The bridge in E.T's Flying Theme

[Quintus 5,391]

Well, what a thoroughly delightful, exhilarating and really quite quirky moment of beauty, in Williams' career. There are three or four various statements of it during the movie, with the first full and lush reveal of it during the night time flight being my favourite - it just utterly, utterly blows me away; I cannot fathom how Williams conceived of this musical link; what feelings and thoughts inspired him to come up with such a subtle, yet extremely satisfying and genuinely magical few seconds of music. It's just sheer joy, to me. The horns in the statement I mentioned above are a thing of beauty - the way they capture the sensation of flight and grandeur, as Elliots surveys the dark woodland below is so vivid and powerful, it beggars belief, yet for all the wonder, Williams somehow manages to instill warmth, too: the music assures you that Elliot is quite safe, indeed the viewer is left so gobsmacked that they too for a moment are with Elliot and E.T., as they zoom across the night sky. And then of course you have the frankly ridiculous ascending strings signalling the reprisal of the main theme and profoundly emotional payoff... WHOAH... Just sheer cinematic wonder, compounded and sold, hook line and sinker, by John Williams.

The main flying theme itself gets a lot of love - it is an icon. But I felt like giving its taken-for-granted bridge a bit of love, because it more than deserves it.

*end of gushing praise post*

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,476]

This music will always affect me. It's the most emotional of all JW's scores for me. E.T. is constantly on Cinemax in HD and I usually tune in. The E.T. death scene still gets me, even though I know how it all turns out. This moment in E.T.'s Halloween is a personal favorite, but the entire scene is brilliantly imagined. The aerial shot of the forest with a hawk calling, Elliot's fear turning to joy and the money shot of the silhouette in front of the moon. Movies and movie scores will never be as great. Ever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIu0YpWacwg

[indy4 152]

I love the B theme, possibly more than the A Theme. However, one thing that really irks me about it is how the first phrase is only played once after Elliot takes off in the climax of the film. Usually, the first phrase is played twice, and then it conlcludes with an expansion on that phrase. I realize that is probably due to timing issues, but I would have liked to have an album version where the first phrase is played twice.

[Datameister 1,394]

I LOVE that part of the theme. There is indeed something so magical about it, especially in the first flight, and you've described it better than I could, Quint, so I won't even try. I think I'm gonna go listen to it now.

[josefsuma 9]

One of the most magical score that he did!

[tharpdevenport 4]

Are you talking about the bike scene where E.T. floats it as they get away from capture?

Isn't that the one Angela Morley is supposed to have ghostwrote/arranged?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

What is the source of that rumor?

[Quintus 5,391]

His backside?

[Charlie Brigden 5]

Oh lord, not again.

This bit is brilliant, by the way. Masterful anticipation before the reprise.

[Quintus 5,391]

Hey have we had this discussion before, Charlie? About the bridge, I mean? Sorry man, I honestly can't remember.

[Charlie Brigden 5]

Hey have we had this discussion before, Charlie? About the bridge, I mean? Sorry man, I honestly can't remember.

Probably, but it's awesome so it's worth repeating

Like the whole score, really...

Edit: In case it's not clear, my "Oh lord not again" was in reference to the ghostwriting claim, as I was wary of a repeat of the Giacchino thread.

[Quintus 5,391]

Ah I getcha now. Misunderstood ya.

[King Mark 2,924]

what exact passage are we talking about? track times...

[Quintus 5,391]

The short, sprightly part between the actual flying theme! Read Indy4's post, that might help.

With all the different releases of the score, track times are bound to be different.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

Everyone should please remember that John Williams writes every note himself. With a quill from a goose that he handreared since it came from the egg. Om paper that he made himself from a mightly tree that he cut down by himself and with ink that he himself processed from it's raw elements!

[King Mark 2,924]

yes

[Quintus 5,391]

You forgot that for every tree he fells, another is planted and a Romanian orphan adopted, by his charity: Star Wars Babies.

[Datameister 1,394]

Are you talking about the bike scene where E.T. floats it as they get away from capture?

Isn't that the one Angela Morley is supposed to have ghostwrote/arranged?

Well, at the very least, it certainly wasn't Angela Morley...the first flying scene (cue title: "Halloween") was orchestrated by Herb Spencer, which wouldn't make sense if one of the other orchestrators wrote the cue in the first place. I don't have the original sketch for the cue, so I have no way to 100% confirm it was written by Williams, but...it was written by Williams. The scene when they escape the police (cue title: "The Bike Chase") was also orchestrated by Herb Spencer...same thing.

