The Terminator Page #15

Synopsis: The Terminator is a 1984 American science-fiction action film written and directed by James Cameron. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator, a cyborg assassin sent back in time from 2029 to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), whose son will one day become a savior against machines in a post-apocalyptic future. Michael Biehn plays Kyle Reese, a soldier from the future sent back in time to protect Connor.
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi
Production: Orion Pictures Corporation
  6 wins & 6 nominations.
 
IMDB:
8.0
Metacritic:
83
Rotten Tomatoes:
100%
R
Year:
1984
107 min
Website
2,583 Views


the skin of his forearm.

His expression is one of mild concentration.

E.C.U. - FOREARM, as he pulls back a large flap of skin to

reveal a complex trunk of SHEATHED CABLES AND HYDRAULICS.

They slide as he moves his fingers.

RESUME MEDIUM, as Terminator uses a rag to wipe away the

blood. With small screwdrivers he begins to patiently dis-

assemble the damaged mechanism around the 12-guage hit.

CUT TO:

153 INT. DIVISION HQ/INTERROGATION ROOM - NIGHT 153

The room is small, furnished with only a table and two chairs.

Reese, his arms handcuffed behind him, sits opposite Dr.

Silberman. Behind Silberman is a large mirror. A DETECTIVE

leans against the wall.

SILBERMAN:

So. You're a soldier.

Fighting for whom?

REESE:

With the One Thirty Second

under Perry, from '21 to '27--

SILBERMAN:

(interrupting)

The year 2027?

CUT TO:

154 INT. OBSERVATION ROOM 154

Vukovich and Traxler are seated in the dark room, watching

Reese, B.G., through the two-way mirror. Just behind the

glass is a VIDEO CAMERA ON A TRIPOD, aimed at Reese, and

a CART holding a SMALL MONITOR and VIDEOCASSETTE RECORDER.

REESE:

(through speaker)

That's right.

TRAXLER:

(quietly, to

Vukovich)

This is f***ing great.

CUT TO:

155 INT. INTERROGATION ROOM 155

REESE:

Then I was assigned Recon/

Security, last two years,

under John Connor.

SILBERMAN:

And who was the enemy?

REESE:

SKYNET. A computer defense system

built for SAC-NORAD by Cyber

Dynamics. A modified Series

4800.

SILBERMAN:

(gravely)

I see. And this...computer,

thinks it can win by killing

the mother of its enemy, kill-

ing him, in effect, before he

is even conceived? A sort of

retroactive abortion?

REESE:

Yes.

CUT TO:

156 INT. OBSERVATION ROOM 156

Traxler snorts and grins.

TRAXLER:

(to Vukovich)

That Silberman just crack me up.

(pause)

He had this guy in here last week

who set his Afghan on fire.

Screwed it first, then set it on--

VUKOVICH:

(leaning forward)

Shut up.

CUT TO:

157 INT. INTERROGATION ROOM

REESE:

...it had no choice.

The defensive grid was

smashed. We'd taken the

mainframes...

We'd won. Taking out

Connor then would make no

difference. Skynet had to

wipe out his entire exist-

ence. We captured the lab

complex. Found the...what-

ever it was called...the

time-displacement equipment.

The Terminator had already

gone through. They sent two

of us to intercept, then

zeroed the whole place.

Sumner didn't make it.

SILBERMAN:

Then how are you supposed to

get back?

REESE:

Can't. Nobody goes home.

Nobody else comes through.

It's just him and me.

CUT TO:

158 INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

E.C.U. - TERMINATOR, in profile, showing his lacerated eye.

He is close to a mirror, practically touching it, staring

intently.

MACRO - X-ACTO KNIFE lying on the dresser. Terminator's

fingers lift it. CAMERA TILTS TO FOLLOW as it rises to

his face, holds TIGHT ON left eye.

With a smooth motion the knife point enters the eyeball

and cuts away the ruins sclera and cornea, as well as part

of the damaged eyelids.

He wipes with a rag to clear the electronic eye's vision.

Revealing the faintly glowing lens mechanism, suspended in

a chrome socket by tiny servos.

