National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

Universal Pictures released E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in June 1982, and Steven Spielberg's film became an immediate cultural landmark. Drawing on themes of childhood wonder, loneliness, and connection, it broke box office records and earned four Academy Awards. Shot by cinematographer Allen Daviau, the film's visual language remains among the most recognizable in American cinema.

This 35mm cell captures Elliott and E.T. silhouetted against a luminous amber sky during the film's celebrated flying bicycle sequence, with tree silhouettes tracing the horizon below. The shot is a continuous moment from one of cinema's most enduring images, preserving the warmth and scale of Daviau's original photography in its native format.