Sci-fi classic, The Terminator, broke a famous movie rule, but the decision ultimately made the franchise. Audiences in 1984 were familiar with exposition, but The Terminator figured out a way to breathe life into a common and often derided trope. Director James Cameron's approach to cinematic exposition not only worked, but set up decades-long list of sequels.
The Terminator breaks the Hollywood rule of "show not tell" by spending large chunks of screen time, explaining not only character and plot backstory, but what is happening at that moment in the film. Exposition is generally frowned on in movie and as actor Michael Biehn explains in the Creating The Terminator documentary, it "usually stops movies dead in their tracks." This, however, isn't true in The Terminator as the complications of plot warrant both a context and explanation. After Reese saves Sarah Connor from the Terminator for the first time, the two go on the run. Up until this point in the film, it isn't clear who exactly the Terminator, Reese, or Connor is or why she's being hunted by this mysterious character. Reese tells her about the machine wars, Sarah's hero, unborn son, John, and why the Terminator is chasing her. This allows for mystery and tension to build but also gives the audience more information on what exactly is going on.
How Terminator Got Away With Breaking A Movie Rule
Breaking the exposition rule is frowned upon, but The Terminator gets away with it because of Cameron's choice to fold it into the action. Rather than relying on a typical dialogue scene with two characters in a room talking, Cameron stages the exposition in the middle of chase scenes and moments of heavy tension. Biehn explains how Cameron "...mixed the action and the exposition, and it made it much easier for me to not become boring..." Reese has to bring Connor up to speed quickly and efficiently enough for her to trust that he's trying to help her. By doing so, not only does this create trust, it creates a relationship that leads to Reese becoming the father to the unborn John Connor and shows the audience how pieces fit together.
Why Breaking An Exposition Rule Built The Terminator Franchise
Breaking the exposition rule did two things: firstly, it introduced a set-piece into all future Terminator films whereby one character delivers a similar expository speech that explains one more piece to the puzzle. Secondly, and more importantly, it both explains and teases and much richer and more involved story. In The Terminator, the film's backstory is broken up across a handful of scenes. Two of the most notable ones include Reese and Connor on the run, where Reese introduces John Connor to the story and his relationship to Sarah. Another scene involves a frustrated and angry Reese being interrogated by police. In the scene, Reese introduces Skynet's vengeful war plot and dubious Terminator usage. Although Reese doesn't get through the entire story, the war, the rebellion, and the goals of both the fighters and the machines are introduced, thereby planting the seeds for what will be Terminator 2: Judgment Day and beyond.
Without Cameron's decision to break the exposition rule, The Terminator might've been just another low-budget sci-fi b-movie. His decision to choose action over dullness and plot advancement over opaqueness made the film much more exciting for a movie-going audience. Giving the first film that time to reveal information set up just enough questions to pull an audience along for the ride. It paved the way for five additional Terminator films and plans for an uncertain seventh.