Blade Runner - Jennifer Merariu, Cydney Rimok, Meagan Thompson

Film: Blade Runner

Year: 1982

Director: Ridley Scott

Screen-writers: Hampton Fancher, David Peoples

Lead actors: Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos

Running time: 117 minutes

Blade Runner (1982) - Official Trailer

Movie Review

In a dystopian future in Los Angeles in the year 2019, an ex-cop named Rick Deckard is a blade runner--someone whose job is to kill replicants. Replicants are bioengineered robots who are designed by Tyrell Corp to copy humans in every way except they are physically superior in strength and speed to their human counterparts and they have shorter and fixed life spans. Their emotions are based off memories of other people that are implanted in their minds by their creators/designers. Replicants have a lifespan of four years as a fail-safe device should they develop their own emotional responses. Replicants don’t generally live on Earth, they are “used in Off-World slave labour in the hazardous exploration and colonization of other planets.” (Blade Runner)

Deckard is now tasked with finding and killing or "retiring" the four replicants who were responsible for taking control of an Off World Colony, a ship transporting those physically able to start a new life on a different planet, and then killing twenty-three people on it. The replicants responsible for the massacre abandoned the ship and decided to travel to Earth in order to find the creator of replicants, Eldon Tyrell, to ask him to extend their life spans. Those responsible for the crime are Nexus 6 replicants: Leon Kowalski, Roy Batty, Zhora and Pris.

The concept of the movie is original and intriguing, however, it is very hard to follow and understand the plot in general and its progression without having to rewind the movie or look up certain aspects online. It was also pretty predictable; send a man whose sole mission is to kill replicants, and he’s eventually going to fall in love with one. That said, it seems like many of the character’s personalities were half-baked ideas that were just thrown into the movie without context. It seemed like the main focus of the movie was its cinematography and aesthetics.

SETS: One of the strongest features of the movie was its sets and long shot views of the city of Los Angeles in the year 2019. In fact, it is fascinating to see the vision of a movie released in 1982 of what a populated, well-rounded American city would look like. From the opening sequence of the film, the viewer is immersed in a dark, gloomy nightlife scattered with bright neon lights, skyscrapers, crowded streets, TV advertisements, and various other futuristic elements that add to the sense of fear and claustrophobia instilled in the characters. Never would we have imagined Los Angeles as such an overpopulated, crowded city where there is barely enough room to walk on the sidewalk or where there isn't the familiarity of sunlight, instead encompassing a constant, nauseating hum and glow of neon signs at every market stand. This movie could then offer a refreshing new take on a large metropolis.

The most significant and memorable set was the outdoor marketplace, which featured the appropriate elements to portray the cultural diversity of the city. At first glance, the market had a "Chinatown" sort of feeling, with all its Asian-inspired food stands and neon lights. In one particular scene, Deckard stops by a stand to get some noodles and the vendor seems to only speak a foreign language. The rest of the market was crowded and loud, with people milling around as if they are all in a rush. Therefore, the eccentricity and foreignness of the habitants, along with the display of various signs in unfamiliar languages, represented key elements in the portrayal of a futuristic Los Angeles. On the other hand, the American culture was still preserved with its hotdog stations and Coca Cola advertisements, thus making an overall beautiful blend between cultures and the present and future.

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: As for character development, the movie lacked the presence of an interesting development for its main character, Rick Deckard. Deckard encompasses the typical, all-American police officer who retired from his job and is now slowly delving back into action. This storyline had a great potential, but all that was really perceived was a man who drank too much alcohol and felt totally indifferent towards his mission. As all movies require a love story, he falls in love with a replicant, Rachael, which was the only glimpse we had of his character development. As much as he is human, he seems to be the less human of all compared to other replicants, such as Roy who expressed significant changes in his persona.

