- Blade Runner Analysis -

Blade Runner (1998)

Director: Ridley Scott

"Blade Runner" movie cover page 

Screen Writer: Hampton Fancher & David Webb Peoples

Lead actors: Harrison Ford (Rick Deckard), Rutger Hauer (Roy Batty), Daryl Hannah (Pris), William Sanderson (J.F Sebastian), Sean Young (Racheal), Brion James (Leon Kowalski)

Running time: 117 minutes (1h57)

Blade Runner Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhJ7Mf2Oxs

Plot Summary

The film takes place in the futuristic city of Los Angeles. After the rebellion of several Replicants which slaughtered 23 people, they are now considered "illegal on Earth under a penality of death" (Blade Runner, 1982). An ex-Blade Runner named Rick Deckard is asked to retire four of these Replicants (NEXUS 6) which are trespassing on Earth (Blade Runner, 1982). "It was not considered an execution but rather a form of retirement.” (Blade Runner, 1982). Replicants are advanced AIs, physically identical to humans  but superior in strength, agility and possessing an equal intelligence than their genetic creators (Blade Runner, 1982). Their only desire is to extend their lifespan for survival sake (Blade Runner, 1982). However, Deckard's task to retire them is not so easy because it drags him into a psychological persuit requiring an understanding of the Replicant's real motives and psychology. 

Techniques

The director of the film use a very dark lighting (low-key lighting), presenting a lot of shadows and few rays of light which suggest a dystopian world and emphasize certain aspects for each scene. scenes. For example, when Deckard visits the Tyrell Corporation at the beginning of the movie and interviews Racheal, very little light is present on her face but emphasizes her eyes which is significant for the purpose of this scene (Blade Runner, Scott). 

The futuristic city of Los Angeles, which is where the movie takes place, pictures a cold atmosphere as well as a dangerous and impoverished environment. It makes the viewers uneasy and gives room to mystery and suspense. 

In the movie, the electronic soundtracks are peaceful and strange which contrast with the atmosphere of the film as well put the viewers in a state of doubt and questionning. Moreover, diegetic, nondiegetic and internal diegetic sounds are part of the movie. 
The camera angles in the movie vary from low to high which emphasize the power or vulnerability of one character towards other characters. For example, in one of the last scene, Deckard is found hanging on the roof of a building and Roy observes him above him (Blade Runner, Scott). One camera focuses on Roy from a low angle and another focuses on Deckard on a high angle to emphasize how Roy as power over Deckard at this moment. 

Eyes in "Blade Runner" by Ridley Scott

One of the most important technique in terms of camera close up is the focus on the eyes of the characters. The pupils of the Replicants glow when too much light are directed to their eyes which is a way for the viewers to distinguish Replicants from humans. For example, when Deckard interviews Racheal to see whether she is a Replicant or not, her eyes glow when Deckard asks her how would she react if she came across a nude photo of a girl in a magazine (Fancher and David Peoples). 
The eyes are also frequently used to emphasize the emotional states of various characters to better understand what they are going through and interestingly compare the emotional states of the Replicants and humans. For example, when Deckard is getting punched by Leon, the fear of dying is clearly showed in his eyes (Blade Runner, Scott). In brief, the eyes are the most important features pictured in the movie, because they are essential to understand the characters and underlying meanings.

What makes a human human?

The biggest issue or question in the movie is as follows: What makes human so different from other life forms? At the end of the movie, Deckard seems to be aware of the possibility that Replicants are not so different. As Rick watched Roy die next to him on the roof of a building (Blade Runner, 1981), he realizes that Roy’s last words describes an experience that is undeniably similar to a human experience. The empty stare of Deckard at the end of this scene could suggest that he realizes how Replicants are not that different from humans which make him feel somehow empathetic. Rick shows a sense of morality towards the Replicants.

One issue discussed in the movie is whether or not humans are ready to give place to a different intelligence in their everyday lives. Indeed, following the creation of various generations of Replicants, superior in strength, agility, and similar in cognitive capacity, humans became highly afraid of their capacity to overcome their existence when they started to shed blood to be free of their slavery (Blade Runner, Scott). As a result for their fear, humans gave an execution order to every trespassing Replicants on Earth as a way to retire them (Blade Runner, Scott). However, if the Replicants were actually dangerous huaman criminals, we wouldn’t think about giving such an order to the police department to eliminate this treat. So what makes it right to kill them?

Although they were developed to resemble humans and serve them, the identical behaviors and desire to survive of the Replicants seem to be repulsed or denied which could be interpreted as anthropocentrism (the human desire to be above everything in the universe, so above the Replicants) and an uncanny valley response (failure of the Replicants to resemble humans which results in repulsion) which will be discussed further in the article. This fictional reality is in a way the reflection of a human reaction if we were to live among robots, higher forms of intelligence or simply other technologies and prompt us to believe that we might not be ready to consider AI as morally identical to us.

Deckard (Harrison Ford) in Blade Runner

Not only can Replicants be close copies of humans but Replicants could also be mistaken for humans. In fact, many elements in the movie suggest that Rick Deckard is in fact a Replicant. For example, no information on Deckard’s past life (before his job as a blade runner) is mentioned in the movie which might mean that he might be new to this life and actually possess a few imprinted memories. Moreover, Deckard dreams about a unicorn in the beginning of the movie when he is sleeping, drunk, his head on the piano and finds a origami unicorn on the floor in front of his apartment at the end of the movie when he is about to leave with Racheal (Blade Runner, Scoot). One symbolic meaning given to the unicorn is that it is the "eyes to see infinite possibilities" (Universe of Symbolism). The eye could represent the Replicant's eye which suggest that he might be one and that he is not yet aware of it. The fact that he is given the unicorn origami at the end of the movie is perhaps to remind him that he is a Replicant and that although he wouldn’t go after Racheal to eliminate her, someone could eliminate him. If Deckard is a Replicant, then the treatment given to the other Replicants is not fair, since he was spared. 

