Film Review: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Film Review: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) | Ecency

(source: tmdb.org)

Screenwriter William Goldman in his book of memoirs Adventures in the Screen Trade famously wrote "Nobody knows anything" in order to show the lack of predictive abilities even among the most experienced and successful Hollywood professionals. In the same book, written in 1982, Goldman inadvertently proved his point by commenting on contemporary events. He expressed his conviction that E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, 1982 science fiction film directed by Steven Spielberg, would win "Oscar" for the Best film. Goldman had all good reasons to thinks so, because Spielberg's film was not just worshipped by the audience, becoming the biggest box office hit of 1980s, but also worshipped by almost any critic. That, however, wasn't enough for Academy voters who gave the prestigious award to Attenborrrough's Gandhi.

E.T. is often viewed as some sort of spiritual sequel or spin-off of Spielberg's previous, thematically similar film Close Encounters of the Third Kind. It actually originated as its sequel, a project that was about to deal with average American family being terrorised by the group of malevolent aliens. The project, originally titled Night Skies, was later splintered into two very different films – malevolent aliens were replaced by malevolent ghosts in Poltergeist, while average American family had to experience quite different form of an alien visitor in E.T.. The plot begins in a Californian forest where the group of aliens collects botanical samples. Their presence is noticed by government authorities who send group of armed investigators, forcing the alien ship to quickly leave Earth. One member of the crew (voiced by Pat Welsh) was left stranded and forced to find shelter in a house in nearby suburban settlement. There lives Elliott (played by Henry Thomas), 10-year old boy still traumatised with his father leaving his mother (played by Dee Wallace). He meets strange looking creature and soon finds that it is as scared of him as Elliott is scared of it. He begins to befriend the stranger and later introduces it to his siblings – older brother Michael (played by Robert MacNaughton) and 5-year old sister Gertie (played by Drew Barrymore). Visitor, dubbed "E.T.", proves resourceful and able to establish empathic connection with Elliott. Elliott and his siblings help to build communication device that would allow "E.T." to be picked by fellow aliens and brought home. Before that happens, they have to deal with alien's health deteriorating while secret government agents, led by mysterious "Keyes" (played by Peter Coyote) begin to watch Elliott's house in order to snatch the alien.

While Spielberg made many great films and became an institution of Hollywood and world's cinema, E.T. is often seen as the most Spielbergian film of all. This shouldn't be too surprising, because the script was in many ways inspired by Spielberg's childhood and traumas created by parents' divorce, with which he coped by making an imaginary friend. Script, written by Melissa Mathison, uses similar story as a motive but also inverts the basic premise of Close Encounters. New film again deals with the First Contact, but it is seen from the perspective of the aliens. Unlike most science fiction films of the time, aliens aren't portrayed as malevolent or all-powerful. "E.T.", designed by famous Italian special effects master Carlo Rambaldi, is short, harmless-looking and, despite superior space-faring technology that his kind possesses, represents anything but a threat for Earth or its inhabitants. "E.T." actually looks like a big child (and even passes for one in humorous Halloween scene) and it is quite naturally that Elliott and other children, and not the adults, are those that make connection with the alien. Elliott, brilliantly played by Henry Thomas, one of the rare child actors that actually had successful career as an adult, connects with the alien because they both share the childlike sense of wonder, something the adults has lost. The film makes that point near the end, when the "Keyes" confesses to Elliott that he envies him, because the friendship with the alien is something he had desired his whole life. It isn't surprising that E.T. maintained its popularity through decades by evoking nostalgia towards the long-lost world of childlike innocence and wonder that even the most cynical adults might feel.

And Spielberg play with that and other emotions with his immense skills as film maker and superb storyteller. Made with relatively small budget and setting which is noticeably small-scale in comparison with Close Encounters, this film nevertheless displays great technical skill and use of great resources and talents. Relatively small cast is very effective, and it is interesting to see 6-year old Drew Barrymore long time before she would become one of the most recognisable faces of Hollywood. John Williams delivers another strong score, although it's not as memorable as the one used in earlier Spielberg's films. Special effects, despite not using modern day CGI technology, are still effective almost four decades later. But the greatest resource Spielberg had is his own skill of emotional manipulator. That skill is, to a degree, abused near the ending of the film, when E.T. at times sacrifices realism for the sake of emotional impact. One such example is impressive, but almost self-parodical scene when government operatives invade Elliott's home dressed like astronauts instead of using more practical hazmat suits. Another is the emotional farewells between Elliott and his alien friend which would leave few members of the audience, including grown-ups, with dry eyes. But, those viewers who are more cynical might see through Spielberg's melodrama. Despite that, E.T. is still one of the best films of its time and arguably the shiniest spot in its author's long and distinguished filmography. Perhaps it wasn't never meant to win the "Oscar", but few people nowadays would complain if it actually had.

RATING: 8/10 (+++)