Close Encounters is a film written and directed by Steven Spielberg. Following on the heels of Spielberg’s success with Jaws, the film was Spielberg’s second major blockbuster in a catalogue of successful films. The film brought in the likes of the famous French director Francois Truffaut, and the leading authority on UFOs, respected PHD Ohio St. Astronomer Dr. J. Allen Hynek as technical advisor. Close Encounters is the first film made about UFOs and the government’s alleged involvement with the phenomenon, in other words, the first true to life adaptation of the alleged phenomenon.

Actor Richard Dreyfuss gives an underrated and brilliant performance as the film’s protagonist Roy Neary. Roy is a family man grounded in the realities of being a hardworking parent and employee in the suburban neighborhood of a small Indiana town. But his life is about to change radically once he has a personal experience with a UFO, taking part in a cop/UFO chase sequence (based off a real case I may add).

Roy turns madly obsessed with what he doesn’t understand. His fascination with the UFO phenomenon shuts him down with his work and social life, and leads to the destruction of his marriage. He is plagued with visions he can’t rid his mind of, and frustratingly seeks answers by piecing clues together (a great example is the famous mash potatoes scene).

Roy is not alone. His Indiana community and people from around the world have been experiencing the same strange encounters. Also interested in the sightings are governments from around the world, most notably the American government, who are as curious about the sightings as the public are, but seek to deceive the American people in order to further their exploration. It is a precursor to the X-Files tag line, “Trust No One”.

The special effects, which consist of the different shapes and colors of the UFOs, are done brilliantly by Douglas Trumbull (2001: A Space Odyssey). Famous film composer John Williams does the amazing score that balances perfectly the atmosphere that captures both the curiosity and dread that come with the uncertainty and mystery of the UFOs. Both can be seen and heard in this famous scene from the film…

i've actually never seen this movie, by the way.

Ithe beautiful DP work.

me neither, so there's that one scene but what the hell happens during the rest of the movie?

I'll avoid any explicit spoilers for those who haven't seen the movie, but the ending has never really sat well with me. It's a really compelling movie otherwise, but the conclusion just kind of feels weird and perhaps rushed maybe.

I'm talking specifically about what happens to Dreyfuss's character. Anyone else with me here?