Roy Batty, the leader of the replicant group, showed quite a refreshing development of the “bad guy” in the movie. Although a replicant, he is able to convey much more emotion than Deckard, since he does not mask his fear of dying and of being enslaved by his own robotic nature. Instead, he shows compassion by saving Deckard in the final moments despite their long-lasting feud and admitting that his life has come to an end. His final monologue is one of the most vulnerable and exposed scenes in the entire film, since it shines a light on Roy’s acceptance of himself and of his inevitable death.

PROPS: Significant props in this movie were the origami unicorn that Gaff makes, which you later see in Rick’s apartment.  After seeing the paper unicorn, he starts having these dreams about a beautiful unicorn prancing around, in the forest. This prop is significant because it shows that Gaff can get into Rick’s head. Gaff also made a paper man, which didn’t leave any lasting impression on Rick, but the unicorn however stuck with him. A unicorn is a symbol of purity, and since Rachael is depicted as an innocent and vulnerable “person”, maybe he kept the unicorn because it reminds him of Rachael, meaning Rick has an attraction towards a replicant. Another significant prop would be the owl. In the beginning of the film, Rick walks into Eldon’s house and sees this creature. He asks if it’s real and Rachael replies: “Of course not, do you know how much that would cost?” In this dystopian world, real animals are so scarce that it would cost a fortune to have a real one. Owls are a symbol of wisdom, so it shows how superior Eldon really is. After all, he does know how to make replicants so human-like.

COSTUMES: The costumes in this film were heavy and dark. A lot of the characters like Rick, Rachael and Roy wore long trench coats. Rick was always wearing his brown coat when hunting replicants and, when he was off duty, he wore dark coloured suit jackets and ties. It was like watching good cop/bad cop being played by the same person. Rachael wore long fur coats or dark coloured pencil skirts and blouses. It seemed very retro, like she was from another time. Even her hair was styled in an old-fashioned way. Roy was either wearing a long black coat, or he was simply shirtless; he went from being completely covered to vulnerable. We were surprised when he was shirtless in the fight scenes because it seemed so raw. He could’ve been easily hurt but didn’t seem to mind. We think at this point, this was a clear indicator of character development, since he accepted his fate. Overall, the dark and dreary costumes made for a dull and bleak setting. It looked like an old-fashioned movie, which is odd for a movie that’s supposed to be futuristic.

SPECIAL EFFECTS: Throughout the movie, the special effects shown were, just to name a few, the sound of flying cars whizzing by, the constant rain, and the explosives at the beginning of the movie. These special effects added to the dystopian futuristic atmosphere. Particularly, the constant presence of rain in the movie added a sense of hopelessness and misery to all the civilians, establishing a good basis for the film’s dreary ambience. There was also the presence of flashbacks when Rick dreamed about the unicorn, in the forest. In this dream sequence, filters were used, since it was lighter than the normal setting.

Blade Runner definitely brings up many universal themes and issues that can be applied on a larger scale in our present day and age. One of the most obvious ones is technological advancement, which largely represents the core of the movie. This theme is emphasized both through the superficial aspects of the film, such as the flying cars, and through the artificial beings known as replicants. This film produced in 1982 projects the view of a 2019 Los Angeles, which comes to show how society has predicted the evolution of technology, and how much more can still be done, perhaps to the point of making artificially intelligent robots a common element in society.

Another important issue raised is the importance of memories. Any living creature is defined by their recollections of past events, and use these to their advantage (or disadvantage) in the future by adjusting their behavior accordingly. As a society, we value immensely our memories; they are what makes us different. In this film, the majority of replicants don’t have the privilege of being created with memory implants, so they are perceived as “less than human”. However, things take a turn when Rachael becomes the first ever replicant to obtain memory implants from Tyrell’s niece. This creates quite the controversy, since she thinks those memories are actually hers.

