Micro Reading Of The Terminator; analysing both cinematography and .
I am going to analyse a 7 minute sequence from the film, The Terminator. The section I will be doing is from minute 26-33. .
The first shot is of the TV reporters head, which fills the screen. He says 'News just in ' This is fast and gets straight to the point of which shows it is important. It could also makes the viewer feel claustrophobic as they feel they can't escape from what the TV reporter is saying, which makes the audience empathise with her. Sarah is also feeling the same way as she can't escape the terminator. His voice is assertive when saying the victims name and he uses short sentences to keep the audiences attention. It also emphasises the fast pace of the film.
The director has indicated the importance of the message from the news by using a close up. He has also done this because we see the TV before we know it is in a restaurant, so there is nothing to distract our attention from listening to the reporter. .
The whole film is fast paced with quick cut shots. Sarah, unlike the audience, is relaxed and getting her food. This shows the audience how unaware she is of what is going on. The TV has been placed in the background, still in the misé en scene the audience are expecting Sarah to be on the news and are waiting for her reaction when her name is finally mentioned. Alternatively, the TV could there because it acts as a constant reminder everything is not as it seems.
The camera then cuts closer to Sarah to show she really is oblivious to the TV. The audience almost wants to tell her to look at the screen, as it is that obvious something will happen. This is shown by a medium shot which has been used to show both the TV and Sarah. As the camera cuts back to the reporter, in the full frame, it creates tension. .
Suddenly Sarahs name is mentioned. The shot goes back to her in the foreground and the TV in the background.