Last night I had the opportunity to watch the latest installment in the Terminator film franchise, Terminator Salvation. The comments that follow represent some of my reflections on the film which touch on aspects of the storyline that those who have not yet seen the film may wish to avoid.

First, my overall impression. At the outset there were reasons to be concerned about this film, including a few negative reviews I encountered, and the negative turn in the franchise with the disappointment of Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. Even so, I was optimistic in that the trailers on television and the Internet gave indication that this film held some promise. Christian Bale, a good actor with a solid track record in fantasy and horror films, plays the lead role in the character of John Connor. Beyond this, the director, McG, although not previously associated with a science fiction or adventure film of this magnitude, gave indications in interviews of his desires to revive the franchise, and to prove to critics that he could live up to the expectations of Terminator fans for a bar set very high by James Cameron. My optimism was warranted in that my impression of the film is a very positive one. Although very different from the first two successful Terminator films, in my view this film has enough going for it as a solid cinematic effort and development of the Terminator mythology to enable the franchise’s resurrection should others echo my sentiments in the form of box office receipts. Beyond my initial impressions to aspects of the film stood out for me in the form of the backdrop and character exploration.

The backdrop for Terminator Salvation differs from the previous installments in that we move beyond the battle to prevent the possibility of apocalypse, to the reality of this nightmare and human beings attempting to survive in a post-apocalyptic environment in an ongoing battle with machines. The late modern or postmodern imagination has moved beyond more traditional expressions of apocalypse as informed by the Judeo-Christian tradition to formulate new expressions of fears of the End fueled by secular concerns that may also be influenced by new conceptions of religious apocalyptic ideas. Terminator Salvation fits within this context by exploring new forms of apocalyptic while also retaining some of the religious concepts and terminology from previous religious apocalyptic narratives, such as the concept of Skynet’s nuclear annihilation functioning as a form of Judgment Day, and the film’s title referencing a form of salvation. In my view this post-apocalyptic environment opened up new avenues for storytelling and character development in that we have moved beyond the main story element of battle between humans and various versions of killing cyborgs locked in combat to either prevent or hasten apocalypse, to the reality of post-apocalypse itself. In the backdrop of Terminator Salvation, mere survival in a landscape scarred by nuclear weapons, as difficult as it would be, is made even more horrific in that humans must also fight for survival against technology out of control that seeks to destroy the human race. A single Terminator may have provided plenty of thrills in the first installment, and Terminator vs. Terminator provided additional excitement in the next two installments, but a complete war against humanity while battling a network of killing machines opens up many new possibilities, both in the fight for survival itself, as well as the challenges posted by the need for understanding the increased complexity of humanity’s relationship with technology.

Beyond the post-apocalyptic backdrop for the story, its wrestling with changing conceptions of identity was intriguing. In the postmodern environment the understanding of human identity is very different from that of a modern environment. In postmodernity identity is viewed as fluid and unstable, subject to the creation of new conceptions of identity in differing contexts as these contexts change. This means that one’s identity is not fixed, by nature, nurture, or social context, and that in spite of these things the individual can choose to create a new sense of identity as the situation and context warrants.

This postmodern idea of identity instability plays itself out in Terminator Salvation with the character of Marcus Wright. We are first introduced to this character before the nuclear annihilation unleashed by Skynet as Wright sits on death row for murder and is given the opportunity to donate his body after death for scientific experimentation. Wright dies by lethal injection, only to awaken years later after the apocalypse unsure of what has taken place, where he is, and what year he is now living in. Slowly, Wright puts the pieces of the puzzle together as he encounters various participants in the human resistance against the machines. He comes to discover that John Connor is an important figure in this movement, and he seeks to connect with him in an attempt to return to San Francisco (now under the control of Skynet) in order to find the answers he seeks about his past and his present. Wright finally joins with Connor and the resistance, only to discover that he is not the human being he thought he was, but is instead a cyborg-human synthesis, but one very different from the Terminators. Wright’s bodily makeup involves a synthesis of human flesh and metal, but is different in that he has a human brain controlled by a digital chip, and has a specialized heart. At the conclusion of the film the audience learns, as does Wright, that he was made by Skynet as the perfect creation with the potential to infiltrate the resistance in the hopes of killing Connor. This devious purpose does not sit well with Wright, who makes the decision to pursue a different path, one in keeping with humanity and the resistance. As a result he removes the controlling chip and takes steps to save Connor from the T-800 Terminator.

