ET The Extraterrestrial: A Film Full of Hopes, Dreams and the Importance of Friendship - Movie Review Example

ET The Extraterrestrial: A Film Full of Hopes, Dreams and the Importance of Friendship The film ET: The Extraterrestrial is a movie that came out in 1982 in the midst of increased public pressure on the government to release information regarding a rumored crash landing in the Arizona / New Mexico desert of an alien spacecraft. This crash landing had supposedly taken place in the 1960s, but the government had still not managed to quell the rumors 20 years later. Partially because of the great uncertainty regarding the nature of the craft and the aliens it might have held inside, rumors regarding the intentions of aliens who might be visiting the planet ranged from benevolent researchers to malevolent conquerors, hunters or repossessors. For those who believe aliens did crash land in America, there seems no doubt that they were visiting our planet with a purpose. This film seems to suggest the possibility that these otherworldly visitors are merely curious to learn more about the life-forms on this planet. The film opens with the landing which is more frightening for the aliens than the humans, who seem to have been expecting them. In the chaos, one young alien becomes separated from his brothers and finds himself seeking shelter from a small family on the outskirts of town. A young boy, Elliot, finds the creature, who he begins to call ET (for extra terrestrial) and lures him into his room as a safe spot using Reese’s Pieces candy. Hiding the creature from his mother, Elliot finds it necessary to eventually include his younger sister, Gertie, and his older brother, Michael, in trying to help the lonely alien return to his ‘home’, the spaceship that brought him. This is made difficult by a mother becoming increasingly concerned about what her children are doing, the friction that has developed in the family thanks to a recent separation between the mother and father and the deadly effects of a poisonous atmosphere on ETs delicate body. In addition, as time passes, a symbiotic relationship begins to develop between ET and Elliot (notice the similarities in their names) so when ET gets drunk, so does Elliot. This means when ET begins to die thanks to the atmosphere, so does Elliot. Finally, an invasion from the government, determined to run tests on the creature, brings the situation to a head as ET dies, releasing Elliot and his body is packed up for shipping to a more secure laboratory location. The isolation unit he’s placed in provides ET with the purified air he needs to heal himself, though, and the three kids, now a cohesive unit, work together to break ET out of the government’s control and get him to the ship that has returned to rescue him. Finally, ET is able to rejoin his family and leaves Elliot with a promise. As should be clear from the above synopsis of the film’s events, the arrival of ET in Elliot’s life is perfect timing to save the family from certain destruction. At the beginning of the film, Elliot tells his mother that his father is in Mexico with a girl named Sally and Mary (Elliot’s mother) instantly gets tears in her eyes as she comments, “he doesn’t even like Mexico.” This reveals the newness of the family situation as a single parent household. Each of the children live independent, angry lives. Elliot calls his older brother foul names, Michael spends his time hanging out with a group of friends and terrorizing his younger brother and Gertie, the youngest, struggles to gain the attention of those around her. Although ET befriends Elliot first, his longing for his own family causes him to reach out to the lonely little girl, which at first infuriates Elliot and confuses ET, but ET’s unique telepathic abilities smooth things over and Elliot begins adopting a more appropriate brotherly attitude toward Gertie. Michael comes in a bit later as ETs illness begins to affect Elliot and their mother is not made fully aware of the situation until the government is breaking down her door. By this point, however, the family is firmly connected again with a single focused goal of freeing Elliot from the deadly relationship he has with the alien and then helping ET escape from the dehumanized figures of government agents that have turned the house into unfamiliar, otherworldly sterility. With the family finally connected again, ET dies, demonstrating the importance of having this firm foundational group as a means of support when disaster strikes. At the same time, this group is what enables Elliot to free ET when his heartlight begins functioning normally again, indicated to the children by the revival of the geraniums that ET healed earlier in the film. Finally, it is with the help of Michael’s bicycling friends that Elliot and ET are able to make it to the rendezvous point for ET to return home. Just before he leaves, ET tells Elliot, “I’ll be right her,” touching his chest with a glowing red finger. There seems to be a lot of religious symbolism in the film as well, perhaps attempting to place ET in the role of Jesus. This idea is shown throughout the film in ETs capacity to love others and his telepathic link to Elliot that helps to smooth the way Elliot feels about others. In addition, ET has the ability to heal, first nursing a pair of potted geraniums back to life and then instantly healing a cut on Elliot’s finger with little more than a touch of his red-glowing fingertip. This particular scene is reminiscent of the scene on the Sistine Chapel ceiling in which Adam is reaching out to touch God, almost, but not truly, touching. In addition, ETs origins, unknown but not from this world, are heavenly in nature and it is to heaven that he eventually returns, with a symbolic sweep of vapor trail that looks suspiciously like God’s rainbow promise to Noah. The events of the film are also suggestive of the Jesus story. ET comes to earth and spreads a message of hope and love just like Jesus did. He lives a short life among humans before he is persecuted with the government pursuit and dies as a result of his differences. However, because of his special abilities, ET is able to return from the dead, bursting from the back of the white government van still wearing his white shroud with his arms outspread and his heartlight glowing like a picture of the resurrected Christ. His final message to Elliot, that he will be in his heart, echoes the message of Christ to his followers. Through this presentation, Steven Spielberg, the film’s director, is able to convey the idea that the presence of aliens from outer space does not necessarily mean something hostile. Interpretations of the relationship between the ET story and the story of Christ can be wide-ranging, beginning from something as innocuous as establishing a peaceful attempt at better understanding and reaching perhaps as far as attempting to logically explain some of the miraculous occurrences reported in the Bible as they compare with many of the other myths and legends that have developed among disconnected early human cultures. Regardless of the religious connotations, the message sent through the film is one of love, acceptance and mutual respect. Working alone, ET is sure to be caught and probably killed by the government without ever having had a chance to ‘phone home’ while Elliot, Gertie and Michael lose all the support group they ever had. Working together, though, they are able to overcome great loss both in the loss of their father and of their friend, and then to accomplish great things as they foil the government and return ET to his home. Read More