The ‘Close Encounters of The Third Kind’ scene that gives James Cameron a lump in his throat
James Cameron stands as a filmmaker whose influence on the box office is nothing short of substantial. From the outset of his career in the 1980s, Cameron has consistently delivered blockbuster hits, with each film proving to be a financial juggernaut. Notable successes include iconic movies such as The Terminator, T2: Judgment Day, the monumental Titanic, and the groundbreaking Avatar series. Cameron’s cinematic ventures have become synonymous with unparalleled commercial success, solidifying his status as a force to be reckoned with in the world of filmmaking.
His movies are no small feat – each is made on an extensive budget and requires large, extravagant sets and special effects. Apart from Titanic, Cameron favours the science-fiction genre, going as far as to create an entirely fictional universe for Avatar. The director has incorporated cyborgs, aliens and humanoid creatures into his work, encouraging audiences to immerse themselves in otherworldly stories that provide the ultimate escapist fantasy from everyday life.
In 1986, he made Aliens, the sequel to Ridley Scott’s Alien. As a huge fan of the original, he even told Vulture, “I sort of did it as a fanboy. I wanted to honour his film but also say what I needed to say.” Cameron’s love of sci-fi is particularly linked to a love of stories set in space – besides Alien, he also cites 2001: A Space Odyssey and Close Encounters of The Third Kind as some of his favourite movies.
His interest in space is perhaps due to the vast mysteries of unexplored territory, mirroring his interest in deep-sea exploration – the director has even successfully explored the Challenger Deep, the Mariana Trench’s deepest area. However, until Cameron can journey into space, he is more than happy to indulge in sci-fi movies about the wonders (and dangers) of the rest of the universe.
The filmmaker’s love for Close Encounters of The Third Kind, released by Steven Spielberg in 1977, cannot be understated. It had a profound effect on him, and it significantly inspired his approach to the sci-fi genre. The movie, starring Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut and Melinda Dillon, explores the life-changing moment a man witnesses a UFO.
In a conversation with Spielberg, Cameron once explained, “I could be watching Close Encounters on cable at three o’clock in the morning, and when that scene comes on, when the mothership comes over, and just the sense of awe and wonder that it invokes, I still get a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye in a little bit.”
The Oscar-winning movie, released the same year as Star Wars, grossed over $300million, reflecting a newfound hunger for immersive sci-fi movies, which has only continued to grow into the 21st century with the rise of Marvel. Although movies like Space Odyssey had been made a decade prior, these new space-themed movies had mass blockbuster appeal, and Cameron was mesmerised.
He expressed his appreciation of the movie, “Right through the end of the film, right till the thing is taking off,” highlighting his love for “the beautific expressions on the faces of all the cast.”
