yakkowarner's Full Review: Blade Runner - The Director's Cut
This is not your typical mass market Science Fiction movie. Heck, it is not my typical science fiction movie that I love. So why is it one of the movies at the top of my list? Because this is a work of art. From the script, to the visuals, to the music, to the message; it is all art. That is what makes this a great movie.
You are in the future, a future of a polluted Earth and synthetic animals. Man has polluted it to the extreme and the enticement of the off-world experience is a tempting one; because this Earth SUCKS. Harrison Ford plays the role of a blade runner, someone that kills synthetic humanoids that get out of line. He is given the assignment to track some down.
I just want to warn you that this is not a casual Sci-Fi you can insert and get right into. You need to be in a patient mood. You also need to view it in a quiet environment without distractions. This is because many of the key things in this movie are very subtle. One the surface it is simple, but once you start looking for the little clues here and there, it starts to get interesting.
You also need to watch this as the midnight theatre (if you have it in your area) or watch it on Blu-Ray. Many of the colors and subtle background images only come up with a high quality viewing of this film. It is a completely different experience compared to the inferior DVD and the horrible VHS.
The plot The plot is basic, Deker has to find and destroy 4 artificial humans called replicants. In order to do this he has to discover how and why they are made. Deker conducts an investigation into the how and why of these special replicants. In this journey he learns a little about himself and a little about humanity itself. Saying anything more could spoil the movie. This movie is driven by character development, not the story. Every time a character does something or learns something, the story moves forward. So the plot isn’t the real focus here, it is the characters themselves
The acting The acting is raw and real. These are people that you can tell have issues. Harrison plays a strong role that is somewhat different from his other two strong characters of that era, Han Solo and Indiana Jones. And this is a good thing because you can really see how he values the craft and his ability to play different characters. While I don’t consider him one of the greatest actors, he really is a good actor and he carries this movie (with Ridley’s direction.) It is debatable, but I think this is one of Harrison’s better films. Rutger Hauer plays Roy Batty. His look and speech is just mesmerizing. So much so that there are several techno songs with quotes by him. He is the leader of the group but does not play the character as your typical leader. It is obvious that his character is a little off which makes his character that much more interesting and fun to watch. Sean Young plays Rachael, the love interest in the film. The acting is good but not played as raw as the other actors. He character balances out the other characters of the film and plays a vital role to the underlying meaning in this film.
The story and writing In my view, it is really about humanity, or what is human. The humans seem to just exist. Where as in contrast the replicants want life, what to live. Want it desperately. A case of the have and have not’s but the haves do not seem to be happy. This is a very dark and foreboding story.
The character development They did not openly develop the characters through dialog. This is considered a weakness by some people including the studio, which is why there are so many versions of the film. The studio just didn’t get it. But what characteristics that are developed through Ridley’s direction are done mostly by action. I personally feel the best character development is done by action. (see pirates of the Caribbean review) Not by long and boring dialog. This is an aspect of the movie that I love and it is the subtle things you notice that makes the movie much more captivating.
Decker represents the basic angst of humans in a decimated world and undergoes the journey that all must if they wish to live fully. To find his purpose. The only moments he feels truly alive… the moments of clarity where his purpose is revealed to the audience… is when he performs the duties of his occupation; which is to hunt down and kill replicants. A question that has haunted the film since its release: Is Decker a Replicant? His exclusionary focus on performing only one task might indicate that he is, but the symbolic nature of his journey (almost a vision quest out of Native American lore) seems to indicate otherwise. I personally go for the later. The pacing The pacing is consistent with spurts of action here and there. They actually never stop the movie to develop anything, it just keeps moving along at a nice walking pace. There is not a scene I think needs to be cut. I think the editing is perfect as long as you keep in mind that you are looking at a work of art and not a block buster summer movie. It is not high paced like Indiana Jones at all or other movies like that. It is fairly weak in the action department, with a couple of scenes as exceptions. The special effects I am really pleased with how they did this. It is a lot of miniatures, cityscapes and the like. No CG and no flashy special effects that look unreal. The special effects also look realistic even though they did not have available the technology we have today. Sort of a trademark of Ridley Scott, he always makes it look real and doesn’t over do it in the special effects department. He manages to do a fabulous job with the tools available and doesn’t take it too far.
Replay value This is high with a catch, you have to be in a patient mood. It is also a movie that grows on you. You see it in a different light and see different things the more you watch this film. It is one film that begs me to study it more each time I view it.
I only recommend buying it on Blu-Ray. With the blu-ray you get the theatrical release, the directors cut, and the final cut. If you want to know the changes go check out the Wikipedia entry on Blade Runner. But the final cut is worth it.
The rating While some may complain that the rating is too high, the film is complete; a story which lacks nothing to make it a full and satisfying narrative in pictures. The movie is character-driven. This would be a problem if the movie were intended to be story- or action-driven, but the characters develop and this development is what moves the plot forward.
The music The music is done by Vangelis and it is one of my favorite soundtracks, easily in the top ten. His music is done with a lot of synthesizers, the sound would be classified now as vintage synth, with an emphasis on the legato aspects of this style. I do own this soundtrack and love it.
Should children watch it? No, it has brief nudity (breasts flashing), blood, and some scattered violence. Nothing shocking for an R rating though. Genre: Science Fiction/ detective story
The key players Director: Ridley Scott Writers: Hampton Fancher, & David Peoples Music: Vangelis
Product DetailsOriginal Title:Blade Runner (Director's Cut)Actors: Daryl Hannah - Edward James Olmos - Harrison Ford - M. Emmet Walsh - Rutger Hauer ...More at iNetVideo.com
Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) prowls the steel-and-microship jungle of 21st-century Los Angeles. He s a blade runner stalking genetically made criminal...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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