Film Log- 2nd Semester- E.T.

Movie: E.T.
1982, Color, 115 minutes
Director: Steven Spielberg
Actors: Drew Barrymore, Dee Wallace

Summary: E.T. takes place in Northern California where a group of botanists from outer space come down to collect samples-- the US government show up and the aliens quickly flee, forgetting one of their crew members behind. Elliot, a suburban boy, is introduced. He is shown to be quite lonely , trying to find his connection with people/ his siblings. Elliot notices the alien and lures it with Reese's Pieces. This eventually works, bringing the alien into his home and hiding it from his family/ the government.

Q: How does the opening sequence of the film tell the audience about the nature of the aliens?
A: Spielberg barely shows the creatures in the beginning sequence to add more mystery to the image of the aliens. When the craft lands in the forest, Spielberg really shows the machine from every angle, through every bush or tree, and through the smoke/fog. The focus is shifted from what the actual aliens look like, to why they are there and how quickly they flee when search guards come for them. This shows the viewer that the aliens are powerful and much quicker than the humans are-- displaying a bitter attitude the aliens may have toward humans. This is later contradicted by the relationship Elliot builds with E.T.

Q: How does costuming/ makeup play a role in the production?
A: In every movie, the mise-en-scene is a crucial aspect of the production. Obviously, E.T is a built creation, but it's appearance makes it so outer-wordly in order to justify E.T's foreign presence. The characters in the film are quite average and display the mediocrity of suburban lifestyle with their clothing.. Jeans, baseball caps, t-shirts, plaid flanels, etc are common clothing and easy to access in their "social class." This also contributes to the vastly different worlds both Elliot's family belongs to and where E.T. comes from.