E. T.: The Extra-Terrestrial

John Williams

Rating: 8.9


The collaboration of Steven Spielberg and John Williams is one to which film music fans must forever find themselves in debt. Though Williams seems to excel with any director, somehow the Spielberg efforts have even more of a tendency to soar. Nestled in between 1981's Raiders Of The Lost Ark and 1883's Return Of The Jedi is the little gem known as E. T.: The Extra-Terrestrial. Being right in the middle of two such cinematically and musically groundbreaking trilogies, one might think Williams would be too focused elsewhere to create a masterpiece. But he did exactly that, and the Academy Award winner has stood the test of time and proven itself as one of film music's most innocently compelling scores.

From the beginning of the album, Williams starts incorporating bits and pieces of what is later to become the principle themes. But he does so in an ominous way, creating tension and uncertainty. "Three Million Light Years From Home" and "Abandoned And Pursued" are both full of foreboding, yet they are presented in such a way that, though there is tension, it is still a child's tension. This is the brilliance of these tracks. When the music is sinister, it is sinister in an innocent, frightened way. Williams manages much of this orchestrationaly, using the flute and other woodwinds to their most child-like ability. Even with the string tremolo tension and brass forte warnings, the mood never strays anywhere close to overbearing.

"E. T. And Me" lightens the mood to one of friendship trust, and "E. T.'s Halloween" continues the trend. Also on display in this track is the Yoda theme from Star Wars, an interesting Williams self-quote. But the melody fits the mood perfectly, and only adds to the piece. "Flying" contains the soaring Williams music one would expect from a such a title. Flying scenes, it has been observed, often are the best opportunities for film composers to create some of their best music, and Williams does not disappoint. The album's most tragic scoring is to be found in the first half of "E. T. Phone Home", and the sad effect is even more pronounced because of the normally lighthearted and childish nature of the themes here presented in such a subdued manner.

Perhaps the most famous track on the album is "Over The Moon", and fans can never seem to get enough of it. The brisk theme is presented on the piano over a triplet accompanying figure. At a mere 2:12 long, the track wastes no time, and is probably the 'easiest' piece to listen to on the album. On the opposite end of the length spectrum, "Adventures On Earth" sits at a lengthy 15:09, but never once does the piece drag, and each little bit is meaningful. The flow of the music is wonderful, and part of the reason for this is Steven Spielberg. When the E. T. recording session was taking place, Williams and the orchestra were having a hard time getting this last climax to properly flow. It really is complicated, with many different climaxes, a touching bit of dialogue underscore, and two separate fanfares. After some unsuccessful attempts, Spielberg turned off the scenes of the film that they were trying to play to, and told Williams to let the music do what it must. He then cut the film to match the music. The result of this technique is stunning, and other directors should learn from the respect Spielberg had for music in film even at this early time. I simply cannot say enough good things about this piece.

There is no good reason that anyone interested in film music should be without E. T.. The innocence of this music is unmatched. Williams never uses the cliched xylophone to create his fantasy effect, but, through other orchestrational and compositional techniques, he creates an atmosphere that, though much different in it's children's fantasy approach, rivals the works of Alan Menken for the genre. The emotional impact is perfect. This still stands as one of Williams greatest masterpieces.

-Colin Thomson


Track List:

Three Million Light Years From Home
Abandoned And Pursued
E. T. And Me
E. T.'s Halloween
Flying
E. T. Phone Home
Over The Moon
Adventures On Earth