After watching Witness, an excellent bi-cultural movie that shows the diversity of Harrison Ford’s acting abilities, I decided to revisit another classic Harrison Ford movie. There are many movies that can be classed as Classics, but there are not many that are science fiction movies. One of these Classics is Blade Runner – this sublime sci-fi flick is in my own personal top ten, and shows what a decent cast and a superlative director can do with a decent and potentially believable script

Ridley Scott ranks amongst my favorite directors. He’s moved the whole Sci-Fi genre out of the depths of geekdom into a world in which the plot is more than simple lazer pistols and scantily clad nymphets Shame do I hear you cry?, but is deeper and darker – with atmosphere and storyline oozing out of every pore. Aliens proved how a simple concept, with a thick atmosphere could turn a sci-fi movie into a suspenseful and often frightening movie.

Ridley Scott seems to focus on potential futures. Aliens tells of a sinister alien race we are yet to encounter. What makes Ridley Scott so good is his ability to bring the audience into the story and make them believe that it is an inevitable future, not simply a fictional story.

Blade Runner in my opinion is his tour de force. It is a very dark and sinister movie that is amazingly subtle at times and builds on drama and suspense in such a way that you are often on the edge of your seat. Ridley’s vision of the future is one of darkness and fear, one in which you sense that everyone is out to get you, and it is a trial simply to survive in the world. Much like living in New Jersey – before you cry foul I live in NJ and love it!!!. Add to this an element of eroticism and sexual tension that never really emerges fully, together with a spattering of subtle tension and apprehension and you have a classic in the making.

Over the years I have watched the original ‘screen’ movie and the director’s cut. My personal favorite is the director’s cut as it removes the voice over, and really makes you work to understand what is going on – it allows you to get fully immersed in the darkness, and the confusion you feel at times is almost akin to being in the movie. If I had a choice, it would be to watch the Director’s cut followed by the original movie – the original movie does allow you to get inside the head of the main actor a little better – but I feel the context is much better if you have struggled through the Director’s cut.

Surprisingly, this movie was overlooked by critics, but it has been in many ‘top ten’ lists that I have seen – at the end of the day it is down to personal choice, but….

The plot and all that…

When Philip K Dick penned his classic story ‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep’, I wonder if he realized he had spawned the underlying text to a classic movie. Once Scott took hold of it and took the atmosphere from the story and enhanced it giving it a feel that somehow combines the audacity of the 20s, with the depression and dankness coming through clearly, together with a possible future that borders on totalitarian it was obvious that this story would shine.

A Blade Runner is essentially a policeman of the future. His simple objective is to find cyborgs (that have somehow managed to infiltrate humanity, and essentially are normally undetectable) and ensure that they no longer are part of human society. As an aside, it’s interesting that the concept of cyborgs in human form has materialized in modern tv – Battlestar Gallactica –hmm, must right a review on that soon.

These cyborgs are not simply copies of human’s but have superior abilities, strengths and intelligence that sets them apart from humanity and were it not for their limited lifespan, set them above humanity. Seemingly most cyborgs have implanted memories and throughout their short lives struggle to break this memory What is interesting is how these cyborgs are almost portrayed as victims despite their superiority – it seems that society has done them an injustice, and continues to do so with their attempted eradication

Their sole purpose is to serve humanity and make life easier for most. Interestingly this is a commentary on slavery from the past, and comments on the abuses of the masters in the way they force ‘beings’ in to slavery, and then treat them as nothing.

Deckard (Harrison Ford) is a Blade Runner. He is an enigma unto himself – aloof, alone and with an evident self doubt, he is tasked with finding a group of cyborgs that have mutinied. As the movie progresses, we follow the challenges he faces as not only is he challenged physically, but also mentally as the morals of what he does collide with his training – as he reflects on what ‘humanity’ has become and how humanity is no longer humane; he questions his own humanity in many ways.

As we immerse ourselves in the dark atmosphere of the movie, we almost feel that Deckard is torn, somehow not knowing what is right and what is wrong – we find ourselves getting pulled into the ‘reality’ as we begin to understand life from the Cyborg’s perspective and begin to feel pity for them, almost willing them to succeed.

What is very interesting is the fact that while this is a ‘futuristic’ movie, there are many parallels to modern society and much social commentary – you’ll find yourself thinking about injustice, and once you do, the fact that the injustice is against cyborgs is secondary.

Acting

If you read the gossip columns, or read the rumors you will have heard that Harrison Ford did not like anything about this project. Apparently disliking the actors, the director and the script, this seeming dislike isn’t portrayed in his acting. Personally I doubt these rumors – Harrison Ford is an amiable guy and doesn’t seem the type to take on a project where he dislikes everything and everyone. I am unsure if this movie was before or after Witness I suspect before – OK so I’m lazy and don’t want to use Google – you have the internet, you find out! *grin* however, it is obvious that this character is unlike any he has played before. Gone is the sparkle that was obvious with Indiana Jones and Hans Solo to be replaced with a more introspective and dark character that is struggling with inner feelings and challenges. Harrison gives the character ‘volume’ that adds to the movie.

There are other good performance but mainly Harrison Ford is the only notable one. Rutger Hauer is good as an angry cyborg – somehow Hauer has always struck me as strange, and more often than not is a mystical character in a fantasy movies – so this role somehow fits him perfectly – his underlying anger and tension just about perfect.

Overall the package is perfect – great acting, excellent atmospheric settings and music and a great script. For me the director’s cut is far superior as it makes you re-watch the movie to catch every nuance, but I’m sure that some will prefer the original movie as it is far easier to understand.

Quite simply this is one of the best movies of all time….






Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older