Quality of the movie 

Overall the film presents a great sense of setting and mood. For instance, there were many rainy, gloomy scenes which emphasised the genre of the film. There were many fixed scenes, such as close ups on important characters and objects that allowed the audience to understand situations and problems that appeared or happened. For example, one of the first scenes, when Rick tested one of the replicants, the camera would focus close to they're faces, seeing every expression and word they said;which was important for the plot to continue. The director paid a lot of attention to the lighting; when a key part was show, such as a character speaking. It aloud the audience to focus on the scene and move the plot along with dramatisations. It suited the film because of it being fictional and high action.

Also, the actors chosen for this film really brought the film together, along with they're costumes; majority being heavy, futuristic and flat colour, it helped built up a characters persona. They made certain experiences for the characters convincing majority of the time bytheir good dialogue. Though some instances, there were moments that became too were too pushed; when the replicant Pris was killed, it caused people to ask why the character was so dramatic and it wasn't too enjoyable to watch.  Along with the other scene when Roy lodged a nail into his hand that may be too graphic for most.

A comment to put on the films CGI and special effects, they were decent and pretty nice; for the year it was made of course. Though, the sound effects were really  computerised I find, rather than more realistic. As well as how they interacted with the environment around. For one scene, Rick was shot down one of the replicants, though when she fell through the glass, the sound of shattering glass was too excessive. It was obviously artificial and cringey, and sometimes over used. Though not many scenes where caught in the bad sound effects. I'd say, its a pretty nice film to watch for someone who loves fiction and action.

Rating

How is Blade Runner related to the course material?

Sentience

The movie presents the Replicants as sentient beings which means that they possess “subjective perceptual experiences” (McKinney). They have a sense of awareness of the world, are able to feel pleasure and pain and identify by means of senses (McKinney). One example to illustrate this concept is when, at the end of the movie, Roy claims: “I’ve see things…seen things you little people wouldn’t believe […] and all those moments…they’ll be gone” (Fancher and David Peoples). In this scene, Roy is explaining to Deckard that all the beautiful and horrible things he as seen and remembers in his short life will vanish when he dies. It suggests that he had his own experience through senses since he is able to perceive, remember and discuss them. Moreover, the fact that he is aware of his own death also proves that he is the subject of his own experience.

Personhood

In Blade Runner, Replicants do not have personhood, because they are not considered as humans. They are not legal and morally persons in comparison to humans but are instead considered as slaves used for colonization on other planets and various other jobs (Blade Runner, 1981). The question that is raised in the movie is, since Replicants do have a similar mental capacity than humans but are only superior in strength and agility, why should they not be treated as morally as humans are (which also means be granted personhood instead of being killed)? The Replicants live among humans as if they were the same and are only violent when their lives are in danger which is a typical human response. Using Replicants for slavery can be compared to the slavery of the black population in the 20^th century or even the bad treatment of animals which are things that creates a sense of empathy in us. Yet, such feeling does not occur for Replicants. Perhaps human should be more open to such variation in living things.

Self-aware-self

Replicants also possess a self-aware-self, which means that they are subjected and objected to their own experience (McKinney). It can reflect on itself and it can also have an “I” or own identity (McKinney). Nevertheless, the fact that they have implanted memories takes way a part of their identity since it is now theirs. The rest of their experiences do form the “I” that they express in the movie. For example, when Roy and Pris are in the apartment of Sebastien, Pris says: “I think, therefore I am” (Fancher and David Peoples). This saying of Descartes means that if someone is able to think about the fact that he is currently thinking then he cannot doubt his existence which means that he has an identify. She is aware of her own existence as an “I”, because she reflects unto it. 

Questions for you, dear reader!

1) What is your opinion on the love scene between Deckard and Racheal? Was it right to force Racheal into proving her affection to Rick?

2) If Replicants truly existed (or other forms of AIs), do you believe they could share our lives without us being uncomfortable?

3) Do you think it is justificable to create human-like forms (almost identical in terms of behaviour, cognition capacity, and function) and use them as slaves in today's society? Why is that?

Additional links 

• The following article discusses other perceptive on the issue of Deckard being a Replicant, empathy and personal identity: http://www.jimpryor.net/teaching/courses/intro/notes/bladerunner.html 
• The following article discusses what makes us human:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/thomas-suddendorf/what-makes-us-human_b_4414357.html 

Source cited

• Blade Runner. Directed by Ridely Scott, performance by Harisson Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Daryl Hannah, William Sanderson and Brion James. Warner Bros, 1982. 
• "Blade Runner film location - The Worldwide Guide to Movie Locations". Movie-locations, 6 July 2014, http://www.movie-locations.com/movies/b/bladerun.html#.WBzn8_rhDIV Web. Accessed 1 November, 2016
• "Blade Runner." IMDb, (n.d). http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083658/ Web. Accessed 3 November, 2016
• Fancher, Hampton, David Peoples. “Blade Runner.” DailyScript, 23 February, 1981, http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/blade-runner_shooting.html Web. Accessed 3 November, 2016
• “Unicorn Symbolism with Mythology & Meaning”. Universe of Symbolism, http://www.universeofsymbolism.com/unicorn-symbolism.html Web. Accessed 3 November, 2016

Written by: Ariane Paradis, Sharissa Morrison, Uma Joyce Roy