 |
| Williams |
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial: (John Williams) Minimal
introduction needs to be made for this, Steven Spielberg's most beloved
family film. While a handful of adults may get caught up in the
religious allegories involved in Melissa Mathison's screenplay for
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, the story is nevertheless the kind of
hopeful view of alien civilization that has entranced children for
years. Stereotypes about suburban lifestyles of the 1980's, as well as
deeply rooted fears about the intentions of the government, play well
with adults, too, making
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial one of the
greatest blockbuster successes ever to overwhelm the box office. In a
heavy dose of Spielberg's obsession with the concept of abandonment, the
story shows an alien group collecting specimens on Earth but
accidentally leaving one of their own behind, forcing the creature to
engage with a local family to "call home." The bond between a lovable
extra-terrestrial and a young human boy leads to the two to common
curiosity, friendship, illness, escape, and salvation, culminating in a
depiction of alien encounters even more positive and rewarding than
Spielberg's own
Close Encounters of the Third Kind five years
earlier. It was an era during which the famed director could do no
wrong, and he revisited the production to clean up the special effects
and add a few scenes for a 20th anniversary theatrical release in 2002.
Also at the height of his phenomenal career in 1982 was John Williams,
whose journeys in the franchises of
Star Wars and
Indiana
Jones were causing such a monumental response from audiences at the
time that the composer's output of the era is still often considered the
ultimate guideline for the redemptive success of the Bronze Age of film
music. Despite all of Williams' triumphs in the plethora of great
franchise scores that resulted from this period of his career,
E.T.
The Extra-Terrestrial remains perhaps the most magical in a singular
sense. The score finally earned the composer his fourth Academy Award
after several of his best, nominated scores during the previous four
years were upset by inferior competition. The famous themes of
E.T. became the new staple of Williams' concert tours, serving as
a comfortable, "feel good" sound from the era. Indeed,
E.T. is
one of those films and scores that will always hold a special place in
the hearts of those who experienced it firsthand in 1982, for it evoked
the perfect emotional response for what audiences craved as "Hollywood
movie magic."
For movie critics, film music critics and collectors
alike, the
E.T. score is almost uniformly admired, usually
without reservation but at least earning significant respect from the
cynics in the crowd. One lingering exception has always remained the
revered film critic James Berardinelli, who not only downplayed the
effectiveness of the film but also stated the following in 2002: "One
thing that has not stood the test of time is John Williams' mediocre
score. With the exception of the soaring 'E.T.' theme, the movie's music
is unmemorable and unspectacular - easily the weakest of Williams' major
motion picture efforts." Let the remainder of this review serve as
appropriate ridicule towards Berardinelli for his complete missing of
the mark with immensely poor judgment in this case. Regardless of
Berardinelli's comically inept remarks (perhaps some bad intestinal
upset that day?), the music for
E.T. is classic if only because
it is so memorable; no suite representing the entire history of film
music would be complete without a few bars from this score. Perhaps the
most interesting aspect of the popular response to this music, positive
or negative, is how focused such opinions are on the famous primary
theme for the picture. In actuality, the
E.T. score is
substantially more complicated than that, with no less than eight major,
recurring themes in the score (and several minor motifs) and a very keen
sense of instrumental choices and fine-tuned orchestration. Obviously,
there are traits of Williams' writing that helped define that entire
period in his career, and, to an extent, the abundance of these
stylistic devices is a major appeal. More importantly, though,
E.T. is a score in which Williams absolutely nailed the emotional
atmosphere of each situation in the film, an ability proven without
question when he was allowed to score the final chase sequence in terms
of musical flow, with Spielberg altering the final edit of the film to
match the cue. That, ladies and gentlemen, is respect. One of the more
remarkable aspects of Williams' writing process for
E.T. is the
fact that he wrote most of the swells of the title theme before the
film's special effects were finished, including the iconic "bicycle over
moon" sequence. Likewise, Williams' choice of orchestral colors is
incredible in this work, his application of woodwinds, pipe organ, and
solo piano, harp, and trumpet all proving extremely adept. The score
remains a pleasure to behold because its vibrant and thoughtful mix of
these elements surpasses expectations for a score of this age and
cements its enduring status as a symphonic masterpiece.
