Blade Runner initially underperformed in North American theaters and polarized critics; some praised its thematic complexity and visuals, while others critiqued its slow pacing and lack of action. Thefilm's soundtrack, composed byVangelis, was nominated in 1982 fora BAFTA anda Golden Globe as best originalscore.Blade Runner later became acult film, and has since come to be regarded as one of thegreatest science fiction films. Hailed for its production design depicting ahigh-tech but decaying future, the film is often regarded as both a leading example ofneo-noir cinema and a foundational work of thecyberpunk[9] genre. It has influenced many science fiction films,video games,anime, and television series. It also brought the work of Dick to Hollywood's attention and led toseveral film adaptations of his works. In 1993, it was selected for preservation in theNational Film Registry by theLibrary of Congress.
Seven differentversions ofBlade Runner exist as a result of controversial changes requested by studio executives. Adirector's cut was released in 1992 after a strong response to test screenings of aworkprint. This, in conjunction with the film's popularity as a video rental, made it one of the earliest movies to be released onDVD. In 2007,Warner Bros. releasedThe Final Cut, a 25th-anniversary digitally remastered version; this is the only version over which Scott retained artistic control.
Note: Since there are several versions ofBlade Runner, this summary excludes version-specific events. See theVersions ofBlade Runner article for discussion of version-specific plot elements.
In 2019 Los Angeles, former police officerRick Deckard is detained by OfficerGaff, who likes to makeorigami figures, and is brought to his former supervisor,Bryant. Deckard, whose job as a "blade runner" was to track down bioengineered humanoids known asreplicants and terminally "retire" them, is informed that four replicants are on Earth illegally. Deckard begins to leave, but Bryant makes veiled threats and Deckard stays. The two watch a video of a blade runner namedHolden administering the Voight-Kampff test, which is designed to distinguish replicants from humans based on their emotional responses to questions. The test subject,Leon, shoots Holden on the second question. Bryant wants Deckard to retire Leon and three other Nexus-6 replicants:Roy Batty,Zhora, andPris.
Bryant has Deckard meet with the CEO of the company that creates the replicants,Eldon Tyrell, so he can administer the V-K test on a Nexus-6 to see if it works. Tyrell expresses his interest in seeing the test fail first and asks him to administer it on his assistantRachael. After a much longer than standard test, Deckard concludes privately to Tyrell that Rachael is a replicant who believes she is human. Tyrell explains that she is an experiment who has been given false memories to provide an "emotional cushion", and that she has no knowledge of her true nature.
In searching Leon's hotel room, Deckard finds photos and a scale from the skin of an animal, which is later identified as a synthetic snake scale. Deckard returns to his apartment, where Rachael is waiting. She tries to prove her humanity by showing him a family photo, but Deckard reveals that her memories are implants from Tyrell's niece, and she leaves in tears.
Replicants Roy and Leon meanwhile investigate a replicant eye-manufacturing laboratory and learn ofJ. F. Sebastian, a gifted genetic designer who works closely with Tyrell. Pris locates Sebastian and manipulates him to gain his trust.
A photograph from Leon's apartment and the snake scale lead Deckard to a strip club, where Zhora works. After a confrontation and chase, Deckard kills Zhora. Bryant also orders him to retire Rachael, who has disappeared from the Tyrell Corporation. Deckard spots Rachael in a crowd, but he is ambushed by Leon, who knocks the gun out of Deckard's hand and beats him. As Leon is about to kill Deckard, Rachael saves him by using Deckard's gun to kill Leon. They return to Deckard's apartment and, during a discussion, he promises not to track her down. As Rachael abruptly tries to leave, Deckard restrains her and forces her to kiss him, and she ultimately relents. Deckard leaves Rachael at his apartment and departs to search for the remaining replicants.
Roy arrives at Sebastian's apartment and tells Pris that the other replicants are dead. Sebastian reveals that because of a geneticpremature aging disorder, his life will be cut short, like the replicants that were built with a four-year lifespan. Roy uses Sebastian to gain entrance to Tyrell's penthouse. He demands more life from his maker, which Tyrell says is impossible. Roy confesses that he has done "questionable things" but Tyrell dismisses this, praising Roy's advanced design and accomplishments in his short life. Roy kisses Tyrell and then kills him by crushing his skull. Sebastian tries to flee and is later reported dead.[nb 1]
At Sebastian's apartment, Deckard is ambushed by Pris, but he kills her as Roy returns. Roy's body begins to fail as the end of his lifespan nears. He chases Deckard through the building and onto the roof. Deckard tries to jump onto another roof but is left hanging from the edge. Roy makes the jump with ease and, as Deckard's grip loosens, Roy hoists him onto the roof to save him. Before Roy dies, he laments that his memories "will be lost in time, like tears in rain". Gaff arrives to congratulate Deckard, also reminding him that Rachael will not live, but "then again, who does?" Deckard returns to his apartment to retrieve Rachael. While escorting her to the elevator, he notices a small origamiunicorn on the floor. He recalls Gaff's words and departs with Rachael.
