Close Encounters of the Third Kind 1977

In the arid expanse of the Sonoran Desert, French scientist Claude Lacombe (Claude Lacombe), accompanied by his American interpreter and cartographer David Laughlin (David Laughlin), stumbles upon a mysterious discovery - Flight 19, a quartet of United States Navy Grumman TBM Avenger torpedo bombers that vanished over the Bermuda Triangle on December 5, 1945. The planes, remarkably well-preserved, stand empty, their occupants nowhere to be found. A local elderly resident, moved by an otherworldly encounter, whispers tales of “the sun coming out at night, singing to him”. Meanwhile, in the skies above Indianapolis, air traffic controllers are left stunned as two commercial airliners narrowly avoid a catastrophic mid-air collision with an extraterrestrial visitor.

As darkness falls on a rural Indiana home outside Muncie, three-year-old Barry Guiler’s toys spring to life, animating in a mesmerizing display of autonomous movement. His mother, Jillian (Jillian), is left perplexed as she chases after her curious son, who becomes enthralled by the enigmatic phenomenon unfolding beyond their property line. Power outages sweep through the region, prompting electric utility lineman Roy Neary (Roy Neary) to investigate the cause. As he regains his bearings, Roy finds himself face-to-face with a UFO, its radiant lights scorching the side of his truck in a gentle yet unmistakable touch. The extraterrestrial visitor vanishes into the night sky, leaving behind three companions that Roy and three police cars pursue in vain. The metaphysical experience leaves Roy entranced, forever altered by the encounter.

The researchers, equally perplexed, stumble upon another inexplicable phenomenon - the SS Cotopaxi, a ship miraculously intact and eerily empty, situated in the middle of the Gobi Desert.

As Roy becomes increasingly enthralled with UFOs, his fascination sparks concern among those around him, particularly his wife Ronnie. His fixation on subliminal images of a distinctive mountain shape drives him to create meticulous models, an obsession that mirrors Jillian’s own artistic endeavors as she sketches the same enigmatic peak. But soon after, Jillian is confronted by a malevolent UFO that descends from the clouds, its unseen entities hell-bent on breaching her home. In the chaos that ensues, Barry finds himself snatched away, leaving his mother in a state of frantic despair.

As the United Nations team, led by Lacombe and Laughlin, delves deeper into the enigmatic UFO phenomenon and its associated peculiarities in Dharamsala, Northern India, a fascinating pattern emerges. Witnesses recount that the extraterrestrial craft produce an unmistakable five-tone melody in a pentatonic scale, a musical motif that resonates with an otherworldly cadence. Scientists broadcast this melodic sequence into the vast expanse of space, only to receive a mystifying response - a seemingly random series of numbers (104 44 30 40 36 10) repeatedly echoed back. It is Laughlin’s cartographic expertise that ultimately deciphers these numerical coordinates, pointing to Devils Tower in Moorcroft, Wyoming as the destination.

Meanwhile, Roy’s increasingly erratic behavior culminates in Ronnie’s abandonment of their troubled marriage, taking their three children with her. As a news broadcast reports on a supposed train wreck near Devils Tower, broadcasting warnings of toxic nerve gas, Roy and Jillian find solace in their own visions of the mystical mountain. They join a growing throng of travelers experiencing similar psychic connections, defying public warnings to converge upon Devils Tower.

As the authorities scramble to evacuate the area, deploying false narratives about train wrecks and toxic gas, government specialists quietly prepare for an extraordinary encounter. Roy and Jillian, along with other visionaries, manage to evade apprehension and arrive at the site just as a spectacular display of UFOs illuminates the night sky. The government officials, now fully aware of the extraterrestrial presence, attempt to establish communication by harnessing the power of light and sound on an immense electrical billboard.

As the minutes tick by, UFOs continue to materialize in the darkness, eventually giving rise to a colossal mothership that descends from the heavens. This celestial vessel releases a multitude of abductees from various eras - World War II pilots, sailors, adults, children, and even animals. Barry reappears, reuniting with Jillian amidst this surreal spectacle.

The government officials hasten to prepare Roy for an extraordinary honor - being selected as one of the few chosen visitors to the mothership. As Roy boards the extraterrestrial vessel, a poignant moment unfolds when an alien pauses to engage with Lacombe, using Curwen hand signs that mirror the five-note musical phrase. The extraterrestrial responds in kind, smiles, and returns to its ship, which ascends into the night sky, leaving behind a trail of wonder and awe.