Of Williams' eight major themes for
E.T., all but
one are a powerful influence in the film. For the purposes of this
review, the cue titles provided will reference the 2002 20th anniversary
album release, for it long offered the most complete collection of cue
titles. In terms of top of mind awareness, the "flying theme" is easily
the heart and soul of
E.T.. The score's most famous theme, this
string-dominated piece is hinted at in "E.T.'s Powers" and other cues
before its full, major debut in "The Magic of Halloween." This theme
dominates the last few minutes of the film and "End Credits,"
technically serving to represent the powers that the alien creature uses
to both heal and fly but also conveying the broader sense of magic that
prevails in the story. Almost equally important in
E.T. is the
general "wonder theme," consisting of two six-note figures on flute and
serving as the bookends of the score. It's the first and last melody you
hear in the film, wistfully performed on flute at the outsets of "Far
from Home" and "At Home" and explosively concluding "Saying Goodbye"
with triumphant brass. This theme provides the sense of fantasy in the
full spectrum of imagination, and some listeners associate it more
specifically to the connection the alien creature maintains with his own
species, a musical signal beacon of sorts. The "friendship theme" is
likely the weakest in the score, if only because its renderings are so
slight. Most extensively performed by harp and strings in "The Beginning
of a Friendship," "Toys," and "At Home," this idea receives one last
flourish in "E.T. is Alive!" before fragments assist in the score's
climax in "Saying Goodbye." Although this theme is adequate in quality,
its tender tones are not among Williams' most compelling, and they
especially become lost when compared to the extroverted nature of the
other themes. The structural phrasing, orchestration, and performance
emphasis of this idea make it a relatively close cousin to Williams'
later softer familial identity for
A.I. Artificial Intelligence.
The "alien theme" is the score's most religious experience, mirroring
the chime-tolling and organ-backed tone of Williams' material for the
Ark of the Covenant in
Raiders of the Lost Ark. This theme makes
itself heard very prominently as the aliens abandon E.T. in "Far from
Home" and, more interestingly, during the discovery late in "Searching
for E.T." The latter usage suggests a mentality of desperation for the
creature as it relives an earlier trauma. The motif doesn't make a
significant impact, as you might expect, during the climax of the film
during which the aliens return; perhaps the overwhelming use of the
humans' fantasy themes is more appropriate at that juncture.
There are two major themes of darkness in
E.T., and
because they often intermingle, many listeners generally apply them both
to the evil government forces. There is indeed a very sinister theme for
the government and its pursuit of the aliens. It's another case in which
Williams uses the bass woodwinds to very effectively represent evil (he
would take the idea to near-comical levels in
Home Alone), not to
mention that he once again constructs a "badguy" theme with the repeated
use of a forceful note on key at its outset. The technique is a habit
that Williams utilizes to drive home the point that there is relentless
power behind a character or entity, and listeners can hear the same
general idea in everything from "The Imperial March" in
The Empire
Strikes Back to the theme for the president in
Nixon. In
E.T., the government's theme is employed ominously in "E.T.
Alone," "Bait for E.T.," "I'm Keeping Him," "At Home," and "Invading
Elliot's House," developing into a frenzy in "E.T. Alone" that
foreshadows the stark sense of child abandonment and horror in
A.I.