The eye whirs quietly as it tracks.

SEQUENCE OF SHOTS, showing various repairs.

Terminator's right hand, its wrist SUTURED crudely, holds

a needle and sewing thread and starts to work on abdominal

wound out of frame below.

He slips a glove over the damaged hand.

A motoring cap over the blistered scalp.

A fresh shirt to hide his body wounds.

This is followed by a new overcoat.

C.U. - TERMINATOR, contemplating his reflection in the

mirror. With the hat pulled down, the collar pulled up,

and favoring his right profile he looks unhurt...though

a bit gaunt and pale.

A turn of his head brings the balefully glowing left eye

in its metal socket into view.

He slips on a pair of tight, wrap-around sunglasses.

FULL SHOT as he goes to the bed and flips up the stained

mattress. He picks up the Remington 12 gauge, the AR-180

and the .38 off the springs and leaves by the fire escape.

CUT TO:

159 INT. VUKOVICH'S OFFICE - NIGHT 159

TIGHT ON VIDEO MONITOR showing Reese in the Interrogation

Room.

REESE:

(recorded)

...It's just him and me.

CUT WIDE revealing Sarah, Silberman, Vukovich and Traxler

watching a monitor sitting amid incredible paperwork clutter

on a desk top.

SILBERMAN:

(recorded)

Why didn't you bring any

weapons? Something more

advanced. Don't you have

ray guns?

Traxler, standing in the back, grins and nudges Silberman,

who nods appreciatively.

TIGHT ON REESE'S RECORDED IMAGE - He glares at Silberman.

ON SARAH, as Silberman's voice is heard.

SILBERMAN:

(recorded)

Show me a piece of future

technology.

REESE:

(recorded/con-

trolling his

hostility)

You go naked. Something about

the field generated by a living

organism. Nothing dead will go.

SILBERMAN:

(recorded)

Why?

REESE:

(recorded)

I didn't build the f***ing

thing.

SILBERMAN:

(recorded)

Okay. Okay. But this...

(consults his

notes)

cyborg...if it's metal...

REESE:

(recorded)

Surrounded by living tissue.

SILBERMAN:

(recorded)

Of course.

The real Silberman put the tape on "PAUSE".

SILBERMAN:

(excited)

This is great stuff. I could

make a career out of this guy.

You see how clever this part

is...how it doesn't require a

shred of proof. Most paranoid

delusions are intricate...but

this is brilliant.

He starts the tape again.

SILBERMAN:

(recorded)

Why were the other two women

killed?

REESE:

(recorded)

Most official records were

lost in the war. The computer

knew almost nothing about

Connor's mother. Her name.

Where she lived, just the city.

No scanner pictures. The

Terminator was just being

systematic.

C.U. - REESE, ON SCREEN, as he goes on.

REESE:

(recorded, con-

tinuing)

You've heard enough. Decide.

Are you going to release me?

SILBERMAN:

(recorded)

I'm afraid that's not up

to me.

REESE:

(recorded/voice

rising)

Then why am I talking to you?

Get out.

ON SARAH, DOLLYING SLOWLY IN TO C.U. as we hear Reese

begin to shout.

SILBERMAN:

(recorded)

I can help you...

REESE:

Who is in authority here?

C.U. REESE, ON SCREEN, as he looks straight at the camera.

REESE:

(recorded)

You still don't get it.

He'll find her. That's

what he does. All he does...

MEDIUM ON VUKOVICH, gesturing to Silberman, who is near the

machine, to kill it.

REESE:

(recorded, con-

tinuing)

You can't stop him. He'll

wade through you...

C.U. - REESE, ON SCREEN, rising partway out of his chair,

yelling.

REESE:

(recorded, continuing)

...reach down her throat, and

pull her f***ing heart out...

The screen goes black.

Vukovich has cut off the tape.

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James Cameron

James Francis Cameron is a Canadian filmmaker, director, producer, screenwriter, inventor, engineer, philanthropist, and deep-sea explorer. He first found major success with the science fiction action film The Terminator. more…

All James Cameron scripts | James Cameron Scripts

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