“I never really tried to figure out what my role meant,” said French director François Truffaut, whom Spielberg had cast in one of the roles. But what exactly was going on in the story was opaque even to some of the movie’s stars. The now-classic film, which Spielberg identified by genre as an “adventure thriller,” follows several characters in their quests to achieve direct contact - the titular degree of close encounter - with extraterrestrials. Get your history fix in one place: sign up for the weekly TIME History newsletterīut, as the TIME story explained, some of that secrecy about the plot wasn’t so much a matter of protecting a surprise as it was a matter of confusion. Close Encounters is, moreover, its creator’s highly personal statement about mankind’s next leap forward. The film is not perfect, but, like Stanley Kubrick’s similar (if far chillier) 2001: A Space Odyssey, it uses science fiction thrills to seduce the audience into looking at the cosmos metaphysically.
His new movie is richer and more ambitious than Jaws, and it reaches the viewer at a far more profound level than Star Wars.
More important, Close Encounters offers proof, if any were needed, that Spielberg’s reputation is no accident. Although the movie is not a sure blockbuster - it lacks the simplicity of effect that characterizes most alltime box office champs - it will certainly be a big enough hit to keep Columbia’s stockholders happy.
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