Introduction
The given assessment will primarily focus on Steven Spielberg’s film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, which was written by Melissa Mathison. The movie was released in 1982 in the United States, and it is a science fiction film about an alien. The theoretical framework used in the analysis is the Auteur Theory, which is centered around the notion of a film being a director’s reflection through his or her artistic vision (Grant, 2012). In other words, many aspects of a movie are the result of the subjective perspectives of a film director, who includes his or her trademarks within the works. The Auteur Theory is prominently seen in the film within the key of Steven Spielberg’s trademarks, which are glowing lights, parent issues, and the “Spielberg Face.”
The Auteur Theory
The Auteur Theory is the most evident among all of Steven Spielberg’s movies, where he actively utilizes his key trademarks in the most prominent mise-en-scène. The latter primarily includes lighting, acting, and storytelling design. The theory itself focuses on the fact that many films are reflections of the author’s unique directive characteristics, which can be subjectively influenced throughout the intricate and complex process of filmmaking (Grant, 2012). In other words, it explains the film through the lens of the key features of its author or director, who both deliberately and unintentionally leaves his or her footprint in the movie. The theory can be applied to the selected film and demonstrated through key scenes, where Steven Spielberg implemented a storytelling design involving parental issues, glowing lighting of an alien spaceship, and the typical “Spielberg face” during the main character’s encounter with the alien. The latter term is a face of an actor who is surprised, amazed, and afraid of the novelty, which is shot by putting the face at the center of the frame.
Parental Issues
One of the most important storytelling elements utilized by Steven Spielberg in almost all of his movies revolves around parental issues. It is stated that one of the signature elements of his works is the fact that many characters have some form of relationship issues with their parents (Haskell, 2017). In other words, it is a recurring theme across Spielberg films, which is also present in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, because Elliot is taken care of by a single parent and mother, Mary. It becomes evident during the very first family dinner scenes, where Elliot sits with his mother and two siblings. The conversation is centered around the topic of Halloween costumes and Elliot’s story, where the main character states that his father would believe him, unlike his mother and siblings. In other words, the scene reveals that the father’s absence during the family dinner is due to the divorce, which took place before the events of the story. Parental issues are among the most prominent elements of Steven Spielberg, which can be explained through the Auteur Theory. The latter suggests that authors leave their mark on their works due to the creations being the reflection of the subjective being of the creators.
Glowing Lights
Another key component of Spielberg’s mise-en-scène in regards to the Auteur Theory is lighting, which takes the form of glowing light. This feature is present in almost all of his works, and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is no exception. The director prefers using glowing lights to set a unique feeling of glow, which is achieved through the use of fog elements (Peña-Acuña, 2018). The latter allows the light to be blurred and makes it glow, which amplifies the visual aspect of a scene. In E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, the described effect was prominently used during the scene when Elliot and the alien were saying their goodbyes to each other. The lights from the alien spaceship were partially obstructed by light fog, which made the lighting glow. This particular scene, allows the setup to be more focused on the alien and Elliot without shining bright lighting on them directly. The glow from the lights makes the overall background bright, which helps create contrast with the alien, which is submerged in its own shadow. It is a clever technique, which helps the director avoid shining direct light on the creatures, which would illuminate the imperfections and flaws of the costumes. Since the film was produced and released in the 1980s, the lack of advanced CGI technology forced Steven Spielberg to utilize such measures to make the creatures realistic without putting them under the light.
The “Spielberg Face”
The “Spielberg Face” is one of the key director’s elements, which he integrates into the majority of his films. It is a facial expression of amazement, surprise, and fear of novelty, which are made by the actors, whose faces are put at the center of the frame for a certain duration to translate these emotions to the viewer (Peña-Acuña, 2018). The given technique is also present in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial during the scene when Elliot sees the alien for the first time. The alien botanists appear in the shadows and move towards the main character, which is accompanied by Elliot’s facial expression of fear and surprise. The main character is not experiencing fear only because the alien’s outline is not of a scary monster but rather a small and strange one. It is conveyed through Elliot’s face, which is put at the center of the frame as a translator of the general feelings of the encounter. It is filled with surprise and fear as well as some form of amazement because the alien is highly unfamiliar to the boy. A similar face can be seen in the Jurassic Park movie when the main characters see the Brachiosaurus for the first time in person. The scene is also accompanied by the “Spielberg Face,” where actors act surprised.
Film and Society
There is an evident and prominent connection between E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and society because it was among the very first movie about a human-like and friendly alien. Most alien-based movies depict them as hostile and superior creatures with an intent to destroy humanity. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial was unique because it implemented the theme of an alien into a child’s story, where he befriends the creature and builds a strong friendship. It introduced a positive image of aliens in general, which promoted a sense of wonder and hope for future potential encounters. In addition, the movie is centered around the children, who go against their authority figures, such as their parents and the government. It is important to note that Elliot is a child of a single mother, which is why he had avoided due to his father’s absence. The alien is a manifestation of this father and friend figure, which Elliot lacked. It also reflects the Auteur Theory, where Steven Spielberg had issues with his parents, which he translated into his movies. In other words, his works illuminated the importance of a proper family structure and how parental problems affect the children, who suffer the most from the absence of their mothers and fathers. The film reveals the difficulties faced by Elliot, who is a typical child as he needs his father figure in his life.
Conclusion
In conclusion, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is an outstanding reflection of key elements of Steven Spielberg’s directive approach to the filmmaking process. It can be explained and observed through the lens of the Auteur Theory, which claims that all films are the reflections of their author’s artistic expressions. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial has three major elements, which can be considered significant trademarks of Steven Spielberg. These include glowing lights, the “Spielberg Face,” and parental issues, which correspond to mise-en-scène components, such as lighting, acting, and storytelling design element. Elliot is taken care of by a single mother, which becomes evident during the very first scenes of the film. The first encounter with the alien is accompanied by the classical “Spielberg Face,” where the main character is surprised and afraid of the creature. The last scene, where Elliot says his farewell to the alien, is accompanied by glowing lights from the spaceship, which is created by the use of fog. It is a clever technique to hide the flaws of the creature’s costumes by avoiding making them the center of attention by shining light on them. The contrasting effect with the background is achieved by making the emphasis dark and the background bright.
References
Grant, B. K. (2012). Film genre reader IV. University of Texas Press.
Haskell, M. (2017). Steven Spielberg: A life in films. Yale University Press.
Peña-Acuña, B. (2018). Understanding Steven Spielberg. Cambridge Scholars Publishing.