Cutting Edges - E.T.

Figure 1. E.T. (1982)

Steven Spielberg's E.T (1982) is another movie apart of Speilbergs's Sentimental collection. Much like Close Encounters, E.T. tells a simple, fun and emotional story of a boy and an alien's friendship and their mission to return E.T. Home.

Figure 2.

As the movies surface depicts the perspective of a child there are some deeper elements that make the Elliots lifestyle a bit more complicated. "emotions here are complex if deceptively soufflé-light, the film dealing with divorce, dislocation and disenfranchisement." (White, 2012) In Figure 2, Elliot expresses his frustration of no one believing him, he then goes on to say that his father would have, which then his mother suggests to call him - Elliot replies with "I can't, he's in mexico with Sally", this triggers an emotional moment for the mother knowing that the father "hates Mexico". These kinds of emotions surface every now and then during the movie, such as E.T.'s determination to get home he slowly becomes frustrated and he ends up severely homesick.

Figure 3.

Speaking of the Perspective of a child, a lot of the adults are portrayed as mysterious figures based on how Spielberg uses the camera to do this. At times we are only met with their waist - what a child's height would meet up to in comparison to a fully grown adult. This is to make the audience feel smaller like a child, a visual influence from cartoons as Philip French explains -"influences include the world of animated cartoons for much of the visual style (until the final 20 minutes all the adults except for the mother are seen either from behind or cut off above the waist)" (French, 1982)

Most importantly, Speilberg's use of Sentimentality manages to convey what a movie should be"Most movies are not for any one thing, of course. Some are to make us think, some to make us feel, some to take us away from our problems, some to help us examine them. What is enchanting about "E.T." is that, in some measure, it does all of those things."(Ebert, 2002) So, the fact that Eliotts family is broken but still has the love and warmth that any other family would have. The bond and trust between all three sibling as they also try to help E.T. get home. Overall, E.T is a movie for all as it still tugs the hearts strings of older and younger generations.

Bibliography:
Ebert, Roger - E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL At: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/et-the-extra-terrestrial-2002 [Accessed: 13/03/18]

French, Philip - ET – The Extra Terrestrial - review At: https://www.theguardian.com/film/1982/dec/12/features.philipfrench [Accessed: 13/03/18]

White, James - E.T. The Extra Terrestrial Review At: https://www.empireonline.com/movies/et-extra-terrestrial/review/ [Accessed: 13/03/18]

Illustration:

Figure 1. - E.T. The Extra Terrestrial - 1982 - [Movie Poster]

Figure 2. - E.T. The Extra Terrestrial - 1982 - [Movie Scene]

Figure 3. - E.T. The Extra Terrestrial - 1982 - [Movie Scene]