"A serious attitude problem"

Rating: 9/10 (8 November 2011)

There has long been a tradition in cinema of actors whose good looks or sheer physicality far outstripped their Thespian talents. Of these Arnold Schwarzenegger is in a league of his own. His nickname of Austrian Oak seems to refer not just to his impressive stature but to his woodenness before the camera. And yet he became an icon in the 1980s by managing to get cast in parts which didn't stretch his disappointing range. What do you do with a monotonous voice and a body that looks like it could punch through concrete? You play a robot, that's what.
Oh, sorry, not a robot. A *cyborg*
Yes, the 1980s run of hi-octane sci-fi actioners was a boon for Schwarzenegger. The idea of some technological terror coming to get us was hardly new. It was the subject of a lot of 50s B-movies, and if you want to go back further you could include Frankenstein as well. The Terminator is essentially an update of these stories for the then-fledgling age of computers and robotics. It's not the best bit of writing ever. There is some woeful dialogue, and enough logical flaws in the plot to drive a juggernaut through, but this doesn't really matter because the screenplay only really exists to give us a thrilling action adventure. And the central premise – futuristic warriors battling it out over the life of a present day woman – provides a strong enough core to build any number of fight and chase scenes around.
The Terminator was the second feature of James Cameron, and he shows early on a skillful blending of terror and excitement. The picture moves fast, so he doesn't have much time to establish elements of horror, but he is adept at throwing something into the frame – such as the prominent window behind Linda Hamilton – to introduce a little note of uncertainty and danger. To maintain the pace, Cameron's tack is to keep the images constantly moving, not letting the tempo down even in quiet moments. After Arnie utters the immortal "I'll be back" line, we cut between near identical close-ups of the desk sergeant's paperwork – an utterly pointless bit of editing narrative-wise but it brilliantly ratchets up the tension before it all kicks off. Cameron also loves to make the audience feel involved, frequently placing us within the action. The first shot in the modern day has the camera underneath the jaws of a monstrous-looking digger. Often characters are seen advancing towards the retreating camera. It's worth remembering that Cameron was of the first generation of filmmakers to be influenced by video games. Not that earlier directors hadn't used these techniques, but I think that idea of feeling like a participant in the action really helped shape his approach.
The movie looks neat too despite what was a relatively low budget for the era and genre. They have really gone to town on all the tropes of the 80s action movie – dry ice, blue lightning and alleyways full of billowing newspapers and homeless people. In a way, that contrast between piercing white light and smoky shadow was the 80s equivalent of chiaroscuro lighting. Very often of course it is hiding the clunkiness of the special effects, which are strictly old-school. Personally I love the movie's pre-CGI charm. This really was a golden age for animatronics, even as they were becoming obsolete.
So, where does Mr Schwarzenegger fit into all this? With The Terminator we have a movie where fast-paced action runs roughshod over logic, and it doesn't call for amazing dramatic performances. Look at the other players – Linda Hamilton is passable but not amazing, and Michael Biehn is dreadful to the point of irritating. Outside of this movie, both Hamilton and Biehn were better actors than Schwarzenegger, but here it is Arnie who is the most compelling and watchable, simply because playing a hard, mechanical killing machine is the one thing he could do really well. Just for once, he gets to be convincing, chilling, the captivating heart of the movie. Good for him.