You're terminated fucker
During the final pursuit, Reese is injured. With her protector now out of action, Sarah has nobody to protect her. Eschewing the role of a damsel in distress, she takes control, crushing the Terminator against the guardrail, but also crashing her car. Following that we see the Terminator’s extreme durability, surviving a full speed collision with a truck.
A small but interesting detail here: during the first Sarah Connor kill, the Terminator ran over a toy version of the same truck.
We see the Terminator get up from the collision. As it slowly walks towards the truck door, we know this nightmare is far from over.
Upon entering the truck, we see a shot of the great makeup work. In addition, the glowing red eye subtly reignites our memories of the terror at Tech Noir.
This simple line is one of the most memorable in the movie, for one reason only – Arnold Schwarzenegger. His emotionless delivery and physical presence are terrifying.
As the wheels start to turn, we feel the disturbing implications: technology driving technology, a death machine driving a larger death machine.
As the Sarah and Reese run, we see the above shot. It’s a great example of the film’s horror roots. It connects with a universal nightmare – running slowly while an unstoppable monster is in pursuit. The next shot of the Terminator, from beneath the wheel shows that it is not the driver of the truck, but a part of the truck itself. It’s the manifestation of our misuse of technology, the consequences of our hubris coming back to destroy us.
At this most desperate moment, we see the human traits of mental agility and adaptation at work. Reese uses a hand made explosive to destroy the truck.
With the trucks destruction comes the Terminator’s demise. Its walk of fire reminiscent of the ending in The Thing from Another World (1951). The Terminator’s death throes are disturbing in their silence, and draws parallels to Reese’s birth metaphor.
Whereas the Terminator’s end is signified by fire, we see Reese and Sarah’s life together now beginning.
As memorable as this moment is, it’s worth noting that the producers wanted this to be the end of the movie. Let that sink in.This would have meant omitting the image that gave birth to the Terminator, Cameron’s fever dream.
Rising From the Ashes
This is the scene that not only typifies the terminator as a character, but shows its true form. The image is so remarkable, and so horrific, that it could only have been created by a mind gripped of a feverish nightmare. This is the shot that ended the slasher genre and ushered in the age of technological terror.
As Sarah and Reese escape, the Terminator continues its pursuit with a noticeable limp. There is a nice detail here which is easily missed: in a brief close up of the left foot, you can see a snapped Achilles tendon.
Sarah now takes on the role of protagonist. Again, we see shades of Aliens (1986), Collateral (2004) and The Road Warrior (1982) – the outgunned hero fighting against insurmountable odds. As viewers we know that her chances are slim, yet we cannot look away.
The limitations of the time make this an example of art through adversity. As it would have been incredibly difficult, (if not impossible) to create a life-sized endoskeleton, only a few parts were made. Through the use of camera angles and skillful editing, the illusion of the full endoskeleton is created. This is also helped by the viewers’ minds: imagination takes over where technology ends.
Admittedly the effects have dated in the above shot. However, this demonstrates the power of a well crafted narrative. We are so engrossed in the story that we are willing to suspend our disbelief. This is the result of masterful storytelling. If we can connect with the story, we can adjust our reality.
In the factory they are quickly cornered. A nice character detail here is that the Terminator’s eyes widen as it spots Sarah – mirroring earlier examples in the film.
With nowhere to run, Reese attacks the Terminator with a metal bar. It has little effect on the Terminator, which proceeds to knock Reese to the ground.
As the Terminator moves in for the kill, Reese’s ingenuity overcomes technological superiority. In his defiant last stand, he sacrifices himself to save Sarah.
There’s little time to mourn however. The Terminator echoes Reese’s earlier warning: “it absolutely will not stop… ever!”
It’s at Sarah’s lowest moment that we see the culmination of the movie’s themes: she is overpowered and outmatched by an unstoppable monster. Her lover is dead, her life is over, and the world she knows will inevitably turn to ash. It would be easier to stop and let death take her. Yet she pushes on, crawling through the dark tunnel.
Why?
Because of the one thing which separates us from machines. The one thing that fuels humanity’s incessant desire to live - hope. Hope for her unborn son, and hope for the future.
She must continue, or humanity dies with her.
Galvanized, Sarah continues. In a feat of sheer willpower she pulls herself from the compactor and closes the gate. This is symbolic of her progression as a character: shutting off what she once was. As the Terminator grasps for her, she stares it down, not running from her fate, instead meeting it with defiance.
The Terminator crushing things underfoot is an image seen throughout the movie, a metaphor for the dangers of uninhibited technological progress. In an ironic twist of fate, we see Sarah use technology to destroy the Terminator. The meaning is clear: technology without humanity will result in our destruction. Technology forged with humanity will result in our survival as a species.
As the smoke clears, all that remains is the Terminator’s arm, a reminder of Skynet reaching for Sarah Connor across time. Her life is now irrevocably changed, and her purpose has been realized.
“Should I tell you about your father?”
In the final scene, we see a sun drenched vista. It’s completely at odds with the dark claustrophobic nightmare which we have just witnessed.
As Sarah reflects on her miraculous pregnancy, her thoughts are interrupted by the gas station attendant.
The ending is bittersweet: an approaching storm, both literally and figuratively. Though the future is uncertain, Sarah will meet it with a defiant resolve and a sense of hope that’s all too human.