Artificial Intelligence. The other theme of darkness is a bit more
nebulous in Williams' intentions, but it is typically applied as a
"mystery theme." This is the deep organ theme heard in "Far from Home"
that accompanies the government's stalking of (and forced entry to) the
suburban home where E.T. is hiding in "At Home" and "Invading Elliot's
House." The prominent mix of this theme in especially the first two
mentioned cues causes it to have a significant emotional impact on the
film, with the final usage finally resorting to stark drum hits to
accentuate the score's only truly scary scene. The incorporation of the
two unsettling themes into the score is quite thorough, giving both of
them the weight and responsibility of perpetuating the film's creepier
side. Williams very astutely alludes to these two themes in lighter
cues, reminding the audience of the peril involved. The "At Home" cue is
especially intelligent in its use of the instrumentation of the
"friendship theme" (the harp, specifically) to perform to the
"government theme" in such a way that it gives you the uneasy sense that
any of your family moments in the home could be monitored by "big
brother." Williams did similar things with "The Imperial March" in the
training scenes of
The Empire Strikes Back. Interestingly, the
composer chose to employ mostly atonal sound effects in the eerie "Main
Titles" cue rather than open the film with any of his darker, resolute
themes, yielding perhaps the least interesting cue of the entire work up
front.
Ironically, none of the aforementioned themes is
E.T.'s most infectious. That label belongs to the propulsive
"chase/mischief theme," also made famous by its inclusion in Williams'
concert suites of music from the film. Most listeners will recognize
this enticing melody in the form of its gorgeous piano performance at
the outset of "End Credits" and the concert arrangement titled "Over the
Moon." The rolling rendition of this theme at the end of the film is
beautifully overtaken by the full ensemble, and it's no surprise that
Williams expanded upon the idea for his concert tours. What's more
important to remember, however, is the role that this theme plays in the
picture itself. Its mischievous incarnation is heard in "Bait for E.T.,"
a cue that very obviously pays tribute to the style of Bernard Herrmann
(those muted trumpets and staggered rhythms are unmistakable) for twenty
seconds before transitioning into the "chase/mischief theme." The theme
goes absent from the score until "Escape," which affords the idea
several explosive and uniquely motivational performances that assist the
children in their efforts to elude government forces. This theme
receives a momentous sendoff at the climax of "Saying Goodbye." The
final major theme in
E.T. is the "victory fanfare," another usual
inclusion in the concert suite arrangements of material from the score.
This theme is heard at the height of the film's "Chase" sequence (about
4:30 into the suite-like cue) and again at 0:45 into "End Credits." The
theme is typically introduced by the flurry of high range elements (led
by hyperactive flutes) forming a flighty rhythmic bed, one that could
prove to be annoying to some listeners in its extreme, upper-range
enthusiasm. A few minor motifs are employed in the score as well,
including a "chase motif" heard throughout "Escape" and most clearly at
1:30 into that cue. This motif had formed the structural basis of the
aforementioned Herrmann-like passage early in "Bait for E.T." Once
again, the use of the repeated note on key at the outset of theme
connects it to Williams' usual treatment for the forces of suspicion.
Also heard in this score, of course, is Yoda's theme from
The Empire
Strikes Back, which is not only a cute reference included by
Williams due to the Halloween costume seen in the film, but also as a
pun on the physical similarities between Yoda and E.T. (a point made by
Spielberg himself in E.T.'s scripted reaction). Other motifs are
explored in the more comical first half of the score, including some
source-like interpolations, but these passages are of less
consequence.
