John Williams
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
Play E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
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AMG Review of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
Richie Unterberger
All Music GuideJudged purely by the standards of soundtrack music, John Williams' score is nothing special. Its languorous orchestration is delivered with a good deal of restraint, to convey the mystery, uncertainty, and sometimes unease of a melodramatic film about the discovery of extraterrestrial life. Indeed at times you'll be wondering if the volume on your stereo has been accidentally lowered, as some sections fall toward the threshold of audibility. Only occasionally does the mood become jubilant or overtly sentimental. It's for the most part unobtrusive background moods for the film's story, more comforting than eerie, whether or not that was the intention.
 "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial")
