Review of Close Encounters of the Third Kind (2 disc set)

Introduction

Close Encounters is one of those movies that needs little introduction, it’s pretty much the grand daddy of the X-files genre which is so popular today and opened many peoples minds to the possibility of life on other planets.

Fresh from success on Jaws this was yet another Steven Spielberg hit but in a totally contrasting manner to the horror tale of the killer shark. This is a story of mystery and discovery, whilst today’s take on UFOs is full of suspicion and themes of alien invasion this movie is actually a hopeful tale surmising that we are not alone and that this could actually be a good thing.

This movie tells the tale of Roy Nearys (Richard Dreyfuss) close encounter with several strange alien ships one night during a large unexplained power outage. After this he finds his mind filled with a mountain-shaped image that he cannot understand or explain. This has a profound affect on his life and starts an obsessive quest to discover just what the mysterious shape means. He is not alone as others have the same vision, amongst them Jillian Guiler (Melinda Dillon) who’s son has apparently been taken by these visitors. The visions are accompanied by a series of 5 notes which further add to the mystery.

Meanwhile a series of strange occurrences have led the Government to believe that an event of huge importance will be taking place at the Devils Tower, a large mountain in the middle of Wyoming. Concocting a story of a lethal virus outbreak to clear the surrounding area of people the stage is set for the first meeting between man and alien.

Video

The picture has had somewhat of a facelift since I last recall seeing it. I’ve got no idea whether the picture was remastered or not but for the most part it’s very well done indeed. As with most older movies there is nearly always a “but” when it comes to picture quality and this is no exception. There are just a few scenes that show their age somewhat with picture grain, print marks and a slight shifting of colours. For a movie shot in 1977 I can forgive it that slight imperfection as this movie has never looked better.

Audio

This disc is notable for being one of the few Region 2 ones to carry a DTS soundtrack so of course this was the soundtrack to which I listened. I must say I was very impressed with the soundtrack indeed. Spot effects and sound placement are spot on, loud scenes are LOUD and the dialogue remains clear at all times. Ambient sounds are dealt with very smoothly but the I couldn’t comment on this audio track without mentioning the booming bass usage. This one really tears up your sub woofer, leaving it a quivering wreck afterwards. It’s not just the sub either as any speaker capable of bass will be forced to cough it up. Top stuff.

The orchestral score is provided by the king of soundtracks, John Williams, and lives up to the quality that we have come to expect. Superb.

Features

The extras are held exclusively on the 2nd disc of this 2 disc set and, whilst being few in numbers, hold one interesting surprise - that being the real showpiece feature, the “Making of” documentary, lasting an amazing 101 minutes! I’m not going to spoil anything about the content of this documentary except to say that it really is excellent and covers every piece of background information you would ever want about this movie. I wish every classic movie carried a feature such as this, something that adds real value to the DVD format and the offers the fan an amazing insight.

Next up we have11 Deleted scenes lasting approximately 25 minutes, a few of which help to explain a few happenings in the movie. On an amusing note there is one deleted scene in which you see a small herd of cows, with one of the cows being mounted at the time. Unfortunately though you can see why most of these scenes were left on the cutting room floor. Researching some background information on this film revealed masses of alternate scene information due to a later extensive re-shoot of various and scenes at which time additional scenes were also filmed so perhaps you could have expected more in the way of deleted scenes. To finish off we have a featurette from 1977 (lasting 6 minutes), 2 trailers and some filmographies.

So not the largest number of features on a DVD and you’re probably thinking “where’s the commentary track?”. With such a comprehensive “Making of” documentary you really don’t need one and I would even go so far as to say that lengthy documentaries of this sort are far more preferable. I’m giving this disc top marks for extras as the quality of this one documentary makes it more than worth the score.

Conclusion

In movie history I don’t think there has ever been a more memorable sequence of 5 notes as those used in the communications with the aliens. This says all you need to know about the impact that this movie has had on our culture. That said it’s now 24 years old but I’m glad to say that it’s still as enjoyable today as it ever was. Of course the movie has aged but it’s still immensely enjoyable and sends a refreshingly optimistic message which is something a little rare in modern times.

Visually the movie is as stunning as ever. In it’s day the effects were unrivalled and due to their unique nature they still look fantastic even by today’s standards. I say unique as he majority of the effects sequences involve dynamic lighting effects (usually from the various space craft) and I can’t recall having scene these sorts of effects having been used in many other features. The actual ideas behind the movie are also still fresh today, particularly the idea that an alien race might use music as it’s means of communication.

The story is something I think allot of people would identify with. As you see Richard Dreyfuss become more and more obsessed with making sense of what he has seen and the mysterious shape in his mind everything else takes a back seat, including his family. It’s this basic need to understand that drives mankind constantly forward and it’s captured perfectly in this one character’s performance. The main female character played by Melinda Dillon provides the counterpoint of someone not really interested in understanding, being far more driven to protect and be with her young child.

With strange occurrences all over the world leading the Government to the revelation that they were about to be contacted everything leads to the final encounter. The final encounter is pretty shallow it has to be said but that just doesn’t matter. This is the sort of movie you wonder at without necessarily bothering with what exactly it all means, you are simply swept up in the majesty of the occasion and the spectacle of the event.

So a classic movie that stands up very well to the test of time supported with the kind of DVD release that it deserves, highly recommended.