Electric Sheep
Written: Jun 01 '00 (Updated Jun 01 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: a film that actually makes you think
Cons: original theartical release was inferior
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| nathantyree's Full Review: Blade Runner |
Warning*** Spoilers Ahead***
BladeRunner, inspired by the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, by Philip K. Dick, was directed by Ridley Scott (Alien, Legend). When first released Bladerunner was something of a flop; grossing about a million dollars less than it cost to make. Home video gave the film new life, it was discovered by new fans, who came to love it. Soon the film had a cult following.
The version of Bladerunner that appeared in theatres and on video was not the version Scott had intended. When Scott’s version was shown to studio heads they didn’t understand it, and demanded changes. Those changes consisted of a voice over narration by star Harrison Ford, and a tacked on happy ending, utilizing unused footage from The Shining.
In 1992 Scott’s version had a limited theatrical release, and subsequent video release. It is this version I will discuss in this review.
The film stars Harrison Ford as Deckard, a “Blade Runner”; a policeman who hunts down and kills “replicants”. Replicants are a sort of genetically engineered human clone, used as slaves for labor, the military, and prostitution.
Deckard is given the assignment of “Retiring” four Replicants who have escaped and returned to Earth. These four are Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer), Leon Kowalski (Brion James), Pris (Daryll Hannah), and Zhora (Joanna Cassidy). Deckard is sent to the Tyrell corporation, the company responsible for creating Replicants, to study the newest model, in order that he may be better equipped to catch his prey. The latest model turns out to be Rachel (Sean Young, looking every bit the 1940’s Film Noir heroine, one can imagine her suggesting that killing her husband for the insurance would be fun), a girl who is unaware that she is a Replicant. She has been given memories, someone else’s memories.
Deckard does track down his prey, and nearly dies in the process. Along the way he learns certain unpleasant lessons. In the director’s cut of the film Deckard dreams of a Unicorn. Later we see another cop, Gaff (Edward James Olmos), who is obsessed with little origami animals, place a small Unicorn outside Deckard’s apartment. How, we must wonder, does Gaff know what Deckard dreams; unless they are Gaff’s dreams. Perhaps Deckard’s memories actually belong to Gaff, and Deckard is himself a Replicant?
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the film, and one that most viewers seem to miss is this: Deckard is the villain. He hunts down and kills runaway slaves for a living. We are told that the Replicants have killed, but who wouldn’t kill to escape slavery. Their actions are mitigated by their circumstances, Deckard’s are not. Yet we the audience root for his success, we hope for his survival.
Bladerunner is a wonderful film, it does what few movies do: it forces you to think for yourself. It doesn’t spoonfeed the audience, and that is a marvelous thing.
The film is beautifully shot; it completely changed how Science Fiction movies would be shot. It gave us the look for the future, that hundreds of films have copied, and that hundreds more will continue to copy.
Scott proves here that he is truly a great director (this film, and Alien are the reason I can overlook the myriad flaws in his Gladiator). Every moment of this film works together to create a kind of critical mass.
The cast is outstanding. For several of the actors this would be the highpoint of their career.
Overall I recommend this film to everyone!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
nathantyree
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Member: Nathan Tyree
Location: Adrift just off the islets of Langerhans
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