If Steven Spielberg
were a drug, then E.T the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) is a vintage and pure
version of that drug. This is a movie that can be appreciated by people of all
ages but the way it is shot really puts you in the shoes of a young boy who
befriends a creature from another planet. There are no villains in this movie,
not even the shadowy government people who are hunting the alien. The only look
scary because Spielberg initially shoots them from a kid’s point of view. In
today’s cynical world this movie may seem overly optimistic but maybe childish
optimism is what we need.
I hadn’t seen E.T
in at least over a decade and this week seemed like the perfect time to revisit
it since I also just finished the third season of Stranger Things, the
Netflix phenomenon that proudly wears its Spielberg influence on its sleeve. After
all, one could easily argue that the show’s character Eleven has similar powers
as E.T even though she was born on our planet. Of course, Spielberg himself
must realize the influence of his movie since the scene where E.T and Elliot (Henry
Thomas) soar into the sky and in front of the moon became the symbol for his
Amblin Entertainment company.
E.T could also be seen as somewhat of a sequel to Spielberg’s
Close Encounters of the Third (1977) only instead of having an entire alien
civilization make first contact, here we have only one alien who is
accidentally left behind after his space ship leaves in a hurry. E.T’s race are
not exactly pretty: small, hairless, with elongated necks and big eyes. However,
they are very intelligent as they can learn a new language quickly and can
manufacture a radio out of a few household tools and toys. Fortunately, they
are also peaceful, which young Elliott quickly figures out after discovering
him in his backyard in the California suburbs.
E.T could quite
possibly be a child since Elliott manages to lure him to his bedroom with a
trail of candy. After introducing him to his older brother Michael (Robert
MacNaughton) and baby sister Gertie (a tiny Drew Barrymore in her first role)
they see that there is no reason to be afraid of E.T. In fact, at first E.T seems
to be just as afraid of Gertie as she is of him. Maybe he should be, given that
she later decides to give him a makeover with a wig and a hat.
I love this kind of
cute humour as well as the few nods that Spielberg gives to his friend George
Lucas throughout the movie. Just like any other children meeting a new friend,
Elliott shows E.T the toys in his bedroom, which include a few Star Wars action
figures. (I myself had quite a few Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures.)
When the children disguise E.T as a ghost during Halloween to take him out of
the house, the alien sees a child in the street wearing a Yoda mask and
mistakes him for a fellow space traveller.
While the children are
busy helping E.T make an intergalactic phone call, the government is of course
on his trail. They are led by one man (Peter Coyote) only listed as Keys in the
credits because initially the camera only focuses on the set of jingling keys
that are tied to his belt. Just like the shark in Jaws he is only fully
revealed towards the half-way point of the movie, but surprisingly he is not a
monster. Since the age of ten he has been wanting to see an alien and he is
glad of all people on the planet E.T has met Elliott. In today’s world, Keys
would probably be ordered to shoot E.T on sight because he is an alien.
Over the years many
people have found religious parallels between E.T and Jesus, which I guess
makes sense given that both have the power to heal and at one point return from
the dead. I’m not religious, so what I see is a beautiful story about a family
bonding together after their father has left in order to help a lost traveler
from beyond the stars.
This is one of the best
movies of all times, buoyed by the soaring score of John Williams. Stranger
Things is great, but today’s kids should take a few hours to revisit the
classics that made the show what it is.
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