The Wright character provides an interesting exploration of postmodern identity instability and recreation. This is illustrated dramatically as Connor has Wright in his gunsight and must decide whether to kill him or allow him to follow through on his offer to track down Kyle Reese in the hands of Skynet and scheduled for termination. In a tense showdown Connor asks Wright “What are you?,” to which Marcus responds, “I don’t know.” Wright’s ambiguous identity confuses both characters, and this tension of identity is resolved through the ensuing actions of both characters.

Marcus is indeed in one sense a machine created for a purpose and programmed for destruction. But he is not limited by his creator’s intent or his internal programming. Instead, he makes a choice, prior to the removal of the controlling computer chip, and decides to live as a human being and in keeping with humanity’s desire for life and freedom apart from Skynet’s desires for destruction. Earlier in the film Wright asks another character if he thought that people should be given a second chance. At the film’s conclusion Wright provides a second chance, a chance at redemption, for himself and for Connor, as Connor lays dying of a major chest wound and Wright offers his own specialized heart as the only life-saving means of intervention. Through this action Wright again exemplifies the best of what it means to be human, using his heart (literally and figuratively) and offering his life on behalf of another. This act of compassion becomes another example of Wright’ choice of identity forged through sacrifice and choice in the face of a challenging context.

Terminator Salvation also reflects a postmodern apocalyptic in its questioning of elements found in the Judeo-Christian apocalyptic as it tackles the subject of good and evil, as well as infusing ambiguity into the question of who constitute the “saved.” Typically in the franchise “good” humanity squares off against the “evil” machines. But in this film human beings can be seen acting just as evil and ‘robot-like” as Skynet and its Terminators. And who does the “salvation” refer to in the film’s title? The natural assumption is that it refers to individual human beings, such as John Connor and Kylke Reese, and by extension, to humanity itself. With these key players in the franchise’s apocalyptic timeline saved from Skynet’s destruction, although the battle rages the audience can rest assured that humanity will triumph and ultimately be saved. While this is surely one of the references to “salvation” in the film’s title it may also have another reference to Skynet itself, or at least aspects of it. This interpretation can be developed from the actions of Marcus Wright, a cyborg creation of Skynet who overcomes his mechanical identity and programming, and in so doing exhibits very human characteristics offered on behalf of humanity. In this way hope and salvation glimmers even for the machines themselves.

Finally, the film also explores a possibility for a resolution of our fears over technology out of control. In an essay for Cinefantastique Online prior to the film’s release I wondered whether it would seek to resolve this fear through some form of trans- or posthumanism, the use of technology to extend human capabilities, which some fear may go so far as to see a blurring or even an eradication of the lines between the human being and technology. To some extent I feel vindicated in my prediction in this area. Although the concept was not explored in an overt way, Wright’s wrestling over his sense of identity, and his offer of his technologically-enhanced organ, and with it his life to save the life of Connor, represent an introduction of the philosophical, metaphysical, and techno-theological issues related to both an exploration of transhumanism and our fears of science and technology run amok.

Terminator Salvation is not a perfect film, but then again, there is no perfect film. Some may come close in the eyes of fans, but they are always the creation of fallible artists. Even with its limitations and imperfections Terminator Salvation is an enjoyable addition to the Terminator film series that, along with the television series, may have helped to reboot a franchise birthed over two decades ago.