B | A stranded alien is taken in by a 10-year-old boy. Directed by Steven Spielberg Starring Henry Thomas, Robert MacNaughton, and Drew Barrymore Initial Review by Jon Kissel |
In his first 8 movies, Steven Spielberg made two of those about aliens. The first, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, has only been seen by two of us, at least as far as the spreadsheet is concerned, and in comparison to E.T., that film is very different. The aliens don't show up until the end in Close Encounters, where they're present at frame one of E.T., and the endings of each film present the protagonist with a choice of whether or not to go with the aliens. Most importantly, Close Encounters is told from an adult's perspective, while E.T. is told through a kid's. That contributes to a much darker film, perfect for the decade in which it was released. E.T., however, is released several years later in the more optimistic 80's, and reflects the lighter, more frivolous era of its consumption. In exchanging adult fascination for childlike wonder and changing the protagonists' relationship with the aliens from one of obsession to one of companionship, Spielberg is making a less interesting film, albeit a more emotional one.
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