Discuss ways in which Terminator 2 constructs representation of gender using Camera Angles and Mise-en-scene
Terminator 2 was released in 1991 and was directed by James Cameron. It subverts the traditional conventions of the thriller or action genre, by having Sara Connor as the strong and heroine-like main character. It does this in a number of ways.
We first see Sarah Conner in her prison cell doing pull ups, we do not see her face straight away but a close up of her arm. We can immediately get a good idea of what her character is going to be like. It suggest she will strong and powerful, also your can hear that she is struggling or trying hard this could suggest she is gutsy and determined. In this shot the light from the window is shining directly on her arm, this could perhaps be to make it stand out more or to empathise how strong she actually is. The camera then jumps to long shot so we can see all of Sarah Connor and her cell. She has pushed her bed on its side so she can use it to exercise, this is another example of her strength and it could possibly suggest her intelligence, by being able to adapt to her cell. The camera then cuts to a close up of her face, however it is still difficult to see her face because the camera remains still and she continues to do pull ups. This could be another demonstration of her determination.
The light from the window in this scene is always shining directly on Sarah Connor, from all the camera angles. This could represent a number of things, firstly, that it is telling us who the main character is and how important she is. Also you often cooperate light shining on somebody with heaven and God as it is a bit like a halo. This could be a way of Cameron reinforcing the idea that she is very important.
Another way in which we can tell that Sarah Connor is not the ordinary women is this scene is by her clothes. When the camera cuts to a long shot of the whole room we can see she is wearing baggy trousers and a rest. Although in the film she would have to wear this, it has been chosen carefully. The fact that she is wearing a vest meant that we could see her arms and her muscles in the first shot. Also vests, particularly the style Sarah Connor is wearing, are more often seen on men in films, this could be a way of Cameron showing the audience that in this film Sarah Conner is the main action hero.
A scene that contradicts what this first scene represents comes not long after it. Whilst Sarah Connor is escaping she runs into The Terminator and her son. At first however she doesn’t see her son, John Connor, and is very scared of The Terminator. This is because in the previous film Arnold Schwarzenegger’s terminator was sent to try and kill her, however in this film he is trying to protect John Connor, at this point she does not know that though.
As Sarah Connor is running up the hallway, towards the elevator, The Terminator comes out from inside the elevator, it is a long shot so it is easier for the audience to see what is happening. At this point the camera goes into slow motion and the background noises become blurred and also slower. This could be symbolising how Sarah feels at this point, shocked, scared and surprised. The camera very briefly cuts to a close up of Sarah so we can also see this emotion in her face. Then it cuts back to The Terminator, however this time it is a close up of his face, properly reveals the identity of him as in the first shot it is not entirely clear. The camera is still in slow motion and cuts back to Sarah Conner where we see her sink to the floor. The editing of this scene cutting to and from each character very quickly contrasts with the slow motion of the camera. We then get a point of view shot from Sarah Connor and because she is on the floor it is a low angle shot of The Terminator. This shows him to be very powerful and authoritative especially as the next shot of Sarah Connor is a high angle shot. This makes her look vulnerable, which is the opposite from the first time we see her, as she is the one that is made to look powerful. This shows that she is not the only hero-like character in the film.
Towards the end of the film, when the T-1000 terminator believes he has defeated Arnold Schwarzenegger’s terminator, and he goes after Sarah and John Connor there is high angle shot of the T-1000 terminator. This would often display weakness and vulnerability, however in this shot it doesn’t. Sarah Connor and John Connor are at the top of the staircase looking down on him, but from his body language and the reaction of Sarah Connor we can tell he is the one with the power. This is very unusual and different to what this camera angle normally represents.
In the final scene where we see Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Terminator die, the authority which, except from the early scenes, has been equal between Sarah Connor and The Terminator, is returned to Sarah Connor. First we see a close up of a hand shake between the two of them to show that they are equal. This could be a way of Cameron showing that it doesn’t always have to be the male with power, and this is shown in a number of ways throughout the film. After this The Terminator gets a Hero’s death in comparison with the other Terminator as he is slowly lowered down into the lava. There is a high angle shot of him to show he can no longer do anything, even though he is dying at his own will. The shot of Sarah Connor and John Connor here is a low angle one, this shows she is still strong and powerful, and in John Connor’s case he now has more power than The Terminator for the first time because he is about to die.
Throughout the film Sarah Connor, the female hero in the film, is represented to be on a par with The Terminator or if not more powerful. This is unusual because in most other thriller and action movies there is a dominant male character. I think Cameron does this to use it as a unique twist to the film and makes it different to other action or thriller films.