Interest in adaptingPhilip K. Dick's novelDo Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? developed shortly after its 1968 publication. DirectorMartin Scorsese was interested in filming the novel, but neveroptioned it.[11] ProducerHerb Jaffe optioned it in the early 1970s, but Dick was unimpressed with the screenplay written by Herb's sonRobert, saying, "Jaffe's screenplay was so terribly done ... Robert flew down to Santa Ana to speak with me about the project. And the first thing I said to him when he got off the plane was, 'Shall I beat you up here at the airport, or shall I beat you up back at my apartment?'"[12]
The screenplay byHampton Fancher was optioned in 1977.[13] ProducerMichael Deeley became interested in Fancher's draft and convinced director Ridley Scott to film it. Scott had previously declined the project but, after leaving the slow production ofDune, wanted a faster-paced project to take his mind off his older brother's recent death.[14] He joined the project on February 21, 1980, and managed to push up the promisedFilmways financing from US$13 million to $15 million. Fancher's script focused more on environmental issues and less on issues of humanity and religion, which are prominent in the novel, and Scott wanted changes. Fancher found a cinema treatment byWilliam S. Burroughs forAlan E. Nourse's novelThe Bladerunner (1974), titledBlade Runner (a movie).[nb 2] Scott liked the name, so Deeley obtained the rights to the titles.[15] Eventually, he hiredDavid Peoples to rewrite the script and Fancher left the job over the issue on December 21, 1980, although he later returned to contribute additional rewrites.[16]
Having invested more than $2.5 million in pre-production,[17] as the date of commencement of principal photography neared, Filmways withdrew financial backing. In ten days Deeley had secured $21.5 million in financing through a three-way deal betweenthe Ladd Company (through Warner Bros.), the Hong Kong-based producerSir Run Run Shaw andTandem Productions.[18]
Dick became concerned that no one had informed him about the film's production, which added to his distrust of Hollywood.[19] After Dick criticized an early version of Fancher's script in an article written for the Los AngelesSelect TV Guide, the studio sent Dick the Peoples rewrite.[20] Although Dick died shortly before the film's release, he was pleased with the rewritten script and with a 20-minute special effects test reel that was screened for him when he was invited to the studio. Despite his well-known skepticism of Hollywood in principle, Dick enthused to Scott that the world created for the film looked exactly as he had imagined it.[21] He said, "I saw a segment ofDouglas Trumbull's special effects forBlade Runner on theKNBC news. I recognized it immediately. It was my own interior world. They caught it perfectly." He also approved of the film's script, saying: "After I finished reading the screenplay, I got the novel out and looked through it. The two reinforce each other so that someone who started with the novel would enjoy the movie and someone who started with the movie would enjoy the novel."[22] The motion picture was dedicated to Dick.[23] Principal photography ofBlade Runner began on March 9, 1981, and ended four months later.[24]
In 1992, Ford revealed, "Blade Runner is not one of my favorite films. I tangled with Ridley."[25] Apart from friction with the director, Ford also disliked thevoiceovers: "When we started shooting it had been tacitly agreed that the version of the film that we had agreed upon was the version without voiceover narration. It was a f**king [sic] nightmare. I thought that the film had worked without the narration. But now I was stuck re-creating that narration. And I was obliged to do the voiceovers for people that did not represent the director's interests."[26] "I went kicking and screaming to the studio to record it."[27] The narration monologs were written by an uncreditedRoland Kibbee.[28]
In 2006, Scott was asked "Who's the biggest pain in the arse you've ever worked with?" He replied: "It's got to be Harrison ... he'll forgive me because now I get on with him. Now he's become charming. But he knows a lot, that's the problem. When we worked together it was my first film up and I was the new kid on the block. But we made a good movie."[29] Ford said of Scott in 2000: "I admire his work. We had a bad patch there, and I'm over it."[30] In 2006 Ford reflected on the production of the film saying: "What I remember more than anything else when I seeBlade Runner is not the 50 nights of shooting in the rain, but the voiceover ... I was still obliged to work for these clowns that came in writing one bad voiceover after another."[31] Ridley Scott confirmed in the summer 2007 issue ofTotal Film that Harrison Ford contributed to theBlade Runner Special Edition DVD, and had already recorded his interviews. "Harrison's fully on board", said Scott.[32]
TheBradbury Building in Los Angeles was used as one of the filming locations.
