Comparing Films Independence Day and Close Encounters

Comparing Films Independence Day and Close Encounters

Both films are of a sci-fi genre but they are very different in terms

of mise-en-scene, audience and message. Throughout this essay

Independence Day will be referred to as ID and Close Encounters will

be referred to as CE.

Both films use the setting of a secret base, in ID it had the 'SETI'

(search for extra terrestrial investigation institute) as the films

setting and in CE the setting was Devils Mountain which again is a

secret military base. The iconography of both films is typical of that

of sci-fi genre; for example, space ships, bright lights, lasers. In

both films the costumes that are worn are also very similar and

typical of the present day people at that time.

You can tell the films are aimed at different audiences. ID was a high

budget Hollywood film and aimed at largely a mass audience. A younger

audience would generally go to the cinema to watch it but the film is

also suitable to watch at home with their families. This therefore

widens the films appeal. ID was made in 1996 and the director, Roland

Emmerich realised that his films would need high profiled stars to

make his films popular. For example he chose Will Smith to have a lead

role in ID as one of the main heroes. The film also has sub-genres to

appeal to different people, "Sorry sir, I'm just a little anxious to

get up there and whip ET'S ass." This shows a sub-genre such as

'trivialising the unknown' and 'not taking the aliens seriously' it

also helps to add a hint of comedy to the film.

CE was made in 1977 and was aimed at audiences who had a longer

attention span because there wasn't much action. It was a big

blockbuster film like ID but because technology had not advanced much