The Judgment on Violence and ‘Terminator 2’
Jack Mathews praises James Cameron’s “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” as “one of the greatest action movies of all time” (Film Comment, July 14).
Mathews then ridicules the writer-director for his metaphorical analysis of the picture, dismissing Cameron’s stated subtexts regarding dehumanization, sanctity of the individual and nonviolence as so much pretentious folly.
I don’t suppose it ever occurred to Mathews that what sets Cameron’s pictures apart from the standard brainless Hollywood blow-’em-ups might just be some sense of thought and intent lurking behind the action.
If more filmmakers had any kind of vision--”pretentious” or otherwise--informing their work, perhaps we would see movies done this well more often, and the idea of an action picture being something more than a cinematic lobotomy might not come as such a shock.
MICHAEL MALLORY
Los Angeles
Only good movies
Get the Indie Focus newsletter, Mark Olsen's weekly guide to the world of cinema.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
