It's almost hard to remember - after multiple re-releases and an epic DVD box set - that
Blade Runner was a colossal flop upon its initial release. However, time has been very kind to Ridley Scott's (loose) adaptation of Phillip K. Dick's
Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep, thanks to some mind-boggling production design and a great neo-noir lead performance from Harrison Ford. While fans still argue about what should be considered the true version of the film, in any version it's gorgeous to look at and leaves plenty of questions to ponder after watching. Supporting cast are uniformly excellent, particularly Rutger Hauer as the tortured replicant Roy Batty. A huge influence on the science fiction films that followed, including obvious nods in Christopher Nolan's
Inception.
1 comment:
I've seen both the Director's Cut and the theater version.
The more I see the Director's Cut the more I like the theatrical cut. If Blade Runner had just ended as Decker and Rachel entered the elevator, it would've been perfect.
The dichotomy between Decker and Roy is so strong that the implication that Decker might be a replicant just falls flat.
The impact of Blade Runner carries more weight if Decker is a human because the idea that an android could appreciate life while humans take it for granted just hits like a stomach punch.
Storytellers have been using that analogy since Frankenstein but never as well done as Blade Runner...
Maybe Metropolis did it better...
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