The second type of antagonist in science fiction cinema is the transformed human being. Although typically transformed by radiation or by DNA alteration, like in Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, the transformed human antagonist becomes the murderous monster (Sobchack, 1987). In The Terminator, the human is transformed into the destructive, calculating machine set to destroy humanity, as a result of man's own doing. The Terminator, a product of military weapons, eventually sees all humans as aggressive and needing to be terminated (Whittington, 2007).
Sobchack explains how obsessed our culture has become on physical fitness . It is of little wonder why Arnold Schwarzenegger was chosen for the role. The cyborg embodies our ideal of a perfect physical body, a "lean machine, focused on only one objective(Sobchack, 1987). According to Telotte (1995), "[the android] figure has become one of the central and identifying icons of all science fiction literature and that the figure is recent dominance of science fiction film seems far from surprising" (pg. 31).
The Terminator's mission is to go back in time to annihilate Sarah Connor, the mother of his enemy, Jon Connor. In doing so destroying the human race and winning the war between human and Skynet and the machines. As humans become part of an increasingly technological environment, science fiction (SF) filmmakers play on audiences anxieties of the threat of machines becoming sentient, making audiences question how we exist in in this technological world. Just as most of technologies are able to blend into our culture, the terminator is able to blend into society and customs so easily in fact that even wearing sunglasses at night inside a police station does not warrant a second glance (Telotte, 1995).
In science fiction, there are three kinds of robots: the humanoid, the self-propelling servant, and the automatic machine. The Terminator is the automatic machine, not stopping until it has met it's objective, an objective that would be in violation of Issac Asimov's Laws of Robotics:
- A robot may not injure human being or through inaction allow a human being to come to harm except where that would be in conflict with law 1.
- A robot must obey orders given to it by humans except where that conflicts with the first law.
- A robot must protect your own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the first or second laws. (Khan, 1998).
Violating these rules is a main source for concern and science fiction cinema and the basis of the Terminator films.
Sobchack explains how obsessed our culture has become on physical fitness . It is of little wonder why Arnold Schwarzenegger was chosen for the role. The cyborg embodies our ideal of a perfect physical body, a "lean machine, focused on only one objective(Sobchack, 1987). According to Telotte (1995), "[the android] figure has become one of the central and identifying icons of all science fiction literature and that the figure is recent dominance of science fiction film seems far from surprising" (pg. 31).
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| photo courtesy of dvdverdict.com |
The Terminator's mission is to go back in time to annihilate Sarah Connor, the mother of his enemy, Jon Connor. In doing so destroying the human race and winning the war between human and Skynet and the machines. As humans become part of an increasingly technological environment, science fiction (SF) filmmakers play on audiences anxieties of the threat of machines becoming sentient, making audiences question how we exist in in this technological world. Just as most of technologies are able to blend into our culture, the terminator is able to blend into society and customs so easily in fact that even wearing sunglasses at night inside a police station does not warrant a second glance (Telotte, 1995).
Once the cyborg deconstructs down to it endoskeleton there is nothing but the dramatic score and machinery sound effects. Resembling Death, the terminator's foley sound effects were created from machine sounds found in the external world today, creating an authenticity for the terminator's hums, whirring, clanking, etc. Sobchack argues credibility for the sounds of the terminator since these sounds are not as far fetched as other sound effects for other science fiction antagonists, claiming the sound of SF is the sound of machines and technology (Sobchack, 1987).
References
Cameron, J. (Director) (1984). The Terminator [DVD]. United States: Orion Pictures.
Khan, Z. (1998). Attitudes towards intelligent service robots. NADA KTH, Stockholm, 17
Sobchack, V. (1987). Screening Space: The American Science Fiction Film. New York: Ungar
Telotte, J. (1995). Replications : a robotic history of the science fiction film. Urbana: University of Illinois Press
Whittington, W. (2007). Sound design & science fiction. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press.
by Alix Rael
