How a $19.4 million gamble on UFOs changed science fiction cinema forever
In short: Steven Spielberg risked his career to make Close Encounters of the Third Kind, a film he initially pitched as a low-budget documentary. Instead, he created a visual masterpiece that defied studio expectations, survived a hurricane, and introduced the world to an iconic five-tone musical language for extraterrestrial communication.
Development of the film was a turbulent journey that began in 1973. Spielberg initially envisioned a modest project, but his ambition grew alongside his creative control following the success of Jaws. The production faced significant hurdles, including a ballooning budget that reached $19.4 million—far exceeding the $2.7 million originally pitched to Columbia Pictures—and severe weather in Alabama, where a lightning strike damaged a massive sound stage. Spielberg later described the production as twice as expensive and difficult as Jaws, noting that he constantly added new scenes, which extended the schedule.
The film’s central conceit, the 'third kind,' refers to astronomer J. Allen Hynek’s classification of UFO encounters involving animate beings. To bring this to life, Spielberg prioritized luminescence over the metallic aesthetic common in science fiction at the time. Visual effects supervisor Douglas Trumbull utilized motion control photography to create the mothership, which was inspired by an oil refinery Spielberg observed in India. The film’s iconic five-tone communication motif was selected by John Williams from over 300 variations, specifically chosen because it sat mathematically between a four-note fragment and a seven-note song.
The film’s legacy is defined by its technical innovation and its cultural impact. In 2007, the Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry. Over the decades, Spielberg released multiple versions, including a 1980 Special Edition and a 1998 Director’s Cut, reflecting his ongoing desire to refine the narrative. Despite the studio's initial skepticism and NASA’s reported opposition, the film became a massive financial success, grossing over $300 million worldwide and cementing its place as a cornerstone of American cinema.
Beyond the spectacle, the film relied on unconventional casting and production choices. Spielberg cast François Truffaut as the scientist Claude Lacombe, marking the legendary director's only English-language acting role. For the extraterrestrials themselves, Spielberg opted to use fifty local six-year-old girls, believing they moved with more grace than boys. These creative decisions, combined with the film's emotional core, helped it transcend the genre, earning critical acclaim and numerous awards at the 50th Academy Awards and beyond.
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