The last universal theme would be Deckard’s relationship with Rachael, an artificial android. At the beginning of the movie Rick finds out that Rachael is the most advanced android created so far. As the movie progresses Rick and Rachael get closer and closer. The difference between an android and a human is emotion. That’s why an empathy test is administered to suspects, to see if they truly are human. What makes Rachael special is that she’s not as empathetic as a human but a lot more empathetic than any other android. Deckard however knows this. Yet he and Rachael are able to have a “relationship,” if you can call it that, based off strong emotions, emotions androids aren’t supposed to have. So that begs the questions: how is Rachael able to express these emotions and how is Rick able to accept that she’ll never love him like a true human? Additionally, at one point, Rachael asks Deckard if he ever took the Voight-Kampff test himself, since he has difficulty expressing how he feels. This suggests a sort of ambiguity concerning Rick's nature as a human or an android, which in turn completely changes the dynamic between the two.

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Overall, the movie lacked an interesting and compelling plot, due largely to the dull, lifeless character of Rick Deckard. Deckard remains throughout the entire movie a predictable, heavy-drinking ex-cop , who eventually falls in love with a woman, only to convey the wrong emotion; in a scene that is supposedly a declaration of his love, it turns out to be quite forceful and unpleasant for both the viewer and the woman in question to experience. Harrison Ford's acting wasn't developed properly here; he missed the target that is conveying the emotion of love. However, the film does come with its set of qualities, mainly regarding the cinematography. It is safe to say that the sets are beautifully crafted, conveying the image of a very advanced, futuristic society, with tons of giant skyscrapers, flashing neon lights and signs, and, of course, flying cars, which is quite impressive given the movie was released in 1982. Along with the setting of the movie, the special effects and props were present at just the right moments and contributed to the slight nuances of the film. If you have an eye for the aesthetics and don’t mind a rather slow-paced plot, this movie may be for you!

Course connections

1) In the film “Blade Runner”, the concept of selfhood, defined in the study guide as an “already demarcated sense of individuality” (4), is an integral part of the main themes of the movie. On a strictly biological level, we may safely assume that all replicants have a core or minimal self, since they possess a basic level of coordination of functions . In addition, it is mentioned in the film that replicants have some kind of neural capacity, an essential component for a creature to have a core or minimal self: “Didn't even know she was a replicant. Something to do with a brain implant.” (Blade Runner)

However, things gets more complicated when we approach the concept of self-aware self, defined as when a being knows it exists and can represent its own consciousness. To represent this concept, let us take a look at Rachael, one of the replicants. What makes her stand out among all other replicants is that she has been given childhood memories from Doctor Tyrell’s niece, which makes her think she is simply a human. When Deckard is administering the Voight-Kampff test on Rachael, it takes over a hundred questions for him to define her as a replicant, comparatively to the standard 20 to 30 questions. A fragment of dialogue between Deckard and Dr. Tyrell reveals an important detail about Rachael’s complex self-aware self: “She doesn’t know?! / She’s beginning to suspect, I think. / Suspect? How can it not know what it is?” Therefore, Rachael’s character raises quite an enigma, since she does represent herself as an “I” symbol using first-person descriptions, but fails to understand what the “I” really means; in her own mind, she perceives herself as a human whereas all external factors indicate that she is a replicant.

2) This film also raises the question about whether replicants have a consciousness. Replicants, at a first glance, are simply man-made machines who were “designed to copy humans in every way except their emotions” (Blade Runner). Using this definition, they are simply perceived as highly intelligent android computers with no emotional response, and therefore no consciousness. However, this assumption is flawed, since the Voight-Kampff test used to determine if someone is a replicant or not checks for empathic response in a person, thus making way for their subjectivity in particular situations.

It is quickly observed throughout the movie that replicants do feel emotions, something that their creator Dr. Tyrell assumes is due to their own self-evolution. The character who best explains this concept is Roy Batty, the leader of the replicant group. In a final gut-wrenching scene, taking place just moments before his death, he declares: “Quite an experience to live in fear, isn’t it? That’s what it is to be a slave.” Not only does he demonstrate fear, but he reveals himself to be quite the vulnerable and compassionate being, something that was also hinted at during Pris’ death. Therefore, if Roy felt the anger and fear accompanying his beloved’s death and his own lifetime, this insinuates that he has a sense of subjectivity in his experiences, which relates directly to the hard problem of consciousness.

