THE TERMINATOR

In 2029, a highly powerful computer, Skynet, developed by Cyberdyne Systems as a defensive weapon capable of learning and growing on its own, rebels against its creators with the aim of conquering Earth by destroying all forms of life present on it. To achieve this goal, it builds machines externally identical in every way to humans (even with an organic covering identical to skin) called Terminators, which hide a highly sophisticated metallic skeleton inside. One of these is sent to Los Angeles in 1984 to kill Sarah Connor, who will be the mother of John, the future leader of the human resistance. But from the future also arrives a man, Kyle Reese, a soldier sent by John Connor himself, tasked with protecting Sarah. “Terminator” is a 1984 film by James Cameron. And never as in this case can it be said that it is a film “by” someone is making an exact statement. So because James Cameron not only directed this film brilliantly, Cameron conceived this film 360 degrees! The American director first “dreamed” it (as he likes to recall in a charming anecdote of a dream due to the delusions of a bad fever), imagined, visualized, wrote, personally created all the drawings. He participated, collaborating with the great specialists of every sector, in the creation of special effects, music, and sets. An exceptional way of making cinema, an absolute perfectionism for the all-round artist who answers to the name of James Cameron, a trademark that will also distinguish him in his subsequent works, an objective fact regardless of the appreciation for his films or the sympathy that can be had or not for the character. “Terminator” might make one think of a film built exclusively around action and special effects, components that undoubtedly are not lacking, indeed, it would be missing if it were not so, but which are skillfully mixed with an engaging story and interesting characters. The script is an absolute stroke of genius, a complex and original plot that captures the viewer from the first minutes. Cameron draws a future where machines take over humanity, with the sole aim of annihilating it completely in the absolute domination of the planet. But the story told, thanks to a remarkable idea, does not take place in the future but rather in the present: a present that for darkness and coldness does not pale in comparison to the hypothetical years to come. Through a time travel, the war between machines and men takes place today, and sees on one side the Terminator, a cyborg programmed to kill Sarah Connor, the epicenter of the conflict, and on the other Kyle Reese, a soldier of the future human resistance, sent from the past by Sarah's son, John the leader of the rebels, to save her. A decidedly unequal battle unfolds, cinematically very exciting, which gives life to numerous high-tension sequences. A brilliant script in which the three main characters play an absolute role. With the Terminator, we are given a character destined to enter the annals of cinema as a whole, not just Sci-Fi. A complex cyborg studied in detail: we will be shown his point of view, his characteristics explained, we will see his internal structure, the Endoskeleton, a chromium steel skeleton. A perfect killing machine, ruthless, relentless, incapable of feeling any type of emotion, programmed for a single purpose: to kill. His appearance, modus operandi, strength, indiscriminate use of violence, the fascination of the organic and mechanical fused together make him a memorable character. An assassin worthy of the best tradition of cinematic villains, as demonstrated by the trail of deaths he leaves behind from the beginning to the end of the film, among many, the memorable scene of the police station where the Terminator literally clears out the unfortunate agents. Coming to the two positive protagonists, Sarah Connor and Kyle Reese, in whom it will be impossible for the viewer not to identify, live their anxieties, their fears, their escape. Well-characterized and in-depth characters, with a well-defined profile. Sarah will experience a sort of metamorphosis throughout the film: from the typical girl next door, naive, fearful, vulnerable to a strong woman, a true fighter; Reese is a courageous man, with very strong ideals, ready for sacrifice to protect them, but he is also a confused man, disoriented in having been catapulted into a different era. Great characters made unforgettable by great performances. Starting naturally with that of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Schwarzy does not play the Terminator..Schwarzy è Terminator! Absolutely perfect the Austrian in the role of the cybernetic killer, in the movements, the walk, the look and everything else. A role that superficially might seem easy but that in reality hides not a few difficulties: being credible as a non-human being, in fact, is no small feat, the risk of involuntary ridicule for roles of this kind is always around the corner. The excellent Linda Hamilton is Sarah Connor, a character, as we said, protagonist of a deep evolution in whose representation the actress is excellent. Reese, on the other hand, is played by a brilliant Michael Biehn capable of showing us an audacious character, but at the same time aware of his own limits, apparently cold