Spielberg's finest film.

Rating: 10/10 (30 July 2003)

CONTAINS SPOILERS
It is criminal Steven Spielberg didn't win Oscars for best picture and director for E.T. This is, in my opinion, not only Spielberg's finest film. It's the best children's film ever made.
Of course everyone is now familiar with the story of the abandoned alien befriending the boy Elliot (played brilliantly by Henry Thomas), but what is often overlooked are the darker elements of the story. For a start, the opening chase in the woods is downright terrifying, as well as deeply traumatic. The humour and (genuine) sentiment of the story is superbly undercut with the menace of the NASA scientists and the sound of their jangling keys as they approach. To add to this effect, Spielberg never shows you a man's face until very late in the picture. Almost every shot is from a child's point of view. Also, I find the `death' of E.T. one of the most downright upsetting scenes in film history. Of course this is sheer emotional manipulation, but brilliantly executed. In the subsequent resurrection scene the audience literally goes from tears to laughter in a matter of seconds. There are one or two great chase scenes in E.T., most notably near the end when the bikes fly off into the sunset. That is, in my book, the single most exhilarating scene in cinema history.
Performances are all fantastic from an (at the time) largely unknown cast. As well as direction, the screenplay, cinematography, sound, editing and music are all first rate. In fact John Williams score is the best I've ever heard composed for a film (topping even Star Wars for sheer operatic overtones). Everyone remembers the soaring main theme but there are many other more subtle pieces which add immeasurable quality.
I won't bore you with details of the much-documented Christ allegories in the film, but what is more interesting is its moral message. Although understated, E.T. is clearly a film about tolerance and not judging by appearance. That makes it the ideal modern fairy tale.
As for the recently re-released version, the new scenes neither add nor subtract from what is already a classic film. That said, I'd watch the original because of the much-maligned digital removal of guns in the final chase. For the most part you don't notice, but if you are familiar with the film, the absence of a particular cutaway (and subsequent edit in the music) is jarring.