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Getting the audience to cry for the Terminator at the end…

“Getting the audience to cry for the Terminator at the end of T2, for me that was the whole purpose of making that film. If you can get the audience to feel emotion for a character that in the previous film you despised utterly and were terrified by, then that's a cinematic arc.” quote by James Cameron
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“Getting the audience to cry for the Terminator at the end of T2, for me that was the whole purpose of making that film. If you can get the audience to feel emotion for a character that in the previous film you despised utterly and were terrified by, then that's a cinematic arc.”

James Cameron

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The goal is to make viewers empathize with a character they once feared, showing deep emotional transformation as a measure of cinematic success.

In simple terms: Make viewers feel for a former villain.

Key Takeaway

Create strong emotional arcs.

Themes

cinema emotion character development

Mood

dramatic reflective

Type

cinematic inspirational

When to use this quote

  • film criticism
  • screenwriting
  • directing
  • audience reaction

Key Concepts

empathy narrative arc

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can a film earn audience sympathy for a former antagonist?
  • What techniques deepen emotional connection?
A Different Perspective

Emotional shift may feel forced if not earned.

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