3) Another key concept would be Metaphysics. In the “Blade Runner,” the most prevalent question is “what is?”. Who is a replicant and who is human? What makes a human sentient and what makes a replicant insentient? Replicants are viewed as insentient but throughout the movie there is a sufficient amount of evidence proving otherwise. We believe that emotions distinguish human from robot, and if that’s true, then these replicants are human. When Rachael was told that her memories are fake and that she’s a replicant, a tear fell. That’s a clear human response to sadness or hurt. She must’ve felt unsure of herself and her own mind, which triggered a state of distress and caused her to cry. Roy, another replicant, stole a spaceship and flew to earth, so he can hunt down his creator and get him to add years to his life. He was afraid of dying and loved life. He didn’t want to just disappear and allow all his memories to leave him in the blink of an eye. That as well is a very humane response to death: fear. Roy even died going against his programming. He was designed for combat, most likely to kill, and when Rick was hanging off the ledge he could’ve finished him off. Instead, he defied the system one last time and went against his coding. This shows that Roy was able to use his own free will. As time progressed, these replicants became sentient. In a way, they turned human and the humans turned non-human, because they were killing sentient beings. They were going against their own moral values without even realizing it.

Another form of metaphysics in this movie would be the animals. Almost all the animals are extinct because of the pollution in this world, so most of the animals are replicants. People are constantly wondering if the animal they come across is real or not. Not only do humans in this dystopian world have to worry if the people they are crossing in the streets are real or not, but they also have to worry about the animals, which raises many questions on what is real and what is artificial in this dystopian setting.

Questions

1) If Deckard isn’t a replicant, then what prevents him from going to the other world? Sebastian wasn’t able to go because he had a genetic disorder, so what was it that held Deckard back?

2) Would you, like Deckard, have a relationship with an android who had emotions, memories, consciousness, who could clearly express themselves as would any other human being?

3) What does the term ‘retiring a replicant’ signify and what does it say about humans in relation to androids?

Related Links

a) Set 30 years after the original “Blade Runner”, this sequel released in 2017 delivers the story of a new blade runner, Officer K (played by Ryan Gosling), who uncovers a long-buried and dangerous secret. This discovery leads him on a quest to find former blade runner Rick Deckard, who has gone missing for the past three decades. Directed by Denis Villeneuve, this film offers the perfect insight into the complex world of the original “Blade Runner” of 1982.

Blade Runner 2049 - IMDB

b) Sofia the robot is the world’s first robot to become a full citizen of Saudi Arabia. She was built using AI (Artificial Intelligence) and developed by David Hanson, an AI developer in Hanson Robotics. In hopes of overcoming the Uncanny Valley and be appealing to humans, he figures that “robots must attain some level of integrated social responsivity and aesthetic refinement.” However, she is not just a robot with AI; she has a sense of humour, can express her feelings, and wants to protect humanity.  Being the first robot with full citizenship status, Sofia helps explore the underdeveloped relationship between humans and robots in the real world and in that of replicants.

Everything You Need To Know About Sofia, The World's First Robot Citizen - Forbes

References

1. “Blade Runner (1982).” IMDb. 25 June 1982.

www.imdb.com/title/tt0083658/.  Accessed 29 March 2018.

2. Silverman, Brian. “Blade Runner (1982)”. Screenplays for You. https://sfy.ru/transcript/blade_runner_ts.  Accessed 9 Mar 2018.

3. “Blade Runner 2049 (2017)”. IMDb. 6 October 2017.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1856101/ .Accessed 2 April 2018.

4. Stone, Zara. “Everything You Need To Know About Sofia, The World’s First Robot Citizen”. Forbes. Forbes Magazine. 7 November 2017. https://www.forbes.com/sites/zarastone/2017/11/07/everything-you-need-to-know-about-sophia-the-worlds-first-robot-citizen/#32f1b43646fa . Accessed 2 April 2018