iSphere
Random Ramblings - almost always cinema related///
I really don't know how I missed this one during my childhood. I really don't know why, when, where. All I know is that it is an enchanting experience that should be mandatory for every child regardless of whether they are 5 or 55. I never knew why E.T. was so liked until i saw it, after I saw it, I cried, laughed, smiled and loved every minute of this absolutely rivetting masterpiece. While cinema purists are never going to induct this film into the annals of cinematic legacy (that is reserved for hardened celluloid such as a Woody Allen film), I can't see a single person who won't be touched by E.T.
Like so many of Spielberg's movies, this film follows the travails of a rather precocious young boy and his love and admiration for an extra terrestrial object. The "alien" is of friendly nature and both the boy (Elliot) and the alien tune into the same frequency and indeed live synchronsously thereafter. The ending is as wonderful as any film is going to get, it is a magical experience. Nonetheless the plot is remarkably simple. Probing into this film isn't going to get you very far, but then this film isn't meant to question the nature of the world. It is tinged with religious references, the finger of ET touching Elliot on the cover being the most ostensibly obvious.
I have absolute admiration for John Williams for his work in this movie. It's miracolous work. The moment the bicycle takes off you feel your heart jump, tears swell and its all thanks in great part to the wonderfully pneumatic score. Williams took home an Oscar for this one, I think he should have won 2, it simply is a legendary effort and works so well with the movie it's sometimes hard to hell whether the "Flying Theme" is better or the lines "ET Phone Home".
Of course, to do something like this you need the boyish brilliance that Spielberg has on display. Spielberg has done better works, his best being A.I. Artificial Intelligence, yet none of them (with the exception of Schindler's List) have the ability to pull you in and keep you enchanted under his wonderous directorial touch. The boyish magic is missing from Spielberg's latest works and while he has matured, it could be said that E.T. is one of his most mature works. There is not going to be a single person on this earth who will not cry during certain sequences.
Obviously Spielberg has filmed this using low camera angles. It's all from the child's viewpoint. It's all about how children can relate to it, and when I see, I see myself being transported in time at that height at that age. It's all about the dangerous world of the adults against the sublime and enchating world of the children. I have heard it said that Harry Potter transportss parents and kids alike into various worlds. If it can do a better job than E.T. I'll give them all my money.
In a world where the next scifi action blockbuster is going to litter the cinematic asphalt, I was taken aback by the simplicity of the ongoings of E.T. No flashy graphics, no DTS remix, no digital filmmaking. It's traditional, yet it could provide what no movie today can: utter and unadulterated magic. It's damn good stuff. It's E.T.: The Extra-Ordinary.
0 Responses to “E.T. The Extra Ordinary”
Leave a Reply