National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

Universal Pictures released E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in June 1982, directed by Steven Spielberg at the height of his commercial and artistic powers. The film became the highest-grossing release of its time, displacing Star Wars, and remains a defining work of the New Hollywood era — a science fiction film built not on spectacle but on emotional intimacy, childhood wonder, and the fear of loss.

This cell, titled E.T. and Elliott, captures three consecutive frames from a close-up of E.T.'s face bathed in warm golden light, with Elliott's hand visible at the lower edge of the frame. The tight framing and soft illumination suggest one of the film's quieter, more tender moments between the two central figures — a rare strip preserving the rhythm of a single sustained shot.