Mid-20th Century and millennial movies about alien contact are full of
paranoia; in between, Spielberg conjured that rarest of emotions,
awe. His tale begins like a conspiracy thriller, with governmental
cloak and dagger tactics and playful alien encounters alike
terrifying a Mid-Western town. But his finale is a fairground with all
the best lights and tricks, leaving you breathless and elated at the
end, thanks to Douglas Trumbull's SFX and John Williams' score. Exists
in three versions, but the original is the best. Almost Spielberg's
finest hour.
