Usually when you think of "The Terminator" film, the first thing that comes to mind is a metallic faced Arnie saying "I'll be back" and not of a deeply romantic love story. Kyle Reece falls in love with Sarah Connor just from stories he heard and the pictures of her he'd seen.
When the opportunity arrives to travel back in time to protect her; he jumps at the chance. Although, he know it is a one way trip and his survival with be for a limited time. It is unclear if John Connor knows the truth of Kyle being his father or not; but at that time Kyle has no idea of his important place in fate. All he knows is the woman he loves needs help. Selflessly he leaps into the unknown past. He doesn’t even know if he will find be able to find Sarah, let alone, if she would even give him the time of day.
"John Connor gave me a picture of you once. I didn't know why at the time. It was very old-torn, faded. You were young as you are now. You seemed just a little sad. I used to always wonder what you were thinking at that moment. I memorized every line, every curve. I came across time for you Sarah. I love you, I always have."- Kyle Reese
I don't know about you but I just melted a bit. That is the most romantic thing I have ever heard. A man risking everything for the woman he loves, and she doesn't even know he is alive. Luckily for him, she falls under his spell for the rest of her life. Kyle remains the only man for her. It was love from the first words he spoke to her "Come with me if you want to live."
The Terminator has all the hallmarks of the perfect love story. There is conflict, peril, a love that conquerors all adversity, and homicidal robots. OK- maybe not the last one. It is an unforgettable timeless romance, and who could forget the first scenes when a very naked Michael Bien arrives. My ardour was quickly cooled by him going commando in a pair of vagrant trousers, but I am confident that he had time to shower before his first love scene with Sarah. Love must have been in the air on set because Linda Hamilton, the actress who played Sarah Connor, later married the director, James Cameron of Titanic fame. In many ways, The Terminator is the perfect date film. For him, mechanized carnage and Arnold Schwarzenegger and for her, romance and love. Either way, I guarantee you wont be able to look at the film in the same way again.