Elegant within it’s cyber punk, dystopian
madness “Blade Runner” stands
momentously as a cinematic mild stone, a classic that continues to delight,
bewilder, beguile and intrigue. You’re right; I am a fan. Former art director
Ridley Scott set out to create something marvelous. He achieved just that as he
eclipsed his himself and his magnificent crew’s original daring visions.
Together they discovered (created) that rare wonder; a masterpiece of cinema
and in that including of all of art and creativity.
The film as a whole is purely a visual splendor. Every
performance to note from Harrison Ford to Sean Young to Rutger Hauer to Edward
James Olmos to Daryl Hannah and M. Emmet Walsh is pitch perfect, nuanced and
individually unique. The score is rich, enchanting, futuristic and reflective
of an earlier form; the film noir. This atmospheric, dark, foggy acid rain
refracting look is hypnotic and equally contributing to the film’s narrative.
Former Police Officer/Blade Runner Rick Deckard must hunt down and “retire a
group of super sophisticated, self-aware renegade androids (Replicants) and
“retire” them.
The inspiration and basis of the film is the Phillip K. Dick
Sci-Fi novel “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” It is a well-executed and
provocative work that bears almost no resemblance to Scott’s film. I am
guessing that it was Scott’s intention to do so.
The film was not originally a huge hit. It was far too
radical, distinctive and for all general purposes dark for that. How many times
does the general public adapt and gravitate to the new and daring? It is an
even rarer thing and in many ways a compliment to go unnoticed and unheralded
at first encounter. I saw it at least four times in 1982 the summer of it’s
release. Imagine too; that the lead, Harrison Ford was not a star in his own
right at the time. He had appeared in “Star Wars” in 1977 a few years before
but it was “Blade Runner” that established his remarkable and unique super
stardom along with years of long and continuing acting successes.
The iconic Poster (Left) features Deckard and Rachel above
the aerial view of the fabled acid rain drenched city of the then future (2019)
Los Angelos. Original versions of the poster retail for as much as $2,000.
Much of the visuals and themes of “Blade Runner” are influenced
by the look of Fritz Lang’s “Metropolis.” It is a fitting homage of sorts to
Lang’s film. It is also truly in the same vein of the H.G. Wells book “The Shape
of Things to Come.”
The film has gone through a number of rereleases and subsequent director’s cuts. It is the original 1982 release with the matter of fact and often nuanced voice over by Deckard (Harrison Ford) that was the most striking and entertaining incarnation that I most completely enjoyed. The eloquent and somewhat world weary voice added the right touch with the “film noir” over tones and feel of the production.
As of date the seminal “Blade Runner” is without equal or
legitimate successor. The film does create many questions in plot and purpose.
One major question concerns who and what Deccard himself might actually be. The
original cut of the movie alluded to in several instances and tone to the possibility
of the Deckard character being himself a replicant. The final director’s cut of
the film (2007) attempts to clear up the discrepancies. A dream sequence featuring a
startled and running unicorn is held by Deckard in his sleep. The dream along
with a strategically placed origami unicorn by the Gaff character late in the
film serves as an explanation of sorts. The inference is that Gaff is privy to Deckard’s programmed and implanted dreams. This can be interpreted as a true
explanation or the subject for more confusion; the debate continues.The mostly
unsuccessful and lackluster sequel “Blade Runner 2049” attempts to expand, to
enhance and explain other elements of the original film; the attempt was
futile. In my imagination there was no need for a sequel or expansion and it
falls far short of the original. Many, many films need no sequel and the
attempt to extend their narratives are hackneyed, lackluster attempts at best
but well the subjects for further debate.
VIDEO
Animation Depicting Events Between Original Film and "Blade Runner 2049"
Another superb outing for director Scott was the “1984” titled commercial for the Apple PC that aired during the 1984 Super bowl. The commercial is a response to the George Orwell novel. It is considered by many aficionados and experts to be one of the greatest commercials of stated history. See it here as originally and nationally viewed in January of said year.
Until and if ever eclipsed Scott remains the pre-eminent and
unchallenged champion of the cyber punk, the fantastic world of film
experimentation and it’s successful execution!
