Review of Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) by Mike V — 21 Apr 2018

****.

I'm finally catching up on some of Spielberg's older classics, and 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' was next. This wasn't at all what I was expecting when I started. It was far more of a mystery, and the choice to not only leave the aliens until the end - but then barely show them - was one that I think benefitted the film greatly. Spielberg, who actually wrote the screenplay for this one, chooses to reveal information very slowly, from the perspective of the human characters. Every time we see anything alien, it is from the perspective of a person. This was also a great choice, as the movie puts you in this mysterious situation from the opening scene all the way up to the last, and this is what allows the film to remain interesting throughout its admittedly long running time. The performances were good across the board, and whilst I could nitpick the fact that Dreyfuss' character is a bit unsympathetic, enough time is dedicated to the breakdown of his family that I accepted it. I think it might have been better if he hadn't boarded the ship at the end, and decided to stay with his family instead, but never mind. It's a bit slow, and ultimately too long, but I found 'Close Encounters' to be an interesting and vastly original science fiction mystery.