Film Review: E.T. The Extra Terrestrial

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Steven Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) is one of his most popular and sentimentally heartfelt classics that he has ever made. A movie about a small, stray alien from outer space that accidentally gets abandoned on Earth, left to fend for himself in a challenging and foreign environment, became the worthwhile success that we all know today, even after all these years. The harmlessly cute creature is discovered fortunately by none other than Elliot, (Henry Thomas) who coincidentally can relate to and connect with the lonely alien on a strong level, as he also feels alienated in the world he lives in. 

Figure. 1. E.T. film poster

This film is heartwarmingly special and tells an exhilarating story about friendship. This is  no ordinary friendship though, it is the friendship between a young boy and a stranded alien. The film is rooted firmly with the youthful spirit among a group of children, more specifically, siblings. A film centering itself inside the playful atmosphere of a child's adventure, immediately provides the film with the capabilities to convey proper sincerity and magic, which E.T does so well. "It's all to rare to see child actors this miraculously unselfconscious and convincing." (Simon Braund, 2017) Commonly with a lot of films focusing on child actors, some times it can appear to be a challenge for the film to be taken fully seriously, let alone be stowed upon such a high up pedestal, but it is Spielberg's phenomenal craftsmanship that causes E.T to shine far brighter than the stereotypical label. "Spielberg had his work cut out for him by fashioning a story where a group of kids were the focus, but incredibly, E.T's child performers are pitch-perfect." (The Directors Series) Not only does the film situate around the children's perspectives and area, it also has a blunt detachment from adults throughout, excluding them from this more unique and secretive world. In most scenes, the adults are only seen from the waste down, making their face and opinions irrelevant or unworthy of the childlike adventure. For instance, the camera avoids revealing the teacher's face, as the children are blocking them out and leaving them on the lower ground of importance that they belong on in the film. Unlike other adults, the children's mother's face is seen during the whole film, but nevertheless she is quite often busy and doing something away from her kids. The mother doesn't know about the alien living in the house, as he is a presence maintained within a daring circle of secrecy hosted among the youthful children. Unaware of just how important their role is to keep E.T hidden away, they continue to guide him on his attempt to contact his far away home. Meanwhile, mysterious government agents strongly pursue E.T and their existing presence is made abundantly clear repeatedly throughout the film, delivering discomfort and a constant feeling of danger that is restlessly closing in on the innocent creature. Again, the camera avoids showing their faces, which adds to the sense of mystery much more intensely. It isn't until the adults begin to empathize with Elliot and E.T that they become more shown and the camera can spare more moments for them, even if it still isn't large amounts of time. As the adults begin to grow their understanding of the extraordinary bond shared between the alien and young boy, it is as if the screen welcomes them more, and as if the camera now understands the generosity and sincerity that the adults doubt-ably possessed all along. 


Figure. 2. E.T. film still.

Watching E.T will engage you emotionally from an early on point, which ultimately sets up the inevitable feeling of vulnerability that must be endured. The roller coaster of mixed emotions is wild enough to take the audience on a feel-good adventure, without forgetting to include the transient moments of heartbreak and unexpected decline needed to balance it out perfectly. It is the relationship that rather quickly grows between ET and Elliot, that really drives the film's emotion and will play on the heartstrings. "Simply, in perfect scenes of two young males earning trust, trading and cashing in, which starts when ET witnesses Elliot's decision to run from an authority figure, boy and ET bond." (Holleran, 2017) It is the similarities in their character and perception shared between the two that makes them feel naturally safe around each other, as both can provide an understanding to a certain degree. Not only does their friendship build, but Elliot starts to feel what E.T feels physically. While he is at school, E.T is at home drinking beers which results in a drunk Elliot, all through an extraordinary mental connection between the two. From early on when Elliot tries teaching E.T things about his home and his possessions, to all the way at the end where E.T can speak and telepathically move objects with his mind, their mental bond gets stronger and stronger. When E.T starts dying, Elliot simultaneously starts dying too, creating twice as much of an emotional dilemma to be endured! Their bond is a wonderfully magic representation of friendship, which kindly forces the audience to adore both of them even more. Elliot being the lonely kid in the gang who appears to regularly be left out or picked on by the group he surrounds himself with, immediately gives away that he probably doesn't actually have any real friends. By the looks of things, it is his older brother's friends who he involves himself with, maybe for the pure fact that he doesn't  really have his own friends. It's very possible that E.T is the "Elliot" of his group, as he is the alien who gets left behind while the others flee in the spaceship. Saying this, perhaps the aliens would have left either one of each other on Earth if it had been them to arrive back to the spaceship last, but either way E.T has been ditched and left by himself, in a world foreign to him. Whether they know it at first or not, Elliot and E.T are on the same boat and both set up to be the outcasts of the film. Despite this largely noticeable seclusion, in the end E.T manages to contact home, having the aliens coming back to Earth to rescue him. Meanwhile, Elliot gets helped by his brother and all of the friends to protect E.T and get him back to his ship. It's interesting how these lonely, subordinate characters both manage to turn the tables by the end of the film, learning to accept and understand the respect and loyalty offered by the unlikely others. 

Illustration List.
Figure. 1. Claire M, E.T Film Poster. https://m.diariofemenino.com/fotos/ocio/peliculas-steven-spielberg-e-t/ (Accessed 16/03/18)

Bibliography.

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