Unheimliche Begegnung der dritten Art

A cornerstone of the sci-fi genre. Steven Spielberg did not have an easy start with this film, he released it at a time when everyone was going crazy about Lucas's Star Wars (whose popularity grew into a kind of social phenomenon in the Western world), but thanks to its qualities it soon found a place in the hearts of film fans and professional critics. Together with Zemeckis's Contact, it is probably the best film on the subject of contact with alien civilizations, and the ending with the key notes of Willimas's soundtrack have entered film textbooks. The directorial legend Francois Truffaut (Spielberg's friend at the time) is also a delight in the pivotal role of the astronomer Lacombe. And that crowded summer cinema during the Bolshevik era can hardly be forgotten, too. (02.03.2010)

I saw Close Encounters shortly after its premiere at the movie theater as a boy, and as you know, Spielberg's blockbuster made a big impression on me with its visuals and message. But time cannot be stopped, and today I perceive the film completely differently. When you look at early Spielberg, a film like Duel has practically not aged at all. Any B-movie director today could consider it as their inspiration, and if it weren't for the hairstyles, you wouldn't have to change anything about it. Jaws has aged only slightly, and it is still a very effective horror thriller, while Close Encounters has aged terrifyingly from my perspective. It's not just about the effects. From this point of view, the first Indiana Jones film has also aged and yet still works well. It is primarily about the overall view of the issue and the distance, and how Spielberg portrays the extraterrestrial civilization and its encounters with our culture. It is strongly naive and unintentionally amusing. Spielberg works with the most clichéd motifs of ufology and their favorite motif of alien abductions. Since the 1950s, ufology has gained an almost religious dimension in American popular culture and has become the basis for various conspiracy theories. Spielberg's aliens are exactly as portrayed by American newspapers and magazines or low-budget sci-fi films of the past, just all dressed up with a high budget. Zemeckis' Contact is a completely different league. Spielberg's film is not so much sci-fi as a kind of fantasy fairytale. Overall impression: 45%. (08.05.2012)

The first half is fantastic, the second a bit muddled, but the ending is an audiovisual eye-candy orgasm. The script is clever and thought-provoking, and Steven comes up with so many famously staged moments that either beautifully reference classics of the genre (most notably A Space Odyssey) or became the inspiration for a heap of future followers – if I were to look for a revival and kick-start of science fiction to the heights of cinematic entertainment, I would find it in 1977. The pace does fluctuate at times and not every shot has its unshakable justification, but it's just damn inventive and I can guarantee that you might not get this kind of goosebumps even if you encount alien phenomena in real life (let alone in any other film). Still one of the highlights of the genre that can happily do without a single shot or word of potential violence. Instant classic. 85% (05.04.2012)

Nowadays it's actually a beautiful fairy tale experience to see humanity cooperating and listening, how it’s humble, patient, and empathetic in the face of an encounter with something alien. It's actually a rare spectacle to watch professionals from all sorts of disciplines work together in the face of knowledge of the unknown, without being made into elitist upstarts above common sense. A film without a negative character, a film about fascination, indulgence, and knowledge. It must have been an amazing time, to be able to believe that. (19.11.2021)

I consider the biggest plus to be that we will not witness any hiding of extraterrestrials, and from the beginning, it is clear that what is happening around the main character will not be explained as a coincidence. Even without that, it has a tremendous power of exploring signals and pondering on what those strange mound visions mean. It's a pity that such a stimulating work has aged so much in its forty years. The long-lasting ending does bring joy, but it can no longer evoke the same magical feeling as it once did. SPOILER I am surprised that Spielberg was not afraid to overturn the cliché of happy reunions with families and let Roy go towards his destiny. (23.06.2007)