Last night I revisited Spielberg's E.T. The Extra Terrestrial. The last time I watched it would've been at least 5 years ago.
During the movie I was struck by how odd the scene is where the government first come into Elliot's house wearing Astronaut suits - complete with an emblazoned American flag.
This didn't make much sense to me as from memory I knew that they eventually end up wearing the Hazmat type suits. As the scene continues to play out, one of the 'Astronauts' finds E.T. and rather than E.T. screaming - as he has throughout the movie when he is threatened or scared - he says 'home'.
Now here comes my theory:
I think the reason they initially wear the American Astronaut suits is because NASA has made contact with E.T.'s species already. Perhaps even formed some kind of relationship. The government did not know how sick and weak E.T. would be, if he was full strength he maybe could have used his telekinesis to keep them at bay; so as a precaution they wore something he would recognize and would allow them to get close. The bit where E.T. says 'home' is what sells this too me. The last time E.T. saw something dressed like that would have been at his 'home'.
Now I know E.T. is close to death at this point in the movie and it could be argued he's too delirious to really know what is going on, but I beg the differ. Seconds before, he calls Mary 'mum' and then when she rips Elliot away he screams.
Why else would they enter wearing fully decked out Astronaut suits if they could just wear a Hazmat suit.
This could be very obvious to everyone, but I had never noticed nor thought about it much before. And I like the little conspiracy theory it creates.
It's a great movie that holds up incredibly well. The Blu-ray copy is fantastic; no walkie talkies or CGI E.T.
During the movie I was struck by how odd the scene is where the government first come into Elliot's house wearing Astronaut suits - complete with an emblazoned American flag.
This didn't make much sense to me as from memory I knew that they eventually end up wearing the Hazmat type suits. As the scene continues to play out, one of the 'Astronauts' finds E.T. and rather than E.T. screaming - as he has throughout the movie when he is threatened or scared - he says 'home'.
Now here comes my theory:
I think the reason they initially wear the American Astronaut suits is because NASA has made contact with E.T.'s species already. Perhaps even formed some kind of relationship. The government did not know how sick and weak E.T. would be, if he was full strength he maybe could have used his telekinesis to keep them at bay; so as a precaution they wore something he would recognize and would allow them to get close. The bit where E.T. says 'home' is what sells this too me. The last time E.T. saw something dressed like that would have been at his 'home'.
Now I know E.T. is close to death at this point in the movie and it could be argued he's too delirious to really know what is going on, but I beg the differ. Seconds before, he calls Mary 'mum' and then when she rips Elliot away he screams.
Why else would they enter wearing fully decked out Astronaut suits if they could just wear a Hazmat suit.
This could be very obvious to everyone, but I had never noticed nor thought about it much before. And I like the little conspiracy theory it creates.
It's a great movie that holds up incredibly well. The Blu-ray copy is fantastic; no walkie talkies or CGI E.T.