TheBradbury Building in downtown Los Angeles served as afilming location, and a Warner Bros.backlot housed the 2019 Los Angeles streetsets. Other locations included theEnnis-Brown House and the2nd Street Tunnel.Test screenings resulted in several changes, including adding avoice-over, a happy ending, and the removal of a Holden hospital scene. The relationship between the filmmakers and the investors was difficult, which culminated in Deeley and Scott being fired but still working on the film.[33] Crew members created T-shirts during filming saying, "Yes Guv'nor, My Ass" that mocked Scott's unfavorable comparison of U.S. and British crews; Scott responded with a T-shirt of his own, "Xenophobia Sucks", making the incident known as the T-shirt war.[34][35]
Casting the film proved troublesome, particularly for the lead role of Deckard. Screenwriter Hampton Fancher envisionedRobert Mitchum as Deckard and wrote the character's dialogue with Mitchum in mind.[36] According to production documents, several actors were considered for the role, includingGene Hackman,Sean Connery,Jack Nicholson,Paul Newman,Clint Eastwood,Tommy Lee Jones,Arnold Schwarzenegger,Peter Falk,Nick Nolte,Al Pacino andBurt Reynolds.[36][37] Director Ridley Scott and the film's producers spent months meeting and discussing the role withDustin Hoffman, who eventually departed over differences in vision.[36] Harrison Ford was ultimately chosen for several reasons, including his performance in theStar Wars films, Ford's interest in theBlade Runner story, and discussions withSteven Spielberg, who was finishingRaiders of the Lost Ark at the time and strongly praised Ford's work in the film.[36] Following his success in those two films, Ford was looking for a role with dramatic depth.[26]
Rutger Hauer was cast as Roy Batty,[38] the violent yet thoughtful leader of the replicants.[39] Scott cast Hauer without having met him, based on his performances inPaul Verhoeven's movies that Scott had seen (Katie Tippel,Soldier of Orange, andTurkish Delight).[36] Hauer's portrayal of Batty was regarded by Philip K. Dick as "the perfect Batty – cold,Aryan, flawless".[21] Of the many films Hauer made,Blade Runner was his favorite. In a live chat in 2001, he said "Blade Runner needs no explanation. It just[is]. All of the best. There is nothing like it. To be part of a realmasterpiece which changed the world's thinking. It's awesome."[40] Hauer rewrote his character's "tears in rain" speech himself and presented the words to Scott on set prior to filming.
Blade Runner used a number of then-lesser-known actors:Sean Young portrays Rachael, an experimental replicant implanted with the memories of Tyrell's niece, causing her to believe she is human;[41]Nina Axelrod auditioned for the role.[36] Fancher originally wrote the role for his then girlfriendBarbara Hershey.[42]Daryl Hannah portrays Pris, a "basic pleasure model" replicant;Stacey Nelkin auditioned for the role, but was given another part in the film, which was ultimately cut before filming.[36]Debbie Harry turned down the role of Pris.[43][44] Casting Pris and Rachael was challenging, requiring several screen tests withMorgan Paull playing the role of Deckard. Paull was cast as Deckard's fellow bounty hunter Holden based on his performances in the tests.[36]Brion James portrays Leon Kowalski, a combat and laborer replicant, andJoanna Cassidy portrays Zhora, an assassin replicant.
Edward James Olmos portrays Gaff. Olmos drew on diverse ethnic sources to help create the fictional "Cityspeak" language his character uses in the film.[45] His initial address to Deckard at the noodle bar is partly in Hungarian and means, "Horse dick [bullshit]! No way. You are the Blade ... Blade Runner."[45]M. Emmet Walsh portrays Captain Bryant, a rumpled, hard-drinking and underhanded police veteran typical of thefilm noir genre.Joe Turkel portrays Dr. Eldon Tyrell, a corporate mogul who built an empire on genetically manipulated humanoid slaves.William Sanderson was cast as J. F. Sebastian, a quiet and lonely genius who provides a compassionate yet compliant portrait of humanity. J. F. sympathizes with the replicants, whom he sees as companions,[46] and he shares their shorter lifespan due to his rapid aging disease.[47]Joe Pantoliano had earlier been considered for the role.[48]James Hong portrays Hannibal Chew, an elderly geneticist specializing in synthetic eyes, andHy Pyke portrayed the sleazy bar owner Taffey Lewis – in a single take, something almost unheard-of with Scott, whose drive for perfection resulted at times in double-digit takes.[49]
Scott creditsEdward Hopper's paintingNighthawks and the French science fiction comics magazineMétal Hurlant, to which the artistJean "Moebius" Giraud contributed, as stylistic mood sources.[50] He also drew on the landscape of "Hong Kong on a very bad day"[51] and the industrial landscape of his one-time home in northeast England.[52] The visual style of the movie is influenced by the work of futurist Italian architectAntonio Sant'Elia.[53] Scott hiredSyd Mead as hisconcept artist; like Scott, he was influenced byMétal Hurlant.[54] Moebius was offered the opportunity to assist in the pre-production ofBlade Runner, but he declined so that he could work onRené Laloux's animated filmLes Maîtres du temps – a decision that he later regretted.[55] Production designerLawrence G. Paull and art directorDavid Snyder realized Scott's and Mead's sketches.Douglas Trumbull andRichard Yuricich supervised the special effects for the film, andMark Stetson served as chief model maker.[56]
Blade Runner has numerous similarities toFritz Lang'sMetropolis, including a built-up urban environment, in which the wealthy literally live above the workers, dominated by a huge building – the Stadtkrone Tower inMetropolis and the Tyrell Building inBlade Runner. Special effects supervisor David Dryer used stills fromMetropolis when lining upBlade Runner's miniature building shots.[57]