Terminator 2 was released in 1991 and was directed by James Cameron. It subverts the traditional conventions of the thriller or action genre, by having Sara Connor as the strong and heroine-like main character. It does this in a number of ways.
We first see Sarah Conner in her prison cell doing pull ups, we do not see her face straight away but a close up of her arm. We can immediately get a good idea of what her character is going to be like. It suggest she will strong and powerful, also your can hear that she is struggling or trying hard this could suggest she is gutsy and determined. In this shot the light from the window is shining directly on her arm, this could perhaps be to make it stand out more or to empathise how strong she actually is. The camera then jumps to long shot so we can see all of Sarah Connor and her cell. She has pushed her bed on its side so she can use it to exercise, this is another example of her strength and it could possibly suggest her intelligence, by being able to adapt to her cell. The camera then cuts to a close up of her face, however it is still difficult to see her face because the camera remains still and she continues to do pull ups. This could be another demonstration of her determination.
The light from the window in this scene is always shining directly on Sarah Connor, from all the camera angles. This could represent a number of things, firstly, that it is telling us who the main character is and how important she is. Also you often cooperate light shining on somebody with heaven and God as it is a bit like a halo. This could be a way of Cameron reinforcing the idea that she is very important.
Another way in which we can tell that Sarah Connor is not the ordinary women is this scene is by her clothes. When the camera cuts to a long shot of the whole room we can see she is wearing baggy trousers and a rest. Although in the film she would have to wear this, it has been chosen carefully. The fact that she is wearing a vest meant that we could see her arms and her muscles in the first shot. Also vests, particularly the style Sarah Connor is wearing, are more often seen on men in films, this could be a way of Cameron showing the audience that in this film Sarah Conner is the main action hero.
A scene that contradicts what this first scene represents comes not long after it. Whilst Sarah Connor is escaping she runs into The Terminator and her son. At first however she doesn’t see her son, John Connor, and is very scared of The Terminator. This is because in the previous film Arnold Schwarzenegger’s terminator was sent to try and kill her, however in this film he is trying to protect John Connor, at this point she does not know that though.
As Sarah Connor is running up the hallway, towards the elevator, The Terminator comes out from inside the elevator, it is a long shot so it is easier for the audience to see what is happening. At this point the camera goes into slow motion and the background noises become blurred and also slower. This could be symbolising how Sarah feels at this point, shocked, scared and surprised. The camera very briefly cuts to a close up of Sarah so we can also see this emotion in her face. Then it cuts back to The Terminator, however this time it is a close up of his face, properly reveals the identity of him as in the first shot it is not entirely clear. The camera is still in slow motion and cuts back to Sarah Conner where we see her sink to the floor. The editing of this scene cutting to and from each character very quickly contrasts with the slow motion of the camera. We then get a point of view shot from Sarah Connor and because she is on the floor it is a low angle shot of The Terminator. This shows him to be very powerful and authoritative especially as the next shot of Sarah Connor is a high angle shot. This makes her look vulnerable, which is the opposite from the first time we see her, as she is the one that is made to look powerful. This shows that she is not the only hero-like character in the film.
Towards the end of the film, when the T-1000 terminator believes he has defeated Arnold Schwarzenegger’s terminator, and he goes after Sarah and John Connor there is high angle shot of the T-1000 terminator. This would often display weakness and vulnerability, however in this shot it doesn’t. Sarah Connor and John Connor are at the top of the staircase looking down on him, but from his body language and the reaction of Sarah Connor we can tell he is the one with the power. This is very unusual and different to what this camera angle normally represents.
In the final scene where we see Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Terminator die, the authority which, except from the early scenes, has been equal between Sarah Connor and The Terminator, is returned to Sarah Connor. First we see a close up of a hand shake between the two of them to show that they are equal. This could be a way of Cameron showing that it doesn’t always have to be the male with power, and this is shown in a number of ways throughout the film. After this The Terminator gets a Hero’s death in comparison with the other Terminator as he is slowly lowered down into the lava. There is a high angle shot of him to show he can no longer do anything, even though he is dying at his own will. The shot of Sarah Connor and John Connor here is a low angle one, this shows she is still strong and powerful, and in John Connor’s case he now has more power than The Terminator for the first time because he is about to die.
Throughout the film Sarah Connor, the female hero in the film, is represented to be on a par with The Terminator or if not more powerful. This is unusual because in most other thriller and action movies there is a dominant male character. I think Cameron does this to use it as a unique twist to the film and makes it different to other action or thriller films.
We had to complete this essay to familiarise ourselves with analysing the mise-en-scene, camera angles, sound and editing.
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