Considering that Williams had enough time to orchestrate several cues himself in E.T. (e.g. "The Forest", "Mary Searches the Closet", the extended beginning to "The Rescue"), I highly doubt he was so pressed for time that he had someone else write anything. (The possible exception being the brief arrangement of "The Quiet Man" for Elliot's kiss, which he may have just let Herb Spencer arrange and orchestrate.) There've certainly been other long, monumental scores that were definitely written exclusively by Williams in a relatively short timeframe (e.g. ESB).

All that being said, it does seem likely that Williams has used ghostwriters on very rare occasions over the years. I understand the time constraints of the business, and I'm not quite such a fanboy that I can't accept this likelihood.

[Quintus 5,391]

It was the copyist that did it!

[Datameister 1,394]

[Quintus 5,391]

Ha! But in all seriousness; I do not believe for an instant that the most memorable moment of the whole E.T. score was not 'written' by JW. How ridiculous.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,476]

[Josh500 1,602]

Well, what a thoroughly delightful, exhilarating and really quite quirky moment of beauty, in Williams' career. There are three or four various statements of it during the movie, with the first full and lush reveal of it during the night time flight being my favourite - it just utterly, utterly blows me away; I cannot fathom how Williams conceived of this musical link; what feelings and thoughts inspired him to come up with such a subtle, yet extremely satisfying and genuinely magical few seconds of music. It's just sheer joy, to me. The horns in the statement I mentioned above are a thing of beauty - the way they capture the sensation of flight and grandeur, as Elliots surveys the dark woodland below is so vivid and powerful, it beggars belief, yet for all the wonder, Williams somehow manages to instill warmth, too: the music assures you that Elliot is quite safe, indeed the viewer is left so gobsmacked that they too for a moment are with Elliot and E.T., as they zoom across the night sky. And then of course you have the frankly ridiculous ascending strings signalling the reprisal of the main theme and profoundly emotional payoff... WHOAH... Just sheer cinematic wonder, compounded and sold, hook line and sinker, by John Williams.

The main flying theme itself gets a lot of love - it is an icon. But I felt like giving its taken-for-granted bridge a bit of love, because it more than deserves it.

*end of gushing praise post*

I love these gushing posts of yours (I do that too sometimes)! Makes me appreciate a track, which I already love, even more.

Yeah, this composition is indeed masterful.

[Thor 5,273]

When I wrote my master thesis several years ago (about film music), the E.T. score was one of the analysis chapters. And within that chapter, I spent a great deal analyzing the flying music. It will take too long to go into my angle and approach, I think, but I got a very intimate knowledge of the score as a whole and this scene in particular.

It's interesting...once upon a time, I thought this score was too lightweight, kinda Richard Claydemann-type stuff. Well, that changed over time, and especially once I TRULY got to know it. Not even endless hours of analysis killed that appreciation.

[Jeff 0]

I'll add my appreciation for that bridge, as well as the rest of the flying theme. Also, as I've expressed before, my favorite moment in the score is the piano at the beginning of the End Credits.

[Datameister 1,394]

That's a great piano solo, for sure.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

Ha! But in all seriousness; I do not believe for an instant that the most memorable moment of the whole E.T. score was not 'written' by JW. How ridiculous.

Yeah if you are pressed for time you might pass some of the lesser vital stuff to another person. Not one of the films moneyshots!

[Datameister 1,394]

And as I said, he had time to orchestrate a few cues himself. Clearly time wasn't an issue.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,476]

Nobody else could have composed it.

[Bellosh 1,410]

My favorite use of the bridge is during the bike chase scene when they all meet back with eachother at the bottom of the developments right before they fly off. That part still gives me chills to this day.

[Quintus 5,391]

I know EXACTLY which part you mean: those high pitched, almost shrill strings, never fail to make me love the sequence all over again.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,476]

That for me is one of the quintessential JW moments that I remember since I was little when I was first starting to notice the music. That part is where Steve rides his bike down an embankment and there's a shot from the perspective of the pursuing car on the elevated level looking down at all the kids regrouping.

[indy4 152]

As great as the Flying Theme is, I think it's probably the least brilliant of the themes from E.T. Again, I love the damn thing...just not as much as the other themes. Maybe it has just been overplayed a bit.

[Quintus 5,391]

Overplaying can and will have a negative effect, I've come to realise.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,476]

I wish they would release the music that Williams composed for E.T. Adventure at Universal. There are a couple really great pieces that play in the line where JW developed E.T.'s theme (the one after the titles) and the government agent theme. Really spectacular stuff. Original music underscores a message from one of E.T.'s people that is similar to Destruction of Krypton when they put the baby in the spaceship.