in performing his duty but in reality guided by deep feelings. In the cast, in a minor role, also Lance Henriksen for whom Cameron, with whom he had worked in “Piranha 2”, had initially thought even of the role of the Terminator. When the script was shown to Schwarzenegger, contacted initially for the role of Reese, the current Governor of California showed particular interest in the role of the ”bad guy”, a thing that found the full approval and enthusiasm of the director, who will have, two years later, the opportunity to “redeem” Henriksen with a role that has entered the collective imagination of Sci-Fi fans, namely the android Bishop of “Aliens”. Tiny parts also for the well-known character actor Dick Miller (“Piranha”, “Howling”) and for a young Bill Paxton (“Aliens”, “Frailty”). Cameron's direction, as already mentioned at the beginning, is excellent. An exceptional sense of rhythm on the part of the director who chooses the right one for each single scene: from the frenetic rhythm of some sequences to the unforgettable slow motion of the disco scene. A film of this kind to work necessarily needs stunning special effects and è ciò that “Terminator” can boast, special effects absolutely cutting-edge for the time, so much so that they still seem adequate today, not at all out of place in the face of the overwhelming progress. A skillful mix of various techniques ranging from make-up to animatronics, from miniatures to stop motion. Make-up and animatronics are the work of that wizard Stan Wiston, who with his team achieves fantastic results, including the legendary Endoskeleton, designed by Cameron, protagonist of a sensational final sequence, and exceptional makeup and prosthesis effects: memorable in this sense the scene in which the Terminator “repairs” the damage to his forearm tendons and eye. The visual effects of Fantasy II Film should not be forgotten: the magnificent miniatures with which the future scenes were made or the final explosion of the tanker, or the stop motion techniques with which part of the aforementioned final sequence of the Endoskeleton was shot, a sequence in which stop motion is alternated with intelligent partial shots of the magnificent robotic specimen. Great merit in making the story engaging also goes to the beautiful music by Brad Fiedel, capable of marking in the spectator a continuous crescendo of strong emotions. Special mention also for the main theme of the film, which has become absolutely a cult. A key role is also played by the settings: indeed, the choice to set the film mainly in the city and at night is spot on. While the various flashbacks on the future show us a disturbing and suggestive post-apocalyptic scenario. The Italian dubbing is good even if some lines were not translated perfectly, a simple example is that “I’ll be back” (literally “I’ll return”, but can be translated as a “I’ll be back later” or similar phrases) pronounced by the Terminator during the “visit” to the police station and followed by a spectacular “entry into the scene” by car, a line that became famous in the USA and which in Italy was translated with a less catchy “I’ll be right out”. The ending represents the peak of anxiety, fear, and tension, feelings, and sensations that have now risen to the stars in an endless chase and escape and in the face of an enemy whose indestructibility would almost push to resignation. Despite the viewing possibly suggesting the opposite, it should be said that “Terminator” certainly did not enjoy a considerable budget, an element that undoubtedly further elevates, if possible, the qualitative level of the film. In addition to the realization, the production had allocated few funds even for the advertising campaign, finding itself forced to intervene during the work to increase it given the great success that was accompanying the film's release. Success and following of fans that over twenty years later shows no sign of decreasing but, on the contrary, increases year by year. “Terminator” is a film that manages to achieve more than one goal. It entertains thanks to action, adrenaline, spectacular scenes, and special effects. It totally involves and excites through a passionate story. It manages to leave more than one message to the viewer. The most evident one is undoubtedly the clear attack on the unstoppable (and uncontrollable?) technological progress. But also the events of Sarah Connor lend themselves to more than one interpretation: every choice we make today can be decisive for our future; the change of one's way of being that an important experience can lead to; the existence of a person can vary depending on the point of view from which it is looked at: the person who seems less important could in reality be the most important in the world, an existence that if it can seem unimportant in the eyes of others or even one's own could have great value and meaning in the future. In short, “Terminator” is what can be considered an immortal cult. A great film. One of those that leave a mark, trace a path, make an era. A forerunner of a genre of which it will remain forever a milestone. As, moreover, the character of the Terminator will remain forever an unforgettable icon. Stunning. Shame not to have it in your video library. To be seen and reviewed.