Steven Spielberg's 1977 science fiction film, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, is currently available to stream for free on YouTube. The version offered is the Director's Cut from 1998, which Spielberg endorsed and which reinstates elements removed from the 1980 Special Edition. This availability comes nearly 50 years after the film's original release.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind is recognized for its significant influence on the alien conspiracy thriller subgenre, shaping subsequent films and television series throughout the 1980s and 1990s. The film's narrative and themes have left a lasting impact on science fiction cinema.
Understanding the 'Close Encounter'
The film's title is derived from J. Allen Hynek's 1972 book, The UFO Experience: A Scientific Inquiry. Hynek, who served as a scientific consultant on the film and makes a cameo appearance, proposed a classification scale for UFO sightings. The uppermost stages of his scale, involving direct observation of UFOs and their occupants, are termed "close encounters," with the "third kind" signifying the film's focus on potential first contact.
Plot and Themes
The story begins in 1977 with the mysterious reappearance of lost aircraft in the California desert, coinciding with widespread UFO sightings. In Muncie, Indiana, electrician Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss) experiences a close encounter with a UFO that leaves him physically marked and increasingly obsessed.
Roy's growing obsession with UFOs strains his relationship with his family. He finds himself compelled to sculpt a distinctive mountain shape, a compulsion that foreshadows a larger conspiracy. This descent into obsession, marked by his solitary work surrounded by research and models, has been seen as a prototype for later depictions of conspiracy theorists in popular culture, notably in The X-Files.
While Close Encounters may not possess the same immediate spectacle as some of Spielberg's other genre works, such as E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, its impact on science fiction, particularly in its exploration of alien encounters and psychological obsession, remains significant. The film is now available to stream on YouTube, offering a chance to revisit this influential piece of cinema.