Terminator 3 (2003)

The terminator has been sent back in time once again to rescue John Conner. In the battle preceding this scene, one if its fuel cells was damaged. The terminator throws this damaged unit out of the vehicle and it explodes creating this miniature mushroom cloud. Though it might at first be dismissed as being appropriate for the overall theme of the movie, I later found it to be a form of foreshadowing. Nuclear war hounds the characters of this film and at this point its presence is close enough to be tangible.



I find it strange that a town with so many signs of occupation would be seemingly deserted, even if it is past sunset. I realize that many car scenes are filmed on closed courses, but there are usually at least a couple extras here and there. I conclude that this was intentionally done to induce a feeling of loneliness and hopelessness.



I like how this scene is utterly gray. It not only fits well with the time of day and the look of the city, but also mimics the overall palette of the aftermath of nuclear war. When everything is turned to ash and twisted metal, the overall color won’t change much.

Unforgiven (1992)

This shot isn’t really what I wanted to note. Rather, what I wanted to say was that there is a lack of musical score for most of the movie. This gives the movie a greater feel of authenticity because life doesn’t have a soundtrack. I like the absence of music because it means the filmmaker doesn’t need it to sway my mood. Things in the old west happened down to Earth and with face value. Plain and simple, that’s it in a nutshell.



What’s interesting about this shot is not what’s in it, or how the camera is angled. Instead, what’s odd about it is that there’s no trail dust on any of these cowboys. You’d think that, in a time where paved roads are scarce (at least on the frontier anyway) there would be dust and dirt all over people’s pants and shirts. Yet it is strangely absent. I can’t claim credit for seeing this; my dad once pointed out this little detail to me. Ever since he spoke of it to me, I have been looking carefully for signs of the dusty trail on cowboys in western films. It is a detail few are keen to spot.



The use of a candle at night may seem obvious to some. But I see it as proof of bonding. A candle’s light only reaches so far. People nearby that want to use that light have to sit real close to each other. This leads to fraternizing and familiarity, sometimes resulting in friendship. The trio does end up bonding, but like the illumination of the candle, it’s minimal.