The extended end scene in the original theatrical release shows Rachael and Deckard traveling into daylight with pastoral aerial shots filmed by directorStanley Kubrick. Ridley Scott contacted Kubrick about using some of his surplus helicopter aerial photography fromThe Shining.[58][59][60]
A "spinner" (police variant) on display atDisney-MGM Studios in the 1990s
"Spinner" is the generic term for the fictional flying cars used in the film. A spinner can be driven as a ground-based vehicle, and take off vertically, hover, and cruise much likevertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft. They are used extensively by the police aspatrol cars, and wealthy people can also acquire spinner licenses.[61] The vehicle was conceived and designed by Syd Mead who described the spinner as anaerodyne – a vehicle which directs air downward to createlift, though press kits for the film stated that the spinner was propelled by three engines: "conventionalinternal combustion,jet, andanti-gravity".[62][63] A spinner is on permanent exhibit at theScience Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in Seattle, Washington.[64] Mead's conceptual drawings were transformed into 25 vehicles by automobile customizerGene Winfield; at least two were working ground vehicles, while others were light-weight mockups for crane shots and set decoration for street shots.[65] Two of them ended up atDisney World in Orlando, Florida, but were later destroyed, and a few others remain in private collections.[65]
A very advanced form of lie detector that measures contractions of the iris muscle and the presence of invisible airborne particles emitted from the body. The bellows were designed for the latter function and give the machine the menacing air of a sinister insect. The VK is used primarily by Blade Runners to determine if a suspect is truly human by measuring the degree of his empathic response through carefully worded questions and statements.
– Description from the original press kit.
The Voight-Kampff machine is a fictional interrogation tool, originating from the novel (where it is spelled "Voigt-Kampff"). The Voight-Kampff is apolygraph-like machine used by blade runners to determine whether an individual is a replicant. It measures bodily functions such as respiration, blush response, heart rate and eye movement in response to questions dealing withempathy.[66] In real life an approximation of the test using questions was created and used in jest by a newspaper in 2003 on the Mayoral candidates for the city ofSan Francisco, United States, apparently proving that at least half of them would be classified as replicants.[67][68]
TheBlade Runner soundtrack byVangelis is a dark melodic combination of classic composition and futuristic synthesizers which mirrors the film noir retro-future envisioned by Scott.[69] Vangelis, fresh from hisAcademy Award-winning score forChariots of Fire,[70] composed and performed the music on his synthesizers.[71] He also made use of various chimes and the vocals of collaboratorDemis Roussos.[72] Another memorable sound is the tenor sax solo "Love Theme" by British saxophonistDick Morrissey, who performed on many of Vangelis's albums. Ridley Scott also used "Memories of Green" from the Vangelis albumSee You Later,an orchestral version of which Scott would later use in his filmSomeone to Watch Over Me.[73]
Along with Vangelis's compositions and ambient textures, the film's soundscape also features a track by the Japanese ensemble Nipponia – "Ogi no Mato" or "The Folding Fan as a Target" from the Nonesuch Records releaseTraditional Vocal and Instrumental Music – and a track by harpistGail Laughton from "Harps of the Ancient Temples" on Laurel Records.[74]
Despite being well received by fans and critically acclaimed and nominated in 1982 fora BAFTA anda Golden Globe as best original score, and the promise of a soundtrack album fromPolydor Records in the end titles of the film, the release of the official soundtrack recording was delayed for over a decade. There are two official releases of the music fromBlade Runner. In light of the lack of a release of an album, theNew American Orchestra recorded an orchestral adaptation in 1982 which bore little resemblance to the original. Some of the film tracks would, in 1989, surface on the compilationVangelis: Themes, but not until the 1992 release of theDirector's Cut version would a substantial amount of the film's score see commercial release.[72]
These delays and poor reproductions led to the production of manybootleg recordings over the years. A bootleg tape surfaced in 1982 at science fiction conventions and became popular given the delay of an official release of the original recordings, and in 1993 "Off World Music, Ltd" created a bootleg CD that would prove more comprehensive than Vangelis' official CD in 1994.[72] A set with three CDs ofBlade Runner-related Vangelis music was released in 2007. TitledBlade Runner Trilogy, the first disc contains the same tracks as the 1994 official soundtrack release, the second features previously unreleased music from the film, and the third disc is all newly composed music from Vangelis, inspired by, and in the spirit of the film.[75]
The film's special effects are generally recognized to be among the best in the genre,[76][77] using the available (non-digital) technology to the fullest. Special effects engineers who worked on the film are often praised for the innovative technology they used to produce and design certain aspects of those visuals.[78] In addition tomatte paintings and models, the techniques employed included multipass exposures. In some scenes, the set was lit, shot, the film rewound, and then rerecorded over with different lighting. In some cases this was done 16 times in all. The cameras were frequentlymotion controlled using computers.[76] Many effects used techniques which had been developed during the production ofClose Encounters of the Third Kind.[79]
