**THE CAWPINE OF 'CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND'**

WRITING: 8
ATMOSPHERE: 9
CHARACTERS: 7
PRODUCTION: 10
INTRIGUE: 7
NOVELTY: 9
ENJOYMENT: 9

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**The Good:**

Jaws might have been the ultimate summer blockbuster that made Spielberg into a household name, but it's his fourth feature-length Close Encounters that I see as the beginning of his golden era as a director. Filled with tension and horror inspired by Jaws, grounded science fiction as later seen in E.T. and a sense of adventure as will again be seen in the Indiana Jones films, this film is an undisputed classic and a must-see for everyone calling themselves a science fiction fan.

Close Encounters mixes Spielberg's use of carefully chosen angles, close-ups and wide shots with a mix of colour, lighting and breathtaking practical effects, creating one of the most beautiful science fiction films I've ever seen (the film received an Oscar for Best Cinematography). Star Wars was released the same years and it's grey and gritty realism pales in comparison with the fantastical colour palette of Spielberg's film.

Just as convincing is the sound design, mixing and music in this film. Sound is used to create a creepy atmosphere and a world of its own and the majestic John Williams score is one of the best he's created, with the legendary five-note jingle as its centrepiece.

This film is Richard Dreyfuss' show to steal. He was great in Jaws, but his obsessive and slowly intensifying performance here is what one could call career-defining. Towards the end of the film, his character has become just as creepy and unnerving as the film itself.

Unlike the epic space opera that is George Lucas' Star Wars, Spielberg's sci-fi opus is more of a traditional, mysterious and philosophical science fiction close rot 2001: A Space Odyssey or Arrival. Its script spends more time developing a sense of mystery around the alien arrivals than action or thrills. The philosophical and sociological death this film contains could be widely discussed in all eternity.

The scary sequences use sounds, light, wind and other simple effects to form an almost horror movie type of atmosphere. They are the most impressive sequences of the film and set the sinister mood effectively.

After a long build-up, which mostly seems to lead to nowhere, the film moves onto its final act and finally offers some explanations and clarity as to what has been going on for the past 90 minutes.

Those haunting final scenes are among the most memorable in cinematic history, everything leading up to them during the film’s final hour is tense, and unnerving, thanks to masterful editing and a great John Williams score. The final few moments are strongly embedded in my memory, due to the haunting and well-crafted imagery.

The meeting between humanity and the mother ship works so well because it's a piece of dialogue performed through Williams' score. That’s my favourite sequence in the entire film. The sequence also samples the theme from Jaws, which adds to the sense of danger.

The alien puppets at the end look hauntingly realistic. They send shivers down my spine.

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**The Bad:**

The central characters come across as somewhat one-dimensional. Roy seems obsessive and crazy from the starts, so the way he slowly ruins his marriage doesn't impact us so strongly as we don’t know how he usually is. His wife is even less well developed.

The script thrown in several lengthy scenes with Roy being obsessive or scientists solving mysteries together by talking on top of each other. The point would have come across just as well with fewer such scenes, so they seem like filler material.

In some ways, the overall plot feels more like a depiction of Roy's obsessive madness than an attempt to understand the alien arrivals and their true purpose. While the last act is fascinating, the conclusion leaves the audience wanting answers that are never given.

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**The Ugly:**

Mentioning National Geographic in dialogue two films in a row is lazy scriptwriting, Mr Spielberg!

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**THE CAWPINE RATING: 8.43 / 10 = 4 stars**