Overall, the multitudes of themes comprising
E.T. merge to form a spectacular accompaniment for the film and
an undeniably rewarding listening experience on album. Williams'
fantastic integration of his themes for the story is evident in nearly
every cue. By the 15-minute suite that makes up the picture's climax,
the themes are so seamlessly expressed in succession that you begin to
forget their individual purposes. It is perhaps because of this
methodology that some listeners mistake this score as one that is
largely monothematic. The work's only weakness comes in the somewhat
unconvincing and shallow emotional depth of the "friendship theme" and
the silly tones of the tandem of "E.T. and Elliot Get Drunk" and
"Frogs." Otherwise, the
E.T. score is a lasting powerhouse in the
history of cinema, and it is among even the best of Williams'
illustrious career. Because of its immense popularity, the score for
E.T. has been readily available commercially, released on album
many times throughout the two decades following its debut. From 1986 to
1996, the only recording of the
E.T. score offered to the public,
on LP or CD, was a 40-minute collection of recordings that weren't those
that originally appeared in the film. Williams arranged and recorded
those eight tracks himself at the time of the film's recording, but he
meant for the second set of recordings to be only a concert variation of
a large portion of the score. Such practice was common in Hollywood's
previous ages of film music, though it was somewhat rare to see it occur
in the 1980's. These recordings are noticeably different from those made
for the film, and although they satisfied some collectors, others
balked. It was often claimed that the sound quality of the re-recordings
is superior to that of the film versions, though direct comparisons
would beg to differ. The original concert arrangement albums, which
received several re-pressings by MCA between 1986 and 1990,
unsurprisingly contained material in the wrong order and with different
orchestrations. The typical favorite on those albums was the "Adventures
on Earth" suite, which consisted of the "Escape/Chase/Saying Goodbye"
cues that have largely been overexposed in their constant performances
in concerts through the years. The gorgeous "Over the Moon" arrangement,
emphasizing the piano far more than the film version of the end credits'
opening, is arguably the best single recording to come from the entire
endeavor. After a very attractive expanded edition of Williams'
Raiders of the Lost Ark was released the previous year, MCA
followed with a release of nearly the entire
E.T. score in its
original film performance.
The 71-minute MCA album of 1996 offered 31 more minutes
of music and arranged the contents into film order. Williams never
recorded the darkest passages for the original album, completely
ignoring some of the brilliant performances of the two organ and bass
woodwind themes as well as a few of the great string performances of
other themes. The drawbacks of this 1996 version are that it is not a
complete selection of the film's music and, most unfortunately, it
doesn't contain the "End Credits" version heard in the film. Thus, to
enjoy the lovely piano performance of the "chase theme," you required
the earlier MCA products. For the 20th Anniversary release of the film
in 2002, Universal released the score once again, this time offering a
nearly complete 76 minutes. The added three cues are definitely not
necessary, including "Main Titles," and the 2002 album is not remastered
any better than the 1996 one. The packaging of the two products contains
precisely the same information. The one true benefit of the 2002 product
is the overdue appearance of the original end titles performance that is
similar but not identical to "Over the Moon." An SACD version of the
2002 album was also released concurrently. In 2017, La-La Land Records
presented the ultimate treatment of
E.T., a 2-CD set containing
an even more complete version of the film edits, the album's
re-recordings, and the related four minutes of music Williams recorded
in 1990 for Universal Studios' amusement park ride, "The E.T.
Adventure," themed after the picture. Transferred again from the best
sources possible, the score sounds remarkable for its age on this
product, and the label adds two newly discovered cues to the film
recording presentation on the first CD; the brief "The Closet" is
inconsequential, but "Stay With Me," a cue recorded at the album's
sessions but worked back into the film, contains a pretty rendition of
the main theme before offering variations on the friendship theme and
the wonder motif. A variety of alternate, unused takes comprises the
second CD after the album recording and theme park music. The latter cue
is surprisingly uninteresting, using the wonder motif liberally but
otherwise staying away from direct quotes of the other themes of the
film and stewing at lesser intensities for much of its length. Among the
alternate takes, fresh looks at the Victor Young-inspired "The Kiss" and
the amusing, deleted "Levitation" scene involving Harrison Ford are
points of interest. Most of the other alternate takes aren't
significantly different from the versions eventually utilized in the
film or on album. The 2017 set, reissued identically by the label in
2022, is the definitive presentation of this score, a worthy tribute to
an undeniable, classic score, an achievement that still stands as one of
the maestro's very best.
***** @Amazon.com: CD or
Download
| Bias Check: |
For John Williams reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.67
(in 90 reviews)
and the average viewer rating is 3.54
(in 356,795 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.
|
