REVISITING SPIELBERG #4 - Spielberg Looks to the Stars with "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (1977)

"Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (1977)

After the massive success of “Jaws”, Steven Spielberg found that he could do any project he wanted to next. Growing up, he was always fascinated with space, particularly after his father took him to see a meteor shower in the middle of the night. In 1964, when he was 18, Spielberg had made a feature-length film called “Firelight”. The mostly lost film was filmed for $500 and had only one screening where the movie made $501.

The movie was about an alien encounter and subsequent invasion. While the movie may be mostly lost (with only three minutes and forty seconds ever released to the public), Spielberg used the ideas and concepts there to develop a newer, bigger version of a story about our first encounters with beings from another world.

In 1973, before he had a massive success with “Jaws”, Columbia Pictures had already signed Spielberg to a deal in order to develop his science fiction movie. In fact, Spielberg later expressed that he had wanted to make “Close Encounters” before he made “Jaws”.

Initially, Spielberg wanted to shoot the movie entirely on sound stages due to his negative experiences filming “Jaws” on location. However, he ultimately decided against this and would shoot on location at such spots such as Devils Tower, a butte and national monument that was made even more iconic by the movie.

Melinda Dillon and Richard Dreyfuss in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"!

Casting wise, Spielberg asked Richard Dreyfuss who should play Roy Neary, an electrician who has an encounter with the aliens that changes the course of his life. Spielberg didn’t consider Dreyfuss right away because they were in the middle of shooting “Jaws” and Spielberg couldn’t see Dreyfuss as anyone but Matt Hooper while filming.

Eventually, though, Spielberg realized what Dreyfuss himself was trying to tell him and hired the actor to play Roy. François Truffaut, one of the iconic founders of the French New Wave, was hired by Spielberg to play Claude Lacombe, a French scientist who is trying to figure out what the motives are behind the extra-terrestrials’ visits to Earth. This was Truffaut’s only acting role in a film he did not direct and the only English-speaking movie that he ever acted in.

Truffaut and Spielberg got along famously, with Truffaut having a profound respect for Spielberg’s patience and directing. In fact, Truffaut once told Spielberg that he had the heart of a child and should make something about children. This would directly inspire Spielberg to eventually make another science fiction classic, “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial”, but more on that little ole film later.

Steven Spielberg with François Truffaut during the filming of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"!

In “Close Encounters”, several people are witnessing UFO sightings. Chief among these people is the aforementioned Roy and Melinda Dillon’s Jillian Guiller, a mother whose son Barry (Cary Guffey) is also witnessing these events. Things seem to take a dark turn when the aliens seem to have an interest in Barry.

Meanwhile, Claude and his assistant David Laughlin (Bob Balaban) discover World War II ships long after they had disappeared and long from where they were reported missing. They also appear to be new and in fine working order.

Eventually, the scientists discover a way to communicate with the aliens. This leads to the film’s now iconic final act which can be credited to legendary composer John Williams just as much as it can to Spielberg. The five note communication has become just as recognizable as other themes Williams has written for Spielberg, such as themes for “Jaws” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark”.

The performances are great as well. Dreyfuss is perfect as an everyman who is going through an extremely weird situation where he’s having visions but doesn’t know quite how to handle them. His wife Ronnie is played excellently by Teri Garr. At first, you’re kind of against her because you understand that what Roy is going through is real. However, you soon begin to sort of sympathize with her because all she sees is that Roy is inexplicably acting insane.

Humankind comes into contact with another life form in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"!

Dillon is also another highlight of the film as Jillian, a mother who doesn’t exactly have the best experiences with the aliens due to their interest in Barry. Speaking of Barry, Spielberg was able to use some method acting techniques to get a genuine response from the then three year old Guffey and it’s quite impressive how well Spielberg is able to direct children.

Finally, Truffaut and Balaban are great as Claude and David due mostly to how their characters are portrayed. In science fiction films that deal with benign aliens, the scientists are usually the ones that are trying to track down the aliens for more nefarious purposes such as experimentation. Claude and David, on the other hand, are simply fascinated by the encounters and want to learn how to communicate with them.

The movie is a wondrous adventure of discovery and trying to find a higher purpose in life. It’s a wonderful exploration of the possibilities of what might be waiting for us out there beyond our small planet. At the end of the day, it’s also just about one of the best science fiction films ever made.

The movie would prove to be another rousing success for Spielberg. The movie went on to make over $288 million plus additional box office numbers due to re-releases over the years. The movie was also well received by critics who considered it a great follow-up to “Jaws”.

Unfortunately, even the G.O.A.T. isn’t immune to having a misstep here and there. The next time we meet, I’ll be discussing what many consider to be Spielberg’s first disappointment as I take a look at the World War II comedy, “1941”.