're all there simply to support Dreyfuss, and they don't really get a chance to shine or have their moment of greatness. Teri Garr is well cast as Ronnie Neary, and comes across as the stereotypical Mrs everyday-Joe. Descending from loving(?) wife to near despair with Roy's obsession, Garr does a good job but ultimately stands in the shadows with the rest of the cast. Although American based (booo) Close Encounters does feel more 'global' and Francois Truffaut's turn as the humane project director certainly adds an international feel to the proceedings. Worth a mention is young Cary Guffey as small abductee Barry. Perfectly embodying the childlike innocence of the film, Guffey turns in a stunning performance given his age and appears in what is the film's only really scary moment.

But what would a sci-fi film be without effects? Nothing that's what. Close Encounters isn't nothing though, it's very much something and the effects manage to match the standard set by the rest of the film. Whether it's the simple lights racing around the night sky, or the final appearance of the alien ship, the effects are superb. Almost Christmas tree like, they fit into the atmosphere of childlike world of wonder and amazement. While that may sound somewhat pretentious, it very much describes the overall feel of the film. Doug Trumbull delivers a far more dreamlike set of effects than the cool and clinical results produced by ILM for Star Wars and they very much make this feel more family orientated and peaceful. The aliens themselves are...well you find out for yourself.

The soundtrack plays more of an important role here than in perhaps any other film I've ever seen. While John Williams' score is touching and up to his usual standard (and provides many of the emotional cues that audiences require), the 5 note sequence is actually a very important part of the story itself. Who can forget the sequence used to communicate with the aliens? Anyone who's ever had an electronic keyboard will have played the in built tunes, had a go at the Close Encounters 'noise' and then thrown the whole thing in the back of the cupboard when they realise that they're not going to be the next keyboard wizard (or was that just me?). It ranks as one of THE cinema memories and deservedly so.

With Spielberg writing and directing (and given his past works), the pace and movement of Close Encounters is pretty much perfect. He understands how to manipulate the audience and pulls it off brilliantly (oo-er). Allowing lulls in the action, moments of light relief, and plenty of time for the gravity of the events to sink in, Spielberg gently lifts the audience into the correct emotional state and gets us exactly where he wants us. When badly done we feel manipulated and 'used' but when done properly (as it is here) it enlivens us and we feel a damn site better for it.

A classic of the cinema? That's difficult to say. It's certainly a good film, but whether or not it's a great film depends on what you're looking to get out of it. Maybe not the pace that many 'sci-fi' fans expect, Close Encounters will appeal to those viewers who want more from a film than a couple of space battles, a few bug eyed monsters, and an annoyingly trite child based end sequence (possibly where some annoying little runt steals a space ship, destroys the space station and saves the universe - AARRGGHH)(No prizes for guessing what that was aimed at). It might seem a little slow and 'simple' but look closer and you'll find a touching human story that is somewhat hampered by being classed as sci-fi. Does it deserve to be classed in this way? Maybe (it is a sci-fi based premise). Try to think of it as human sci-fi and you'll have a far better idea of what you're letting yourself in for. 

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