Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
Image From IMDB
I really hoped being an adult now would make me enjoy this movie more, but I still found it to slow, and a little something of nothing. I appreciate the craft and the effort, the effects and model work are great, but the story still meanders to much for me.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind follows the story of several people as UFO’s appear on Earth. We follow a group of researchers tracking the possible aliens across the globe, and follow several people in the states as ships start gliding through the sky. The aliens are trying to communicate with us, and everyone has a piece of the puzzle, leading to all roads pointing towards the meeting spot out in the desert.
As mentioned, I really do appreciate the craft of the movie. The scope. The globe trotting aspect feels massive, especially the ship in the desert, and the people singing in India. It has a big cinema feel to it. And I did enjoy Richard Dreyfus’s (Roy) unhinged performance and arch. I love that he leaves his wife and super annoying bratty kids to go chase UFO’s, I'd do the same lol.
The miniatures, matte painting and camera effects are incredibly fun. Sure, some of it looks a little ropey now, but the movie is nearly fifty years old. It all has an epic feel to it, a massive scope. It’s just a shame nothing happens.
I get what the central themes are. The connection of art, music and language. The exchange of culture. The wonderment of the universe. But, there had to be a more interesting way of showing them. Everything just felt a little too static and repetitive. As much as I enjoyed Roy’s flipout’s did there need to be so many of them? And that kid constantly wondering off. Needed a fucking leash.
The Francois Truffaut stuff felt over indulgence for a big movie, but I guess the term blockbuster was still being defined at the time, and in fairness to Spielberg he practically invented it with Jaws, so he can do what he wants.
It is a movie I don’t mind and can watch again due to the craft and score, and the last half an hour is great, but the build up needed more. I found my mind wondering, which it doesn’t normally do for a big sci-fi. It’s an arthouse movie at the end of the day, with a blockbuster budget and director. I think it is an important movie, but probably one worth watching more to say you’ve seen it than for any lasting enjoyment.
