# Close Encounters: tones and signs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 12, 2008, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/close-encounters-tones-and-signs/433245 "2008-01-12T03:37:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Scoundrel\_Swanswater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@Scoundrel\_Swanswater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scoundrel_Swanswater)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/close-encounters-tones-and-signs/433245/21 "2008-01-14T15:32:51Z")
I just wanted to add that I absolutely love this movie (I just bought it on Blu-Ray). It is a sign of the times that movies with such an optomistic feel could still be made. I don’t think this movie could be made today. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/close-encounters-tones-and-signs/433245/22 "2008-01-14T16:02:20Z")
Are you kidding? At the time this movie came out the cinema was much more full of downer endings than today. In fact, it’s hard to make a movie today that does not have a happy ending. ---
**Author:** ![Scoundrel\_Swanswater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@Scoundrel\_Swanswater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scoundrel_Swanswater)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/close-encounters-tones-and-signs/433245/23 "2008-01-14T16:09:51Z")
No, I am not kidding. Most movies nowadays do have happy endings, but the feeling of hope in this movie is something I haven’t seen in movies since. And just because they did make some very depressing movies during that period they apparently still had hopes for the future. I don’t see that a whole lot anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/close-encounters-tones-and-signs/433245/24 "2008-01-14T16:37:15Z")
It came out the same year Star Wars did, and it was a much better film. BTW: I thought the OP did a good job coding the tones. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/close-encounters-tones-and-signs/433245/25 "2008-01-14T16:49:50Z")
[QUOTE=Jean Gray] Thanks all for the informative replies. Hearing the chanting start “in the middle” changes my perception of the melody just enough that it’s hard for me to mentally adjust it to line up with the tones played on synthesizer (and aren’t the notes still a little off??), but I understand what you’re saying. [/QUOTE] One more “ditto” on the Indian version of the chant…if the “standard” version is 1 2 3 4 5 (rest)…1 2 3 4 5 (rest), the Indians were chanting 4 5 1 2 3 (rest)…4 5 1 2 3 I never understood the point of the hand signs. (For one thing, I don’t understand the point of hand sign equivalent of musical tones, but that’s not important now). Truffaut plays the notes…does the hand signs…and his audience stands up & cheers? Am I missing something? ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/close-encounters-tones-and-signs/433245/26 "2008-01-14T17:12:40Z")
[QUOTE=Scoundrel Swanswater] No, I am not kidding. Most movies nowadays do have happy endings, but the feeling of hope in this movie is something I haven’t seen in movies since. And just because they did make some very depressing movies during that period they apparently still had hopes for the future. I don’t see that a whole lot anymore. [/QUOTE] Most people see CE3K and Star Wars as a huge turning point in American cinema. A turning towards happy/hopeful films and away from depressing ones. More movies are being release now by Hollywood and their wholly owned ‘independent’ studios. In that mix, the majority are happy endings. Besides, what is hopeful about CE3K. The alien visitation knowledge is completly covered up by the government. Roy is never coming back and the aliens themselves may never be coming back. Heck the 5 tones may mean “We want one to eat”. They give back the people they’ve abducted and now they would just like one for a nice stew. I’ve always viewed the film to be about the journey of an artist. He has this (artistic) vision and he must see that vision realized. At the expense of everything else, job, family, personal safety, he must see it through. He must commit 100% to doing it and leave behind anyone who hold back. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/close-encounters-tones-and-signs/433245/27 "2008-01-14T17:37:32Z")
I just bought the 30th anniversary edition DVD, and I highly recommend it. The new cut is great, and the restoration looks fantastic. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/close-encounters-tones-and-signs/433245/28 "2008-01-14T18:07:57Z")
Thing is, its effects were so good that they still look great even now. What is involved in the restoration? ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/close-encounters-tones-and-signs/433245/29 "2008-01-14T18:12:06Z")
I once read a review of the movie by Isaac Asimov. He hated it. Anyone else read it? ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/close-encounters-tones-and-signs/433245/30 "2008-01-14T18:13:17Z")
The 30th Anniversary edition (unowned by me) has the 3 different versions of the film: the original '77 release, the '79 Special Edition, and a recent director’s cut that’s longer than either (but which I think AMC has been airing recently, since a scene I never, _ever_ saw before popped up when I was channel-surfing recently). ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/close-encounters-tones-and-signs/433245/31 "2008-01-14T18:16:15Z")
[QUOTE=Peter Morris] I once read a review of the movie by Isaac Asimov. He hated it. Anyone else read it? [/QUOTE] I don’t think he ever wrote a review, but I did find [this](http://americanindian.net/asimov.html) online: > [@](#): > > SWA Magazine: Recently, there have been several science fiction movies and television programs that have appeared. What are your opinions on _Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica_ and _Close Encounters of the Third Kind_? > > Asimov: Well, I liked _Star Wars_. I thought _Battlestar Galactica_ was such a close imitation of _Star Wars_, emphasizing the less attractive portions, that I was a little impatient with it. And as for _Close Encounters_, I’m afraid I detested that. It was too noisy and parts of it were just silly. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/close-encounters-tones-and-signs/433245/32 "2008-01-14T18:21:07Z")
Too noisy? Bizarre. It’s like the Austrian Emperor’s criticism of Mozart: “too many notes”. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/close-encounters-tones-and-signs/433245/33 "2008-01-14T18:48:52Z")
No, that wasn’t it. It was a longer article where he discussed the plot, the acting and the special effect. (That’s effect singular. He made a point of not using the plural) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/close-encounters-tones-and-signs/433245.md?page=1)