“Close Encounters of the Third Kind” How was that legendary communication melody born?

The Arrival , a film about first Contact with aliens

If "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" is a first- Contact film where a very simple greeting is exchanged using five sounds, director Denis Villeneuve takes it a step further and tries to communicate by elucidating the other person's language. The science fiction film `` The Arrival '' (16).

The story begins abruptly. One morning, huge spaceships fly to multiple locations on Earth. Why did aliens land on this planet at this timing? And what is their purpose? In order to find out the true meaning, a linguistics specialist attempts to communicate...

Start with a simple greeting and self-introduction, and gradually expand the scope of communication. The step-up process is very interesting. Also, the language used by aliens is unique. Instead of speaking through their mouths, they try to transmit information by spewing out something like ink from their tentacles and spreading it out in ripples. The depiction of a linguist deciphering each word's meaning is thrilling, and the work cannot help but captivate the viewer's heart.

“Arrival” preview

And what makes this friendly and in-depth first Contact film so successful is, above all, the extraordinary precedent of ``Close Encounters of the Third Kind.'' We will build on the initial image woven 40 years before aliens and earthlings met, and superimpose a new "Arrival" on it. In this way, you will be even more surprised and moved by the ``evolved depth of expressiveness'' that naturally emerges.

What would you do if you encountered an alien? Or, on a more practical level, how should we interact with people we meet for the first time in our daily lives? How should we get along with people who have different ways of thinking and cultures? Or how should we deal with unknown experiences in life and move forward?

If you want to think about such phenomena and possibilities, you should definitely watch these movies. I'm sure there are hints hidden there that will move the viewer one step forward and expand their hearts. In that sense, both works may be called the "First Contact Duology."

References

“John Williams” (Ongaku no Tomosha/Yasuyuki Kamio/2000)

"Spielberg's Secret Written for the First Time" (Gakken/written by Frank Sanello/1996)

"Steven Spielberg" (Produce Center Publishing/Author Andrew Yule/1999)

“The Man Who Fell to Earth” (Kadokawa Shoten/John Baxter/1998)

“Actors Studio Interview” (Hayakawa Shobo/James Lipton/2010)

Text: USHIZU ATSUNOBU

Born in Nagasaki in 1977. When he was 3 years old, he saw ``Superman II'' with his father and became fascinated with movies. After The Graduate from Meiji University, he worked for a movie broadcasting channel and then became a movie writer. Currently, in addition to writing for Eiga.com, EYESCREAM, Real Sound Movie Club, etc., he also contributes to media press and theater programs.

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(c) “Encounters with the Close Encounters of the Third Kind 40th Anniversary Edition [First Production Limited]”
Released on October 18, 2017 Blu-ray ¥4,743 (excluding tax)
Publisher/distributor: Sony Pictures Entertainment
(c) 1977, renewed 2005, (c) 1980, 1998 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved.