tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post7155450604195536061..comments2024-03-29T04:57:26.162-04:00Comments on John Kenneth Muir's Reflections on Cult Movies and Classic TV: The Films of 1977: Close Encounters of the Third KindJohn Kenneth Muirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15629979615332893780noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-40248534620670738162017-04-07T19:12:20.766-04:002017-04-07T19:12:20.766-04:00Yes, good choice, that it what Spielberg felt. CE3...Yes, good choice, that it what Spielberg felt. CE3K Neary was written from the point of view of a single man[Spielberg] without children and not the way a married father would have acted.<br /><br />SGBSGBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07137406272001346149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-3412246787967935322017-04-07T18:35:29.267-04:002017-04-07T18:35:29.267-04:00I would never leave my family. I could never enjoy...I would never leave my family. I could never enjoy my journey knowing the love and bonds I left behind. John Kenneth Muirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15629979615332893780noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-29129842861451605472017-04-07T17:24:41.356-04:002017-04-07T17:24:41.356-04:00John,
Really nice examination of Close Encounters....John,<br />Really nice examination of Close Encounters. You bring an interesting element to the arguments presented - the perspective of a man with a family, and what effect his actions might have on his children when he leaves. Funny, I'd never even given them a second thought! I guess I was too self-absorbed. :P<br />The fact that there is room for varying interpretations of the film's message speaks to its longevity and greatness. I've always opted for the humanist argument, but I cannot discount the religious view - both have valid points. I always wonder if the makers of these films have such ideas in mind when they're actually shooting, or if the viewer brings their own interpretation, which was never what the film makers intended to convey.<br />I'm not certain if Spielberg had any deeper meaning in mind when he was filming CE3K. One thing that did come from the film was a conversation with Francois Truffaut, in which the French director told him to make a film centered around kids. This conversation inspired Spielberg to do just that, in a project that started as a sequel to Close Encounters, and eventually became E.T.<br />SteveAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13101722769411384962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-9382839539947412472017-04-07T11:11:14.723-04:002017-04-07T11:11:14.723-04:00John, nice review of CE3K. Spielberg stated in an ...John, nice review of CE3K. Spielberg stated in an interview, years later after he was a father, that Roy Neary would not have left if he made CE3K today. <br /><br />John, would you leave your son and wife behind like Roy Neary did?<br /><br />SGBSGBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07137406272001346149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-61679318636291235032017-04-07T09:37:57.301-04:002017-04-07T09:37:57.301-04:00As I've mentioned before, I'm a religious ...As I've mentioned before, I'm a religious individual (Roman Catholic) but never really thought through this sort of religious subtext that is in the movie if you look for it. I knew the movie spoke to me in a way that hardly any film had ever done. It is in fact the one film I've seen most often, paying to see it at least a dozen times when it was released. It moved me in a profound way but could never quite articulate why. Your article certainly helps!<br /><br />With regards to Neary leaving his family and life behind in search of the spiritual fulfillment who so desperately needs, there are a number of verses in the bible where Jesus tells that by becoming his disciples that you must be prepared to leave your mother and father and that the decision will cause hatred and strife in one's own family. This makes sense because individuals were leaving traditional Judaism for something new and this was going to cause conflict and Jesus' new disciples needed to be prepared for the pain caused by their decision. This follows Neary's journey as he tries to share his revelation with his wife and family but increasingly separates from them as he is drawn closer to the true meaning of his visions.<br /><br />Thanks once again for a wonderful essay. I'm printing this out and keeping it for further review!Pierre Fontainehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09928175455443075350noreply@blogger.com