CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1977)
2/4
By John Ulmer
Steven Spielberg's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (1977) is a
genuinely silly, unfortunately outdated story. Its epic scope made it
one of the highest-grossing films of 1977, nominated for two Academy
Awards ® (it lost Best Visual Effects to George Lucas' "Star Wars").
Now, 27 years later, it just seems goofy and sickeningly sweet.
Spielberg adds a schmaltzy layer to most of his films that set his
projects apart from the work of other directors. Arguably the most
famous filmmaker since Hitchcock (in terms of public recognition),
Spielberg is responsible for some of the greatest films ever made.
Most critics consider "E.T." and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"
– both films that deal with extra-terrestrial life – to be some of his
finest. For me, they are both rather disappointing. And unbearably
sugar coated.
So, what is the primary problem with "Close Encounters"? Is it a bad
movie? No, not really. But it's not a particularly memorable one,
either. Apart from a few so-called "classic" sequences (the boy
opening the door, the mashed potatoes, the alien arrival), the movie
fails to spark much interest. Most of it – to be completely blunt – is
quite stupid. Spielberg admits on the Special Edition DVD that he
finds "Close Encounters" a bit too optimistic and unrealistic. When
Spielberg made this movie, he believed in extra-terrestrial life, and
was a young man with no children. In retrospect, Spielberg claims that
the movie is a perfect snapshot of his youth, but as an adult, he
would never make the movie the same way he did in '77.
One of the largest flaws is the fact that Roy Neary (played by Richard
Dreyfuss fresh off the success of Spielberg's 1975 smash hit "JAWS")
abandons his own family (wife and children) to embark on a crazy
search for extra-terrestrial life. In a matter of thirty minutes of
screen time he has packed up, traveled to Wyoming, broken past blocked
off roads, found a new romantic interest, and by the
end...well...let's just say that the conclusion is rather shameful on
Spielberg's behalf. It is quite evident that he had no firm grasp of
moral obligation in '77, and Roy's climactic decision is wholly
unbelievable.
Then again, most of the film is like that, too.
Neary is an electrician who experiences a "close encounter" one night
when a UFO seems to attack his car, and then flies off into the
distance. Roy soon struggles with confusing mental images that have
mysteriously implanted into his brain.
Hounded by the smart Dr. Lacombe (French director Francois Truffaut in
his acting debut), Roy soon realizes that the extra-terrestrials plan
to land on earth – and he wants to be there, to see it all.
Roy's evolution is too fast – in a matter of what seem to be few days
he has turned into a complete loon, and because of Spielberg's lack of
character arc, the sudden change is startling and – worst of all –
cold. We lose all sense of empathy for Roy, primarily because we do
not experience his pain – we see him suffering, sure, and moping
around like a "cry baby," as his son names him. But this happens so
fast that we are left wanting more.
The movie's conclusion – which lasts over forty minutes long – is the
most exciting part, but the abrupt change of pace (from being a
slow-moving charming family film about "close encounters" to an
oddball chase movie about the government covering up a dangerous
conspiracy and hunting down escaped witnesses) hinders the lasting
impact. Spielberg is constantly trying to find a groove for his movie,
and never really finds one to stay the course.
Then, there's the long-awaited alien introduction (which lasts over
twenty minutes long). Most people flocked to the theaters in order to
see this sequence – the special effects showcase of the year. This is
proven by the fact that Spielberg purposely draws out the scene for
such a lengthy period of time. Then, audiences savored the F/X because
they were the best since Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey"
(even the trailer advertisements claimed this was so, in order to
entice viewers). Now, they're outdated, by almost all standards of
special effects. Watching them for twenty minutes becomes tiring.
And of course, the annoying musical conversation between man and alien
comes next – something else that only makes the film more grating so
many years later. "It's so '70s!" someone once said. I agree. (Many
great masterpieces were made during the 1970s, but most people forget
how many downright cheesy, forgettable movies were made, too.)
"Close Encounters of the Third Kind" simply does not hold up after 27
years, which is quite unfortunate. The F/X are shoddy, the ideas are
insane, the movie is long and boring, and the direction and acting are
about the only two things that approach greatness. Spielberg shows
talent behind the camera here, but it is vastly inferior to "JAWS."
Even John Williams' score fails to leave the same impact as "JAWS,"
"Jurassic Park," etc.
Produced during a slew of "happy alien" movies (followed by another
slew of "mean alien" movies during the '80s after Ridley Scott's
"Alien" in 1979), "Close Encounters" is at times amusing, annoying,
fast, long, and silly, all at once. The nation needed hope during the
'70s, and they turned to the skies. Spielberg answered their calls,
with a movie that set records, but is now nothing but a forgettable
tale.
Many will disagree with me when I say that "Close Encounters of the
Third Kind" is an overrated, disappointing motion picture with few
redeeming qualities. The harsh feedback should be interesting.
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X-RAMR-ID: 38377
X-Language: en
X-RT-ReviewID: 1302540
X-RT-TitleID: 1004377
X-RT-SourceID: 1382
X-RT-AuthorID: 6769
X-RT-RatingText: 2/4
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