Original artwork, not a still
Your clothes, give them to me.
— The Terminator · 1984
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The menace is in how reasonable it sounds: a naked machine states a need and expects compliance. It sets the film's tone, polite horror from a thing that simply does what it must. Fans quote it as a cheerful, deadpan demand, and the arrival scene is among the most imitated entrances in action cinema.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for The TerminatorShow the scene
The Terminator arrives from 2029 outside Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, naked, because the time machine only carries living tissue and no clothing. It walks up to three punks drinking by a telescope and makes its demand in a flat, polite monotone. They answer with switchblades. The cyborg shoves one into a gate, killing him, deals with the others, and leaves wearing a punk's clothes. The thugs are played by Bill Paxton, Brian Thompson and Brad Rearden. It is the first request the machine makes in the 1984 film.
Sources (1)
- Terminator Wiki: T-800 (The Terminator)Arrival and clothing paragraphReference checked
Context reviewed
