The Terminator
James Cameron’s 1984 film, The Terminator, is about a cyborg, called a terminator, that is sent back into the past to kill Sarah Connor, the mother of John Connor, the leader of the human resistance. A soldier, named Kyle Reese, is also sent back to protect Sarah (Terminator). In the film’s 1991 sequel, Terminator 2: Judgment Day (T2), the Terminator returns, not to kill Sarah, but to protect young John from the T-1000 (T2). During the course of these two films, the character of Sarah Connor dramatically changes from weak woman to a warrior woman. She transforms mentally, physically, and emotionally. Not only does she change in this manner, but her role in the films changes as well.
Sarah’s purpose and significance as a character changes over the course of the two films. In Terminator, Sarah is of great importance to the story. Without her there would be no human resistance in the future, so it is imperative that she live. The movie revolves around her, as she is the main protagonist in the film. At the end of Terminator, it is she, not Kyle, that destroys the Terminator. Though she is the main protagonist, her purpose in the film was to be a vessel. She was only valued because of her body, her ability to give birth to John. It only mattered that she live so that she could give birth to John.
In Terminator 2, Sarah is pushed into the background. She becomes merely a secondary character. Her presence in the movie is not as important. She has already completed her job of giving birth to John and raising him to be able to take care of himself, so there is no reason for her to be there. Her presence even puts John into more danger. John wanted to save his mother from the mental institution, but the Terminator...
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...tor films are good for study because of their rarity and the character of Sarah Connor.
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Terminator, The. Dir. James Cameron. Perf. Arnold Swarzenegger, Michael Biehn, Linda Hamilton. Artisan Entertainment, 1984.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Dir. James Cameron. Perf. Arnold Swarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, Edward Furlong. Artisan Entertainment, 1991.
Pulp Fiction. Dir. Tarantino Quentin. Perf. John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Tim Roth
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Dir. Nicholas Myer. Perf. William Shatner, Leonard Nemoy. Paramount Pictures, 1982. DVD.
Rebel Without a Cause. Dir. Nicholas Ray. Perf. James Dean, Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo, and Jim
Blade Runner. Dir. James Riddley-Scott. Perf. Harrison Ford, Joe Turkel, Sean Young, Rutger Hauer, Daryl Hannah, Joanna Cassidy, Brion James, William Sanderson, M. Emmett Walsh, Edward James Olmos, Morgan Paull, Columbia Tri-Star, 1982
I,Robot. Dir. Alexander Proyas. Screenplay by Jeff Vintar and Akiva Goldsman. Perf. WIll Smith. Twentieth Century Fox, 2004. DVD.
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. Screenplay & Dir. George Lucas. Lucasfilm & Twentieth Century Fox, 1977. Film
...elligence and emotional strength to become a powerful atypical Edwardian girl who is in control of her situation and her role in society. It can be observed that the women’s attitudes to the ‘chain of events’ in each play are in stark contrast to each other; As William Cowper states, ‘Glory built on selfish principles, is shame and guilt’, and there can be no disputing that Lady Macbeth’s guilt was a result of her glory and subsequent corruption while Sheila’s glory was built by acknowledging her guilt and shame. Sheila accepted her guilt and as such mastered it; Lady Macbeth refused to accept any guilt for killing King Duncan, and succumbed to it. The only similarity between the two is that a great wrong is done by each, yet how each character chooses to handle these wrongs is a testament to their character, the way they are written, and the resulting differences.
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Cameron, James, Dir. Titanic. Perf. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. 20th Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, 1997.
...aves Princess Jasmine multiple times and falling in love at first sight. They also live happily ever-after together, just as every other Disney prince and princess in every other Disney movie. Parents should be aware of the subliminal messages that their children view in the Disney movies they are watching, and grow up to believe that is how life goes. The children that are growing up watching Disney movies with such strong gender stereotypes are learning things they may factor into their own futures, and think that acting the way of the Disney roles is the only way for them to live their life in a happy manner. The way Disney animated films assign gender roles to their characters effect young children’s views of right and wrong in society. It is wrong, and they should not be exposed to such material growing up because it is harmful to their future expectations.
Stand By Me. Dir. Rob Reiner. Perf. Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell. DVD. Columbia Pictures, 1986.
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