I can only imagine other directors' opinions of Steven Spielberg when he burst upon the scene in the 1970s. After all, here was some kid who was one of the youngest filmmakers to land a gig directing TV shows and then burst into the stratosphere with the phenomenal success of "Jaws." Back then, of course, many of his contemporaries probably figured he'd used up all of his cinematic luck with that one big hit, while others may have secretly wished for his next big screen venture to fail.
As only time would tell, however, that wasn't to be as Spielberg followed the 1975 blockbuster with another, just two years later, in the form of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind." With "Star Wars" hitting the theaters the same year and providing for some grand, escapist entertainment, Spielberg's picture was clearly aiming for a different home run fence - namely that of a "realistic" sci-fi yarn - and knocked one out of the ballpark, even if most of the "fireworks" were held until the end.
Of course, the film is about far more than special effects or even just science fiction. In the end, it's all about people finding their place in the world - or universe, if you will - and the main searcher in this case was lineman Roy Leary, superbly played by Richard Dreyfuss. Teaming up with Spielberg for a second time after their coloration on "Jaws," Dreyfuss created an indelible character so obsessed with discovering the truth that he ultimately alienated his family.
Those tense family scenes may be a bit too abrasive for the film's own good or viewer's "enjoyment," yet they do serve a purpose for the overall film. While they're not his best work, some of the Spielberg's other scenes and sequences - much like those occurring in many of his other films - are simply terrific, such as the discovery of the WWII era Navy planes in the opening sequence that's followed by the air traffic controller/UFO encounter.
The aliens' "kidnapping" of the young boy - perfectly played with bright-eyed wonder by young Cary Guffey - is one of the film's most memorable, only bested by the now famous "light parade" ending that blew away viewers way back when and still holds up remarkably well even today.
Beyond Dreyfuss, the rest of the performances are solid, even if those other embodied by others than Melinda Dillon, Teri Gar and French filmmaker Francois Truffaut aren't particularly developed or explored. That doesn't turn out to be much of a problem at all, however, as Spielberg - who works from his own screenplay in a rare such occurrence (he would next do so in "A.I. - Artificial Intelligence") keeps the viewer interested, intrigued and completely engaged from start to finish. The result is that we end up reverting to a childlike state of awe-simply watching the proceedings in a perpetual state of joyous wonder as we try to determine how things will ultimately play out.
Taking a novel approach for the time, Spielberg jettisoned the "aliens are attacking" plot that was so prevalent and fueled most such science fiction stories and films up to that time. In its place were those extraterrestrials that were out exploring the universe, giving them something of a modus operandi that made them more "human" in our empathetic eyes. Possibly inspiring the similar benevolent approach used in "E.T." a few years later, the director created a unique take on alien visitors that still resonates today.
While the effects obviously look a bit dated nearly a quarter century after the fact, they hold up surprisingly well compared to other films of the era. Some of that stems from Spielberg's decision - possibly similarly based to what occurred in "Jaws" where technical difficulties lead to more creative and thus effective filmmaking - to use "simple" lighting effects in addition to, or at times in place of expensive and potentially less believable model-based ones.
Some of that model work does obviously occur (although it looks good), yet the simple use of light - particularly in the scene where Dreyfuss' character has his first encounter in his truck on the railroad tracks - works as well or better than the rest.
One of the best summer blockbusters of the era of such films in the '70s and '80s, this film excels because it's as much about smarts as it is spectacle, resulting in a cinematic experience that easily withstands the test of time and comes off as a hallmark science fiction picture. We highly recommend it.
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