The Terminator a major 1984 U.S. blockbuster does not usually come up in conversations with Solaris, a 1972 indie project from the USSR. The Terminator, while enjoyable, does not come up in all time greatest science fiction lists. Solaris, while an economic failure, is generally considered one of the greatest science fiction movies of all time.

We will begin by analyzing The Terminator. James Cameron a young director at the time was described as “angry” and had something to prove. He had not released any major film’s prior to directing The Terminator and worked with a limited budget of $6 million. Cameron was faced with many different pressures. His film had to make money, be captivating, and prove his credibility as a director. Cameron chose to push the limits of the technology available to him. Previously financial backers had passed on the film as detailed in John Wills film essay for the Library of Congress due to its daring approach to technology. Cameron was criticized for attempting a project with the level of technology needed to create the robot. To make the robot scene Cameron was not able to use CGI as it had yet to be invented. Cameron had to use a combination of puppeteering and stop motion animation to show the inner robotic frame of the terminator. These effects, while impressive for the time of release, do not hold up to the present day. There is one scene in particular where Schwarzenegger performs surgery on his own face and the switch from human to puppet face is very noticeable.

This breaks the tension of the scene as the viewer is no longer able to believe the gravity of what is being shown. The final scene has the inner skeleton revealed and the stop motion used to capture the chase scene once again reveals the limited technology available at the time.

One of Cameron’s best choices was his decision to cast Arnold Schwarzenegger for the role of the terminator. Schwarzenegger embraced the lead role and dons the cover of the original movie poster.

Cameron’s choice to balance his strong female lead against Schwarzenegger creates a gritty and intense feel with both characters being intimidating in their own respects. Linda Hamilton’s character was uncommon for an action movie and paved the way for her and other women to fill leading roles in a typically male dominated genre.

Solaris was directed by Andrei Tarkovsky and released in the USSR in 1972. The movie only released in a few theaters but ran for over 15 years in the Moscow theater. The movie was not released in the United States until 1976 when it was brought stateside. The trailer opens like a traditional science fiction movie with a narrator describing the setting, as the trailer goes along the viewer is introduced to the confusing scenes aboard the space station. The trailer did little to draw in audiences as Solaris bombed at the box office. Tarkovsky did not create a film executives would be proud of. Instead he chose to take risks and make something with a unique story. His risks are greatly appreciated now and nowadays his film is viewed as one of the greatest science fiction movies of all time. In direct contrast with Terminator, Solaris is a long and slow developing movie. Instead of relying on quick action and fast pacing, Solaris unfolds at its own pace. According to Robert Ebert, some scenes leave the viewer with a choice between boredom or contemplation. In these moments Tarkovsky challenges the viewer to dig deeper within themselves which results in the audience becoming more invested in his characters. One in particular is a scene where Kris meets his wife in the library and Tarkovsky creates a lengthy scene where they simply gaze at a painting. Kris leaves earth and travels to Solaris where an unidentified power is manipulating the minds of the residents of the space station. Kris discovers his dead wife alive and well onboard the spacecraft.

The plot develops from there and it’s Tarkovsky’s attention to detail and imagery that give the film the grandiose feel. The mystery of the space station plays out for the whole two and a half hours without feeling dull. 

The films feel completely different yet have more in common. Both stories revolve around a heterosexual couple with a complicated relationship. They are both tragic love stories with underlying complexities. Both of these science fiction movies had impressive effects, suspense and romance. Yet it is Terminator which enjoyed financial success and not Solaris. There are many possible reasons for this. A clear and obvious reason being that Solaris was produced and shot in the USSR. Tarkovsky’s daring and creative approach caught negative attention from both the soviet authorities and the general audiences of the U.S. and Russia. The limited release in Russia made it destined to never make substantial amounts of money in it’s national release and the film also failed to gain ground internationally due to major markets like the U.S. not being receptive to the movie. Solaris was never dubbed in English and was released with simple subtitles. Meanwhile The Terminator was a jewel of Hollywood. It starred a masculine and strong Schwarzenegger who alone could draw crowds into the theater. It’s impressive effects and drama was easily appreciated by the masses and not viewed as a niche film. It’s a great analogy to how we as a society appreciate small risks taken by popular politicians, directors, and sports stars but when a foreign and unknown person takes a risk they will not receive the same appreciation. When looked back upon these forgotten people sometimes are revealed to be masterminds like the depressed painter Vincent Van Gogh. Tarkovsky’s work in retrospect is a beautiful creation and leaves the viewer with many thought provoking questions. The viewer questions what is really going on on the space station and is left trying to determine whether or not they should feel connected with the projected beings. Terminator while a gem of it’s time, does not contain any revolutionary or philosophically challenging questions and no longer holds the same appeal.

Works Cited

1. Terminator Retrospective
2. Library of Congress Film Essay
3. Terminator Robot Scene
4. Solaris Greatest Science Fiction Movie
5. Robert Ebert Solaris Review
6. Solaris Painting Scene
7.  Original Terminator Review
8. 1976  Robert Ebert Review of Solaris
9. Solaris Trailer
10. Terminator Freeze Frame (above)
11. Solaris Freeze Frame (above)
12. Terminator Poster (above)