Review of Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) by Myrtha W — 27 Feb 2018

Close Encounters is a fascinating movie. Its written beautifully. It unfolds like a mystery rather than a conflict. It is a film about wonder and awe and about being open to the spectacular. It is a magical film in a way that it seems only Spielberg films can be.

That being said, this is for me one of Spielberg's least human works. There is something about it that is kind of cold. Richard Dreyfuss's character cares more about discovery and exploration than he does about his own children, and that comes across as alienating. It seems to sacrifice warmth and humanity for the wonder of discovery. Melinda Dillon's character does provide some balance with her quest to reunite with her son, but something about this movie still leaves me cold. It seems to posit an either/or scenario. Either you can be a boring person who stays home and never wonders about the universe, or you can throw away everything to find out exactly what is out there. It is limiting dichotomy that is only slightly subverted by giving Dillon a motivation to find the aliens that is maternal rather than purely intellectually or curiosity driven.

As far as first contact movies go, it is certainly top tier. I would recommend this movie to anyone interested in science-fi, conspiracy, or Spielberg.