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 creative powers. The film became the highest-grossing release of its time, displacing Star Wars, and remains a defining work of American cinema — a story of childhood, loneliness, and connection told with remarkable restraint and sincerity. Its score by John Williams and its practical effects work set standards that echoed through the decade.

This cell, titled Elliott, captures three consecutive 35mm frames from a single aerial overhead shot looking straight down at Elliott riding his bicycle in a wide circular spiral across sandy, open ground. The warm golden tones give the sequence a quiet, almost meditative quality — an unusual and compositionally striking moment drawn from one of cinema's most beloved films.