It’s interesting to think while George Lucas was off making a popcorn picture about intergalactic warfare, Steven Spielberg made a film about two foreign planets making a connection built on peace, love and understanding. Close Encounters is clearly a film made by a dreamer for people who like to dream, who like to be swept up and transported, shown something they just can’t see in the real world outside.
It’s one of the few films in which nearly every single scene is not only great, but within each scene you can identify specific elements that made Close Encounters such a revered film. It’s a great example of how to set up mysteries and reveal the answers to mysteries while treating the world with a sense of awe. Like Jaws, the subject of our curiosity is hidden through most of the film. When the spaceships are finally revealed to us the film has earned a genuine sense of wonder and amazement.
Richard Dreyfuss plays an effective everyman; a stand in for Spielberg whose idea of a fun night out is taking the kids to see Pinocchio. Spielberg built his ultimate childhood fantasy around this character, ending the picture not on a moment of fantasy and wonder so much as envy. This is a marvelous picture, told as if a legend were being brought to life. There are numerous scenes of suspense, mystery, awe and movie magic.
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