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.