This Magic Moment: The Terminator (1984)

This Magic Moment is Sam Watermeier’s weekly commentary in which he analyzes a signature scene from a film — one of those indelible, awe-inspiring moments that define a movie (e.g. the shower stabbing in “Psycho,” the moon-bound bike ride in “E.T.”) — and writes about why it is so memorable.

There is not much more to Michael Bay's "Transformers" films than what meets the eye. And what meets the eye are merely chaotic messes masquerading as awe-inspiring action sequences. If you're looking for a more vivid and focused robot nightmare, look no further than James Cameron's 1984 classic, "The Terminator."

With its radiant red eyes and gunmetal skeleton, the titular character is the sort of specter you'd find in a fever dream, which is exactly where it appeared to writer-director James Cameron during his early days as a struggling filmmaker.

Near the end of the film, the killer robot emerges from an explosion, losing its humanoid flesh in the flames and rising to reveal the monstrous machine under its skin. This was the image that appeared to Cameron in his nightmare, and the ending of the film evokes the pace of that kind of fever dream.

At once relentless and restrained, the scene is surreal and spellbinding, making us wonder, like the terrified characters, whether it is really happening — the question we all ask ourselves in the midst of a sweaty nightmare.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N71d7BF1fZ4&w=500&h=315]

The Terminator makes charmingly herky-jerky movements when chasing after the heroes of the film here, evoking the wonder of a Ray Harryhausen creature feature. Sure, it's a bit schlocky, but it's also filled with so much more life than many of today's CGI spectacles. It has the organic quality you'd find in an exuberant film student's work.

In addition to filling us with uneasy awe, the Terminator's surreal, slow movements in this scene also recall the gait of '80s-era slasher characters.

The Terminator pulls all the tricks of slashers like "Halloween's" Michael Myers — chasing after the characters in a dreadfully slow manner, reaching through a broken door to open the lock on the other side, etc. And like scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis before her, Linda Hamilton's character finds herself in the Final Girl role at the end of the film, forced to confront the killer alone. In the end, as is the case in most slasher films, her initially gentle female nature turns ferocious in the face of death.

There is a curious moment earlier on in the scene when, while chasing the heroes through a factory, the Terminator stops to look at the assembly-line machines around him, as if making a connection, having a moment of recognition — like Michael Myers would if he were peering in on patients in an insane asylum. It's a brief yet thought-provoking moment about the possible self-awareness of machines.

This is a quietly exhilarating scene — modest yet arresting, thunderous yet intimate...descriptions one could never apply to the "Transformers" films. It's a good example of how less is more, how a sequence can convey chaos without making a dizzying mess. It's a memorable scene, one with vivid images and moments that stay ingrained in your brain. Take note, Mr. Bay.