100 Scariest Movie Moments: #82 The Terminator

There was a time, within my memory, in which T-2 seemed to have completely overshadowed its predecessor. But I'm happy to say that in recent years this seems to have been reversed. While T-2 still forms the basis of most of the franchise, (it’s easier to write drama when the past can be changed than when you're in a stable time loop, and know the humans win) I've very rarely heard “Hasta La Vista, Baby” since the turn of the Millennium, while “Sarah Conner?” has grown progressively more popular, and “I'll be back” seems to be undying.

It's very rare to see a movie from the 80s, a sci-fi action flick especially, that never seems dated. And to find an action movie in which the story and characters seem to have been given real thought is amazing. The premise is never treated with anything less than absolute seriousness.

I feel like I'm obligated to give some lip-service to what the film is about. In the future there was a war between humans and machines. The humans were led to victory by a man named John Connor, so the machines sent a Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a machine with the appearance of a human, back in time to kill Connor's mother Sarah (Linda Hamilton). The humans, realizing what the machines had done, sent a man named Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn) back in time to protect her, who turned out to be the leader's father. This creates a stable time loop, which is promptly contradicted by every other entry in the franchise.

The thing that absolutely no one seems to remember about this movie is Michael Biehn, simply because he isn't in the later movies. Hell, T-2 cut out a dream-sequence cameo, because they were worried people who hadn't seen the first film wouldn't get who he was. This is a shame, because he's where the real fear comes from. And without his performance, this would be nothing more than another action flick. The characters from the present can't fully appreciate what's going on. Sarah knows that there's a killer robot trying to murder her, and has some notion that in the future there will be a war. But he's been there, and shows his fear, not through screaming, but through calculation. He is so terrified that he will not allow for one single error brought on by human emotion.

This is not to say that Sarah's perspective is lacking in fear in and of itself. The idea that someone is going around murdering people with the same name as you, since that's all the Terminator has to go on, is certainly a fearful prospect. While I don't have the advantage of having witnessed the movie without prior knowledge of Kyle and the Terminator's motives, which remain mysterious for some time, even without that, the idea gives me chills.

Many people cite the ending of this film when the Terminator's skin has been blown off as the scariest part. I disagree. Whatever you may think of his action hero roles, Arnold gives a performance that's absolutely terrifying, and far scarier than any special effect could be. When you hear the words “he doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear,” you really believe that's what you're seeing: a thing with no human emotions.

The movie also benefits from its relative realism. I've heard that the use of weapons in this film is mostly accurate. I don't claim to have the expertise to determine that, but I don't believe that the humans ever do anything obviously beyond the physical capabilities of a human being, distinguishing it from most action films. This serves to make the scenes in which the Terminator shows superhuman abilities far more impressive. He's not hunting action heroes, he's hunting a soldier and a scared young woman.

I love this movie. I love every single, solitary second of it. While I've enjoyed the sequels and spin-offs to varying degrees, none of them match the original. There's an intensity and a sincerity to it that so few films can manage. Anyone who hasn't seen this movie has done themselves a great disservice.