Blade Runner was released in 1,290 theaters on June 25, 1982. That date was chosen by producerAlan Ladd Jr. because his previous highest-grossing films (Star Wars andAlien) had a similar opening date (May 25) in 1977 and 1979, making the 25th of the month his "lucky day".[80]Blade Runner grossed reasonably good ticket sales in its opening weekend; earning $6.1 million during its first weekend in theaters.[81] The film was released close to other major science-fiction and fantasy releases such asThe Thing,Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,Conan the Barbarian andE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, which affected its commercial success.[82]
Several versions ofBlade Runner have been shown. The original workprint version (1982, 113 minutes) was shown for audience test previews in Denver and Dallas in March 1982. Negative responses to the previews led to the modifications resulting in the U.S. theatrical version.[83][84] The workprint was shown as a director's cut without Scott's approval at the Los Angeles Fairfax Theater in May 1990, at an AMPAS showing in April 1991, and in September and October 1991 at the Los Angeles NuArt Theater and the San Francisco Castro Theatre.[85] Positive responses pushed the studio to approve work on an official director's cut.[86] A San Diego Sneak Preview was shown only once, in May 1982, and was almost identical to the U.S. theatrical version but contained three extra scenes not shown in any other version, including the 2007 Final Cut.[87]
Two versions were shown in the film's 1982 theatrical release: the U.S. theatrical version (117 minutes),[1] known as the original version orDomestic Cut (released onBetamax,CED Videodisc andVHS in 1983, and onLaserDisc in 1987), and theInternational Cut (117 minutes), also known as the "Criterion Edition" or "uncut version", which included more violent action scenes than the U.S. version. Although initially unavailable in the U.S. and distributed in Europe and Asia via theatrical and local Warner Home Video releases, theInternational Cut was later released on VHS andThe Criterion Collection Laserdisc in North America, and re-released in 1992 as a "10th Anniversary Edition".[88]
Ridley Scott'sDirector's Cut (1992, 116 minutes)[89] had significant changes from the theatrical version including the removal of Deckard's voice-over, the re-insertion of a sequence in which Deckard dreams of a unicorn, and the removal of the studio-imposed happy ending. Scott provided extensive notes and consultation to Warner Bros. through film preservationist Michael Arick, who was put in charge of creating theDirector's Cut.[90]
It is often falsely claimed that the unicorn sequence was anouttake from Ridley Scott's follow-up filmLegend which also features unicorns, but it was in fact shot for Blade Runner as "additional photography" by second unit cinematographerBrian Tufano.[91]
Scott's definitiveThe Final Cut (2007, 117 minutes)[92] was released by Warner Bros. theatrically on October 5, 2007, and subsequently released on DVD,HD DVD, andBlu-ray Disc in December 2007.[93] This is the only version over which Scott had complete artistic and editorial control.[90]
OnRotten Tomatoes, the film holds an 89% approval rating based on 132 reviews, with an average rating of 8.50/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Misunderstood when it first hit theaters, the influence of Ridley Scott's mysterious, neo-noirBlade Runner has deepened with time. A visually remarkable, achingly human sci-fi masterpiece."[94]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 84 out of 100 based on 15 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[95]
Initial reactions among film critics were mixed. Some wrote that the plot took a back seat to the film's special effects and did not fit the studio's marketing as an action and adventure film. Others acclaimed its complexity and predicted it would stand the test of time.[96] Negative criticism in the United States cited its slow pace.[97]Sheila Benson from theLos Angeles Times called it "Blade Crawler", and Pat Berman inThe State andColumbia Record described it as "science fiction pornography".[98]Pauline Kael praisedBlade Runner as worthy of a place in film history for its distinctive sci-fi vision, yet criticized the film's lack of development in "human terms".[99]Ares magazine said, "Misunderstood by audiences and critics alike, it is by far the bestscience fiction film of the year."[100]
Academics began analyzing the film almost as soon as it was released. One of the first books on the film was Paul M. Sammon'sFuture Noir: The Making of Blade Runner (1996),[101] which dissects all the details concerning the film's production. He was followed byScott Bukatman'sBlade Runner[102] and other books and academic articles.[103] InPostmodern Metanarratives: Blade Runner and Literature in the Age of Image, Décio Torres Cruz analyzes the philosophical and psychological issues and the literary influences inBlade Runner. He examines the film's cyberpunk anddystopic elements by establishing a link between the Biblical, classical and modern traditions and the postmodern aspects in the film's collage of several literary texts.[9]
