Close Encounters of the Third Kind Themes
Language and Communication
The aliens in Close Encounters don't just land on the White House lawn, throw up a peace sign, and announce, "We come in peace. Everyone chill." Lacking knowledge of how humans communicate, they do...
Wisdom and Knowledge
Roy Neary wants to know what the heck is going on. Lacombe wants to explain the mystery of the UFOs, because explaining stuff is what scientists do. And Jillian just wants to learn how to get her s...
Fear
By the end of Close Encounters, we learn that we've got nothing to fear from these extraterrestrials. They're kinda cute, they love music, and they've just borrowed—not abducted—a few dozen or...
Innocence
Steven Spielberg is just a big kid. His films celebrate the childlike innocence that lets people experience amazing things. Think E.T. and Jurassic Park, even Poltergeist and Hook. He's done his sh...
Technology and Modernization
Science fiction films generally see technology in one of two ways: It's either going to destroy us all or it's what's gonna save us. Close Encounters is in the latter camp. It's optimistic about te...