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Forum feature: ET The Extra-Terrestrial - Page 2 of 2 - SciFiNow

Forum feature: ET The Extra-Terrestrial

Arguing for one boy and his alien.

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But it is the central relationship this otherworldly being forms with Elliott that has me mesmerised. From the simple offering of some sweets, we watch this friendship grow. Much in the same way that this spaceman literally shares his feelings with Elliott, this becomes a shared experience for the audience, as we encounter the delightfulness of E.T. alongside this child. We too get wrapped up in Elliott’s excitement as he introduces the alien to human possessions and we feel a similar sense of awe as he lifts off on his bike for the very first time. We learn to love E.T. at exactly the same pace as the on-screen companionship forms, and alongside this, we fall for Elliott and his wide-eyed strength and passion too.
E.T. plays on its fantastic characters, complemented further by the perfect dynamic of the trio created by Elliott, Gertie and Michael. These roles are pivotal to a script that took a mere eight weeks to write, but the result was one of cinema’s crowning achievements. Jam-packed full of touching and delightfully funny moments, I can’t help but laugh as E.T. is revealed dressed up as a girl, when he continually falls over in the kitchen, or as he tries to eat Elliott’s toy car. The magic moments never let up.

Elliot_finds_ET_rgbBut despite its joyful exuberance, E.T. balances its sentimentality with some much harder themes – this is not just simple kids’ fluff that you can brush aside as trivial. E.T. refuses to shy away from the trials of the adult world, as it constantly bears down on the characters. Taking in matters of divorce (the film was, in fact, based on Spielberg’s creation of an imaginary friend after his parents’ split), government conspiracy, a heartbreaking look at illness, cultural tolerance, as well as abandonment, E.T. made widespread social comments while turning the archetypal tale of friendship into an intelligent slant on growing up.

Throw in some unfettered child performances, a memorable score from John Williams, and some outstanding animatronics and E.T. becomes absolute cinematic perfection. Cited by Spielberg as his most personal movie, E.T.’s impact can still be felt on the industry today, as it set the bar for high quality children’s films. But now in an era of big budget epics, E.T. is most fondly remembered for its quiet simplicity and intimacy, which had no less of an impact on its emotional audience. Who didn’t shed a tear alongside Elliott as he begs E.T. to stay? Long, extravagant soliloquies are not needed here, as we too feel Elliott’s sadness as he knows his friend must return home.

A deeply powerful scene closes off what has become one of the most loved films ever – the ultimate milestone in enchanting cinema that will make you want to return to that happy place time and time again, and that’s why E.T. is truly the greatest sci-fi film of all time.

To find out more about this exciting phase in SciFiNow’s forum feature, hit the link and check out the other movies that made our shortlist. Clue: Battlefield Earth is not one of them.

Don’t forget to log on to our forums to discuss the films on our shortlist, and to read any of the other articles in this series as they are written, click on the title below.

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Blade Runner
Planet Of The Apes
Forbidden Planet
ET The Extra-Terrestrial
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Alien
The Matrix
2001: A Space Odyssey
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

This article originally appeared in the print edition of SciFiNow issue 34 by Amy Squibb. To buy a copy of the magazine or subscribe, go to www.imagineshop.com, or call our subscriptions hotline on +44 (0) 844 844 0245.