The boom in home video formats helped establish a growing cult around the film,[78] which scholars have dissected for its dystopic aspects, questions regarding "authentic" humanity,ecofeminist aspects[104] and use of conventions from multiple genres.[105] Popular culture began to reassess its impact as a classic several years after it was released.[106][107][108]Roger Ebert praised the visuals of both the original and theDirector's Cut and recommended it for that reason; however, he found the human story clichéd and a little thin.[39] He later addedThe Final Cut to his "Great Movies" list.[109] Critic Chris Rodley andJanet Maslin theorized thatBlade Runner changed cinematic and cultural discourse through its image repertoire and subsequent influence on films.[110] In 2012,Time film criticRichard Corliss surgically analyzed the durability, complexity, screenplay, sets and production dynamics from a personal, three-decade perspective.[111]Denis Villeneuve, who directed the sequel,Blade Runner 2049, cites the film as a huge influence for him and many others.[108]
It has also been noted for its postmodernist approach and that it contributes to the historical development of modern dystopia in film.[112] Furthermore, the futuristic version of Los Angeles has been widely discussed by academics, with some comparing it to Milton's descriptions of hell inParadise Lost.[113] In a 2019 retrospective, theBBC argued that elements of the film's socio-political themes remained prescient in the real year of the film's setting, such as its depiction ofclimate change.[114] From a more philosophical perspective, Alison Landsberg described Scott's direction of the film as a "prosthetic memory"—an action that has never happened and appears to be divorced from lived experience, yet it defines personhood and identity within the widerBlade Runner universe.[115]
The film operates on multiple dramatic and narrative levels. It employs some of the conventions offilm noir, among them the character of afemme fatale; narration by the protagonist (in the original release);chiaroscuro cinematography; and giving the hero a questionable moral outlook – extending to include reflections upon the nature of his own humanity.[120][121] It is a literate science fiction film, thematically enfolding the philosophy of religion and moral implications of human mastery ofgenetic engineering in the context ofclassical Greek drama andhubris.[122] It also draws on Biblical images, such asNoah's flood,[123] and literary sources, such asFrankenstein[124] andWilliam Blake.[125] Although Scott said any similarity was merely coincidental,[126] fans claimed that the chess game between Sebastian and Tyrell was based on the famousImmortal Game of 1851.[127]
Blade Runner delves into the effects of technology on the environment and society by reaching to the past, using literature,religious symbolism, classical dramatic themes, andfilm noir techniques. This tension between past, present, and future is represented in the "retrofitted" future depicted in the film, one which is high-tech and gleaming in places but decayed and outdated elsewhere. In an interview withThe Observer in 2002, director Ridley Scott described the film as "extremely dark, both literally and metaphorically, with an oddly masochistic feel". He also said that he "liked the idea of exploring pain" in the wake of his brother's death: "When he was ill, I used to go and visit him in London, and that was really traumatic for me."[128]
A sense of foreboding and paranoia pervades the world of the film: corporate power looms large; the police seem omnipresent; vehicle and warning lights probe into buildings; and the consequences of huge biomedical power over the individual are explored –especially regarding replicants' implanted memories. The film depicts a world postecocide, where warfare and capitalism have led to destruction of 'normal' ecological systems.[129][130] Control over the environment is exercised on a vast scale, and goes hand in hand with the absence of any natural life; for example, artificial animals stand in for their extinct predecessors.[131] This oppressive backdrop explains the frequently referenced migration of humans to "off-world" (extraterrestrial) colonies. Eyes are a recurring motif, as are manipulated images, calling into question the nature of reality and our ability to accurately perceive and remember it.[132][133] The film also consists of themes of Japan as a power, coming amid a time ofanti-Japanese sentiment in the United States.[134]
These thematic elements provide an atmosphere of uncertainty forBlade Runner's central theme of examining humanity. In order to discover replicants, an empathy test is used, with a number of its questions focused on the treatment of animals – seemingly an essential indicator of one's "humanity". Replicants will not respond the same way humans would, showing a lack of concern. The film goes so far as to question if Deckard might be a replicant, in the process asking the audience to re-evaluate what it means to be human.[135]
The question of whether Deckard is intended to be a human or a replicant has been an ongoing controversy since the film's release.[136][137] Both Michael Deeley and Harrison Ford wanted Deckard to be human, while Hampton Fancher preferred ambiguity.[138] Ridley Scott has stated that he envisaged Deckard as a replicant.[139][140] Deckard's unicorn-dream sequence, inserted into Scott'sDirector's Cut and concomitant with Gaff's parting gift of an origami unicorn, is seen by many as showing that Deckard is a replicant – because Gaff could have retrieved Deckard's implanted memories.[124][141][142] The interpretation that Deckard is a replicant is challenged by others who believe the unicorn imagery shows that the characters, whether human or replicant, share the same dreams and recognize their affinity,[143] or that the absence of a decisive answer is crucial to the film's main theme.[144] The film's inherent ambiguity and uncertainty, as well as its textual richness, have permitted multiple interpretations.[145]
A police spinner flying beside enormous skyscrapers, some with electronic billboards on them. Special effects such as these were benchmarks and have been highly influential on the esthetics of subsequent sci-fi films.Tesla's Cybertruck was heavily inspired byBlade Runner.
