Terminator – James Cameron (1984)

Opening Scene: https://youtu.be/ZAJr5cp01mI

Title sequence: https://youtu.be/K6auDCAGJgE

In the title sequence of The Terminator, we have the actors names in a robotic and computerized font, followed by bright blue colors on a black background. Throughout this sequence, we have robotic and intimidating music being played in the background. This creates a intense atmosphere and sets this up for the movie that is in store.

The Terminator by James Cameron opens with Los Angeles in 2029 A.D., here we see that it is covered in darkness, the infrastructure has been depleted, and the land is filled with human skulls. In the next shot, we see spaceships landing and lazes flying across the screen, showing that an machine race has dominated Los Angeles, California. (Welcome to the Hotel California, am I right?) We see in the following scene close-ups on the machines and helpless humans trying to run away from the technology that is coming for them, killing off the human race one by one. (And i rannnn, I ran so far away). Even though there the into shows little action, it draws the audience into why an machine “alien” race has taken over, and it makes the audience want to know more.

Location: Expanding more on the location of where Terminator was filmed, it was filmed in different places in California, such as South Pasadena, Little Rock, Los Angeles, etc. By filming in California, it shows an industrialized city filled with the latest technology and an possible area where advanced machines would want to attack.

Color Palette: The colors of the opening are very monochromatic and dense. The dark blues in the background, enlighten the setting to where the we can see the destruction that has been done by the machines. The white is purposeful, it gives context to the established setting.

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Cinematography: The pan of the ship flying over Los Angeles and having a light flashing over the land, demonstrates the determination of termination that the machines have over our world. It follows the movement of the ship and how it scouting the human race. In the next show we are seen with a extreme close up of a machine rolling over human skulls. This is significant because it shows the basic conventions of a science fiction film, advanced technology versus humanity. Also, it gives a feeling of hopelessness and destruction, that with this new technology a depleted society will follow. Next we encounter a low angle shot of the machine up close. By having low angle, we are almost seeing it form a human perspective, and we are seeing the superiority these machines have over our human race. Also, we see a lone human trying to run from the machine who is shooting at him, giving us a shaky tracking shot of the man running. The shakiness shows the panic and anxiety the human feels as he’s running helplessly from the Machines.

Sound: Pew, pew, pew pew. Literally the sounds of the Machine’s lazer guns. These on screen and diegetic sounds can be heard from inside the world. These shooting sounds imply the warfare and give the introduction some umph, meaning it creates the tension happening in the scene.

Mise-en-scene: the props would be the human skulls the machines roll over, the destroyed infrastructure, the machines roaming about Los Angeles, the guns the guy is running with. These help to make the science-fiction setting come alive and clearly demonstrates the future.