Close Encounters Of The Third Kind

Author: Steven Spielberg

There are few films that impart a sense of spirituality like Close Encounters does. The story of humanity's first contact with aliens, and the individuals who become obsessed with the messages the extra-terrestrials send tackles issues of what else is out there in the universe, and how we can have troubles dealing with their existence. The most powerful moments in Close Encounters are watching a thoroughly obsessed Richard Dreyfuss deal with getting the images in his head out to where he can see them, often at the expense of the relationship with his family. The famed mashed potatoes scene is the perfect illustration of this. The way Spielberg gives us not only the mothership, but the aliens themselves, is both spectacular and humane. We're presented with what might be the greatest threat to humanity ever and they are presented as gentle, or at least benevolent, and our response is… well, that's the heart of the film. The way it is shot, with effects being far more limited than in Spielberg's work in the 1980s, is what makes this a stand-out. Everything that shows up on-screen is important, and when we are given a special effect, it feels like something beyond our realm, and that makes it powerful. Why it's on the list No doubt one of the most powerful film experiences a fan can have, Close Encounters will revive even the most cynical of hearts.