While not initially a success with North American audiences,Blade Runner was popular internationally and garnered acult following.[146] The film's dark style and futuristic designs have served as a benchmark and its influence can be seen in many subsequent science fiction films,video games,anime, and television programs.[120] Its influence has also extended beyond the science fiction genre, especially in the creation of cinematic worlds. For example,Denis Villeneuve,Christopher Nolan,Guillermo del Toro,Gareth Edwards,[147]Rian Johnson,[148]Ronald D. Moore andDavid Eick[149] have all cited it as an influence.[42][150][151] Nolan notes that he has seenBlade Runner "literally hundreds of times",[147] while del Toro describes it as "one of those cinematic drugs, that when I first saw it, I never saw the world the same way again."[152]
Blade Runner continues to reflect modern trends and concerns, and an increasing number of critics consider it one of the greatest science fiction films of all time.[162] It was voted the best science fiction film ever made in a 2004 poll of 60 eminent world scientists.[163]Blade Runner is also cited as an important influence to both the style and story of theGhost in the Shell franchise, which itself has been highly influential to the future-noir genre.[164][165]Blade Runner has been very influential to thecyberpunk movement.[166][167][168][169] It also influenced thecyberpunk derivativebiopunk, which revolves aroundbiotechnology andgenetic engineering.[170][171] The film is also considered to be one of the early examples of thetech noir[172] subgenre.
The dialogue and music inBlade Runner has beensampled in music more than any other film of the 20th century.[173] The 2009 albumI, Human by Singaporean bandDeus Ex Machina makes numerous references to the genetic engineering and cloning themes from the film, and even features a track titled "Replicant".[174]
The design ofTesla'sCybertruck was inspired by the film.[194] Prior to its releaseElon Musk promised that it would "look like something out of Blade Runner".[195] Besides referring to the truck as the "Blade Runner Truck", Musk chose to debut the truck in order to coincide with the film's setting of November 2019.[196] The film's art designerSyd Mead praised the truck and said he was "flattered" by the homage toBlade Runner.[195]
Before filming began,Cinefantastique magazine commissioned Paul M. Sammon to write a special issue aboutBlade Runner's production which became the bookFuture Noir: The Making of Blade Runner.[220] The book chroniclesBlade Runner's evolution, focusing on film-set politics, especially the British director's experiences with his first American film crew; of which producerAlan Ladd, Jr. has said, "Harrison wouldn't speak to Ridley and Ridley wouldn't speak to Harrison. By the end of the shoot Ford was 'ready to kill Ridley', said one colleague. He really would have taken him on if he hadn't been talked out of it."[221]Future Noir has short cast biographies and quotations about their experiences as well as photographs of the film's production and preliminary sketches. A second edition ofFuture Noir was published in 2007, and additional materials not in either print edition have been published online.[222]
Philip K. Dick refused a $400,000 offer to write aBlade Runnernovelization, saying: "[I was] told the cheapo novelization would have to appeal to the twelve-year-old audience" and it "would have probably been disastrous to me artistically". He added, "That insistence on my part of bringing out the original novel and not doing the novelization – they were just furious. They finally recognized that there was a legitimate reason for reissuing the novel, even though it cost them money. It was a victory not just of contractual obligations but of theoretical principles."[22][223]Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? was eventually reprinted as atie-in, with the film poster as a cover and the original title in parentheses below theBlade Runner title.[224] Additionally, a novelization of the movie entitledBlade Runner: A Story of the Future byLes Martin was released in 1982.[225]Archie Goodwin scripted the comic book adaptation,A Marvel Comics Super Special: Blade Runner, published in September 1982, which was illustrated by Al Williamson, Carlos Garzon, Dan Green, and Ralph Reese, and lettered by Ed King.[226]
Blue Dolphin Enterprises published the film's screenplay combined with selected production storyboards asThe Illustrated Blade Runner (June 1982);[227] a book of original production artwork by Syd Mead, Mentor Huebner, Charles Knode, Michael Kaplan, and Ridley Scott asBlade Runner Sketchbook (1982);[228] andThe Blade Runner Portfolio (1982), a collection of twelve photographic prints, similar to the artist portfolios released by theirSchanes & Schanes imprint.[229]
There are twovideo games based on the film, both titledBlade Runner:one from 1985, aside-scrolling video game forCommodore 64,ZX Spectrum, andAmstrad CPC by CRL Group PLC, which is marked as "a video game interpretation of the film score by Vangelis" rather than of the film itself (due to licensing issues); andanother from 1997, a point-and-click adventure for PC byWestwood Studios. The 1997 game has a non-linear plot based in theBlade Runner world,non-player characters that each ran in their own independentAI, and an unusual pseudo-3D engine (which eschewed polygonal solids in favor ofvoxel elements) that did not require the use of a 3D accelerator card to play the game.[230] Eldon Tyrell, Gaff, Leon, Rachael, Chew, J. F. Sebastian and Howie Lee appear, and their voice files are recorded by the original actors, with the exception of Gaff, who is replaced by Javier Grajeda (asVictor Gardell) and Howie Lee, who is replaced by Toru Nagai.[231] The player assumes the role of McCoy, another replicant-hunter working at the same time as Deckard.[176][177]
The film has been the subject of several documentaries.
