Bitches Leave
This one will be at least two parts, after that it will probably be my last piece on writing for a while, I'm thinking about doing some political stuff.
Dark Futures
The James Cameron Effect: See also the John Carpenter Effect, See also the Steven Spielberg Effect
The Terminator appeared in movie theaters in 1984, a good year to be making films about apoclyptic angst.
For those of you not familiar with the plot it is jarringly simple: in future a rag tag band of humans fight a last ditch war against an artificial intelligence that has taken over the world. Resistance hero John Connor has beaten the machines back into almost total submission. In response the machines send a robotic assassin back in time to murder Connor's mother before he is conceived. In response the resistance sends a lone fighter back in time to protect Connor's mother, Sarah.
What makes the Terminator worth mentioning is because it is such a simple, stripped down execution of its theme. In fact the film's theme, plot and title are almost identical, all of of which are perfectly embodied by the Terminator itself.
Anyone who is familiar with Schwarzenegger's on screen persona can probably understand why a terse, emotionless unstoppable killing machine was an ideal (and career building) role. The effectiveness of the charecter/motiff boils down a few basic concepts:
1. the terminator is a representative of the future, the simple fact is apocalypse or not sooner or later the future kills all of of us
2. the terminator is a weapon built by a weapon (Skynet) built by humanity, its is humanity's own self destructive nature given form.
3. the terminator is both the force the brings star-crossed lovers Conner and Reese together, and destroys them
The Terminator appears at moments when the characters appear to be most safe, he murders strangers in their homes and eventually tracks Conner and Reese to their own make-shift dwelling.
Cameron never lets the characters rest from the monster for long or the audience from the theme. It is always there to remind us that in the future we will all be dead and the way things are going probably sooner then later.
In others tell your fucking story and get out before the audience gets bored and gets a chance to realiz how preposterous it is.
In essence Terminator introduces a theme and motif and never deviates from it, it never forgets it, and it never looses track of it. Cameron created an elegant, stripped down, entertaining story. Or as Cameron through Reese says:
"It can't be bargained with!
It can't be reasoned with!
It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear.
And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead!"
Part 2
IT ALL GOES TO SHIT
Thoughts?
Dark Futures
The James Cameron Effect: See also the John Carpenter Effect, See also the Steven Spielberg Effect
The Terminator appeared in movie theaters in 1984, a good year to be making films about apoclyptic angst.
For those of you not familiar with the plot it is jarringly simple: in future a rag tag band of humans fight a last ditch war against an artificial intelligence that has taken over the world. Resistance hero John Connor has beaten the machines back into almost total submission. In response the machines send a robotic assassin back in time to murder Connor's mother before he is conceived. In response the resistance sends a lone fighter back in time to protect Connor's mother, Sarah.
What makes the Terminator worth mentioning is because it is such a simple, stripped down execution of its theme. In fact the film's theme, plot and title are almost identical, all of of which are perfectly embodied by the Terminator itself.
Anyone who is familiar with Schwarzenegger's on screen persona can probably understand why a terse, emotionless unstoppable killing machine was an ideal (and career building) role. The effectiveness of the charecter/motiff boils down a few basic concepts:
1. the terminator is a representative of the future, the simple fact is apocalypse or not sooner or later the future kills all of of us
2. the terminator is a weapon built by a weapon (Skynet) built by humanity, its is humanity's own self destructive nature given form.
3. the terminator is both the force the brings star-crossed lovers Conner and Reese together, and destroys them
The Terminator appears at moments when the characters appear to be most safe, he murders strangers in their homes and eventually tracks Conner and Reese to their own make-shift dwelling.
Cameron never lets the characters rest from the monster for long or the audience from the theme. It is always there to remind us that in the future we will all be dead and the way things are going probably sooner then later.
In others tell your fucking story and get out before the audience gets bored and gets a chance to realiz how preposterous it is.
In essence Terminator introduces a theme and motif and never deviates from it, it never forgets it, and it never looses track of it. Cameron created an elegant, stripped down, entertaining story. Or as Cameron through Reese says:
"It can't be bargained with!
It can't be reasoned with!
It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear.
And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead!"
Part 2
IT ALL GOES TO SHIT
Thoughts?