Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Steven Spielberg's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (1977) is a film that combines gritty realism with dreams of escape, offering an allegory of the cinematic experience and rejecting entrenched American values. Dana Polan's study explores its significance to New Hollywood cinema and the science fiction genre, highlighting its visual fascination and alternative understandings of masculinity, morality, and the American Dream.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 104 pages
Publication date: 03 October 2024
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Steven Spielberg's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (1977) is a film that captures the cinematic moment of its time, blending the gritty realism of everyday entrapment with furtive dreams of escape. Dana Polan's compelling study of the film explores its significance to New Hollywood cinema and the science fiction genre. He contends that "Close Encounters" is an allegory of the cinematic experience, telling a tale of visual seduction and immersing the spectator in the protagonist Roy Neary's awe-inspiring transformation of his mundane reality. Polan's analysis delves into the film's production history, including all three versions, and places it within Spielberg's oeuvre. He argues that despite the film's widespread popularity, it actually rejects several deeply ingrained American values, such as family, home, and marriage. Through its visual appeal, it presents alternative perspectives on masculinity, morality, familial responsibility, and the American Dream.

Weight: 166g
Dimension: 190 x 137 x 7 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781839025778