Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) remains one of the most iconic films about UFOs and alien contact, deeply rooted in actual UFO research and reported sightings. The film reflects the surge of UFO sightings and alien abduction stories growing in public attention throughout the 1950s to 1970s, mirrored in Roy Neary’s obsessive search and eventual contact.

Close Encounters Classification in Spielberg’s Masterpiece

The title Close Encounters of the Third Kind draws directly from the pioneering classification system developed by Dr. J. Allen Hynek, a renowned astronomer and ufologist who served as the film’s technical advisor and even appears in a fleeting cameo during the climactic alien landing.

Hynek’s system, introduced in his 1972 book The UFO Experience, categorizes unidentified flying object (UFO) encounters into three escalating types: Close Encounters of the First Kind (CE1) involve visual sightings of unexplained aerial phenomena; Close Encounters of the Second Kind (CE2) include physical effects like electromagnetic interference or environmental traces; and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (CE3), the heart of Steven Spielberg’s 1977 masterpiece, feature direct observations of extraterrestrial beings. This framework grounded the film’s speculative narrative in real-world UFO research, lending authenticity to its portrayal of humanity’s awe and curiosity about the unknown.

Several real-life UFO incidents inspired the film’s evocative storytelling, weaving a tapestry of mystery and plausibility.

– Close Encounters of the First Kind (CE1): For Close Encounters of the First Kind, the 1947 sighting by pilot Kenneth Arnold near Mount Rainier, Washington, stands as a cornerstone. Arnold described nine crescent-shaped objects moving at supersonic speeds, “like saucers skipping on water,” a report that coined the term “flying saucer” and ignited global UFO fascination. Arnold calculated the objects’ speed based on their travel time between Mount Rainier and Mount Adams, a distance he estimated at 47 miles. He timed their passage at approximately 1 minute 42 seconds, yielding a speed of roughly 1,700 miles per hour (2,735 km/h), well above the speed of sound (~767 mph or 1,235 km/h at sea level). In 1947, no known aircraft could achieve such speeds, as the sound barrier was first broken by Chuck Yeager in the X-1 later that year (October 1947). This CE1 event, detailed in contemporary news reports, informed the film’s depictions of glowing, swift-moving lights in the night sky, capturing the wonder of unexplained aerial phenomena.

– Close Encounters of the Second Kind (CE2): For Close Encounters of the Second Kind, the 1966 Michigan “swamp gas” sightings provided gripping material: multiple witnesses, including police officers, reported UFOs that disrupted car engines, dimmed lights, and left scorched marks on the ground. These physical effects, initially dismissed by authorities but later validated by Hynek’s investigations, inspired scenes like Roy Neary’s (Richard Dreyfuss) truck stalling under blinding alien lights, his face lightly burned—an eerie nod to CE2’s tangible impact.

– Close Encounters of the Third Kind (CE3): Finally, Close Encounters of the Third Kind drew from rare, chilling CE3 cases like the 1961 Betty and Barney Hill abduction in New Hampshire, where the couple claimed to encounter humanoid beings aboard a craft, and the 1964 Lonnie Zamora incident in Socorro, New Mexico, where a policeman reported a landed egg-shaped object and two small, white-clad figures. These accounts, rigorously documented by Hynek and others, shaped the film’s iconic portrayal of benevolent alien contact at Devils Tower, blending scientific intrigue with Spielberg’s optimistic vision of interstellar connection.

Fascinating Trivia About Spielberg and the Film:

– Spielberg himself has said he never saw a UFO, but his lifelong fascination with science fiction and extraterrestrial possibilities fueled the creation of Close Encounters. His storytelling synthesized real UFO research, like Hynek’s classifications, with imaginative drama.

– The film’s famous five-tone musical phrase used to communicate with the aliens was composed by John Williams, who crafted his score before the film was even edited. Spielberg famously edited the film to match Williams’ music, rather than the usual reverse process, giving the movie a lyrical and rhythmic flow.

– Young actor Cary Guffey, playing five-year-old Barry Guiler, was so natural on set he earned the nickname “One-Take Cary” as many of his scenes required only one or two takes.

– The aliens emerging from the mothership were played by young girls wearing large, heavy headpieces, which Spielberg felt looked too fake. To compensate, bright lights were used to obscure their faces and create an ethereal effect.

– Real air traffic controllers were cast in the film’s opening sequence, lending authenticity to the tense scenes of airplanes encountering UFOs. The film also famously incorporated actual military maneuvers and airspace events at its time for realism.

– Dr. J. Allen Hynek appears in the final sequence, smoking a pipe and admiring the returning humans and aliens. His involvement was pivotal in grounding the film in genuine UFO study rather than pure fantasy.

– The climactic alien landing scene was filmed in a repurposed, massive, World War II-era dirigible hangar at Brookley Air Force Base in Alabama, chosen for its vast open space necessary to convincingly portray a UFO landing area.

– Close Encounters continues to be screened regularly at Devil’s Tower KOA Campground, the iconic location featured in the film’s finale, making it one of the most frequently shown movies linked to a real geographic landmark.

Spielberg’s film creatively combined verified UFO sightings—both simple visual observations and extraordinary claims involving beings—with speculation and hopeful storytelling. While Spielberg never claimed firsthand sightings, his careful research and collaboration with Hynek created a cinematic landmark that remains a touchstone for how pop culture envisions humanity’s potential contact with extraterrestrials.

The Real UFO Encounters Behind Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Close Encounters Classification in Spielberg’s Masterpiece

Leave a Reply