BLADE RUNNER
US, 1982, 112 minutes, Colour.
Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Daryl Hannah, M.Emmett Walsh, Brion James, Edward James Olmos, Joanna Cassidy.
Directed by Ridley Scott.
Blade Runner is now considered a science fiction classic. The film comes from a Philip K. Dick story, the author of Minority Report. His focus is on humanoids in a futuristic American society.
The film's set design and production design is quite outstanding. The film creates a futuristic American city, in the style of Metropolis but given much more technical flair in its visuals, in its portrayal of transport and movement in the city as well as the continued darkness, neon lights and rain. In this way, it is as if the traditions of the film noir were transferred into the future. This is confirmed when the central character is a detective, played by Harrison Ford. He has to investigate the replicants who are wreaking havoc in the city. The irony is that Ford himself may also be a replicant.
The film is directed by Ridley Scott who had emerged on the directing scene, after working on commercials, with The Duellists and Alien. He was to continue to have a successful career for many decades with a wide range of films with Thelma and Louise, Gladiator and Hannibal standing out. There was a voice-over in the original release of the film, voiced by Harrison Ford. In the director's cut, this voice-over was removed. Critics agreed that the removal of this voice-over, stating things so explicitly, enabled audiences to have a deeper appreciation of the plot line and the characterisations. It also led then to the speculation that Ford himself was a replicant.
The film's editing and pace is significant, especially in the battles between the replicants. These replicants are performed by Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Joanna Cassidy and Daryl Hannah. Each of them creates a significant character, has been implanted with false childhood memories so that they seem human, which gives their mission and their characterisation a pathos that it might otherwise not have.
The popularity of science fiction, the popularity of Harrison Ford, the skills of Ridley Scott and the insights of Philip K. Dick about what real humanity is and how humans control replicants and try to replicate human nature, offer quite a significant contribution to intelligent science fiction.
1. Interesting entertainment? The mixed reaction of critics and audiences?
2. Futuristic science fiction conventions blended with the private eye conventions? How satisfying a blend? Interest in themes, treatment, styles? sympathy for characters? Situations? The credibility of the plot?
3. The work of Ridley Scott: advertising, science fiction with homage to old horror stories in Alien? The influence of American private eye thrillers and their visual conventions, voice-overs etc.? The huge budget and ambitious nature of the film? Los Angeles in the future: smog, gloom, rain, the opening panorama of the vast sky and buildings - yet an enclosed city? The ruins, the crowds, Chinatown, the neon signs reflecting the rain, the huge advertising - and invitations to migrate, the scavengers and the garbage, the apartments, the wealth of the Tyrell Building, J. F. Sebastian's derelict apartment and the toys, police station, the entertainment joints, the laboratories? The visual impact of the production? Its feel? The colours of the '40s and the shapes of the future? Special effects: transport, robots, technological development. the advertisements for migration? The visual presentation of violence: pace. effects, stunt work? The contrast with the landscapes and the natural countryside at the end? The Vangelis score?
4. Structure of the film: the voice-over and its tone, corresponding to the private eye thriller, the supplying of information, describing the situation, Deckard's character, experiences, feeling, moral choices? The case, the crisis, the police chief, the detective investigations, difficulties, falling in love, confrontations? Escapes from death? The irony of the human confronting the replicant at the end? The romantic ending? How well did the film capture the films of the '40s for science fiction future?
5. The picture of the replicants: the information about their construction, the prologue about their execution and retirement? The role of the blade runners? Future technology, the skill in the workmanship of the robots, their emotions? The title 'replicants' - avoiding 'androids'? The personality and personhood of the replicants? The Nexus Six group? The almost-perfection in Rachel? The prospect of death, rebellion for survival, the search for the maker - and Roy treating Tyrell as his father and God-figure? Comparisons with the humans? The experience of death? The significance of the title?
6. A future world of violence: Deckard and the work of the blade runners? The verbal violence, the interrogation of Leon, the report of the replicants massacre? Pressures on Deckard? The dancer and the violent chase, smashing through the shop window. Rachel shooting Leon after his bashing Deckard, Priss and her martial arts, being shot, Roy and the cat-and-mouse chase. the climbing over the building, breaking Deckard's fingers? The impact of the violence, audience feeling it? What was achieved by immersing the audience in violence?
7. The portrait of Deckard: his career as a blade runner, his wandering the city, the police chief picking him up, his detective work, research, the empathy tests for the replicants and his skill at it, testing Rachel, discussions with Tyrell and understanding the replicants? His tracking down the replicants? His being hurt by Leon, the shooting? The chasing of the dancer, Priss and the toys, the violent death? Roy and the build-up of the cat-and-mouse chase? The emotional response to Rachel, falling in love, the puzzle about love for an emotive replicant? His pondering over Roy's letting him live? His decision to go back to Rachel? Character, type? Personality shaped by environment? The nature of his work? How human was he - in comparison with the replicants?
8. Tyrell and his work, skill, playing God, constructing Rachel and giving her memory and emotions, using Rachel for tests? The human becoming dehumanised? The decor of his apartment? His clothes? Isolated affluence? His playing chess with J. F. Sebastian? The final confrontation with Roy? His seeming a God-figure explaining the limits of his creation? The sudden death at Roy's hand? A symbol of future power, creation, manipulation by technology? How human in comparison with the replicants?
9. Rachel's replicant, as human, the initial meeting, her being made up to look like the heroines of the private eye films of the '40s - the Joan Crawford hairstyle, shoulders, fashions? Her memories, the piano, the photos? Her puzzle about what was real or not? Her not wanting to be a replicant? The awakening of affection, falling in love? Her being hurt by Deckard? Shooting Leon to save him? Her being presented as a Sleeping Beauty? Her letting down her hair appearing more human? Her being taken off by Deckard at the end the uncertainty of her life span? Love - but doomed to die? How human compared with the humans?
10. The work of the police - perennial role of the police, the redneck boss - and his reference to 'niggers'? Agents and their surveillance, picking up Deckard, transporting him, testing him? The police rules? Curfews etc.?
11. The humanity of the replicants? The skill of the actors portraying them to make them machines as well as human? Leon and the opening test, his eyes, his reactions, ignorance, cover story, killing his interrogator? The suave humanity of the interrogator - and sudden death? Leon's house, story? His meeting the others? Confronting Deckard in the street? Violence? Rachel killing him? Zhora and her type, snake-dancing, confrontation with Deckard, the fast-paced chase, the shooting, the smashing into the shop window? Priss as a pleasure unit, the hiding in the garbage, finding J. F. Sebastian, going home with him, relationship with him, hiding with the toys, her relationship with Roy? The attack on Deckard, her death and Roy's grief? Roy and his leadership, going to see the technician who made eyes, J. F. Sebastian, going to the Tyrell Corporation, pleading with Tyrell, killing him, discovering Priss dead, the chase with Deckard, fist through the wall, his being wounded, climbing the rooves? The importance of his explanation of himself, threats to Deckard, breaking his fingers, saving him - and the explanation of impending death?
12. J. F. Sebastian and his premature ageing, working for the Tyrell Corporation, encountering Priss, taking her home, explaining his toys - the lifelike toys, the dwarfs etc.? Chess game with Tgrell? Affection for Priss?
13. The influence of science fiction films, private eye genres? How well did the film pay homage to other films and use conventions?
14. The film has been criticised as lacking humanity - its portrait of the human future, replicants as human?