Blade Runner: Convention Reel (1982, 13 minutes)
Co-directed by Muffet Kaufman and Jeffrey B. Walker, shot and screened in 16 mm, featured no narrator, was filmed in 1981 whileBlade Runner was still in production and featured short "behind-the-scenes" segments showing sets being built and sequences being shot, as well as interviews withRidley Scott,Syd Mead andDouglas Trumbull. Appears on theBlade Runner Ultimate Collector's Edition.[234]
On the Edge of Blade Runner (2000, 55 minutes)
Directed by Andrew Abbott and hosted/written byMark Kermode. Interviews with production staff, including Scott, give details of the creative process and the turmoil during pre-production. Insights into Philip K. Dick and the origins ofDo Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? are provided by Paul M. Sammon and Hampton Fancher.[33]
Dangerous Days: Making Blade Runner (2007, 213 minutes)
Directed and produced byCharles de Lauzirika forThe Final Cut version of the film. Its source material comprises more than 80 interviews, including extensive conversations with Ford, Young, and Scott.[236] The documentary is presented in eight chapters, with each of the first seven covering a portion of the filmmaking process. The final chapter examinesBlade Runner's controversial legacy.[237]
All Our Variant Futures: From Workprint to Final Cut (2007, 29 minutes)
Produced by Paul Prischman, appears on theBlade Runner Ultimate Collector's Edition and provides an overview of the film's multiple versions and their origins, as well as detailing the seven-year-long restoration, enhancement and remastering process behindThe Final Cut.[93]
Blade Runner Phenomenon (2021, 53 minutes)
Directed by Boris Hars-Tschachotin and made by the France and Germany European public service channel ARTE, this documentary informs viewers using behind-the-scenes material from various sets, photos, original locations in Los Angeles, and interviews with those involved in the production.
Screen capture of DVD bonus feature fromPrometheus (2012), a dictated letter by Peter Weyland about Eldon Tyrell, chief executive officer of the Tyrell Corporation
A sequel was released in 2017, titledBlade Runner 2049, withRyan Gosling alongside Ford in the starring roles.[238][239] It entered production in mid-2016 and is set decades after the first film.[240] Harrison Ford reprised his role asRick Deckard. The film won two Academy Awards, for cinematography and visual effects.[241]
In November 2021, a Japanese-American anime television series calledBlade Runner: Black Lotus was released. The series tells the story of a female replicant protagonist, rather than that of a male Blade Runner one.[243][244]
Blade Runner co-writerDavid Peoples wrote the 1998 action filmSoldier, which he referred to as a "sidequel" orspiritual successor to the original film; the two are set in ashared universe.[246] A bonus feature on the Blu-ray forPrometheus, the 2012 film by Scott set in theAlien universe, states that Eldon Tyrell, CEO of theBlade Runner Tyrell Corporation, was the mentor ofGuy Pearce's character Peter Weyland.[247]
In late 2022, Amazon announced aBlade Runner 2049 sequel series would be produced.[248] On October 12, 2022, an apparent official approval to actually make aBlade Runner 2099 TV series was reported.[249]
^"The Top 40 Cars from Feature Films: 30. Police Spinner",ScreenJunkies, March 30, 2010, archived fromthe original on April 4, 2014, retrievedJuly 27, 2011,though press kits for the film stated that the spinner was propelled by three engines: "conventional internal combustion, jet and anti-gravity".
^"Blade Runner [Director's Cut]". British Board of Film Classification. September 29, 1992.Archived from the original on April 6, 2016. RetrievedJanuary 8, 2016.
^"Blade Runner [The Final Cut]". British Board of Film Classification. October 12, 2007.Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. RetrievedJanuary 8, 2016.
^"The 55th Academy Awards | 1983".Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. October 5, 2014.Archived from the original on April 17, 2018. RetrievedAugust 14, 2020.
^Valls Oyarzun, Eduardo; Gualberto Valverde, Rebeca; Malla García, Noelia; Colom Jiménez, María; Cordero Sánchez, Rebeca, eds. (2020). "13".Avenging nature: the role of nature in modern and contemporary art and literature. Ecocritical theory and practice. Lanham Boulder NewYork London: Lexington Books.ISBN978-1-79362-145-0.
^Kaplan, Fred (September 30, 2007),"A Cult Classic Restored, Again",The New York Times, archived fromthe original on February 5, 2018, retrievedJuly 27, 2011,The film's theme of dehumanization has also been sharpened. What has been a matter of speculation and debate is now a certainty: Deckard, the replicant-hunting cop, is himself a replicant. Mr. Scott confirmed this: 'Yes, he's a replicant. He was always a replicant.'
^Adam White (October 2, 2017)."What is a Blade Runner? And other questions you may have before seeing the sequel".The Daily Telegraph.Archived from the original on March 29, 2019. RetrievedMarch 11, 2019.[RIDLEY SCOTT] Gaff, at the very end, leaves an origami, which is a piece of silver paper you might find in a cigarette packet, and it's a unicorn. Now, the unicorn in Deckard's daydream tells me that Deckard wouldn't normally talk about such a thing to anyone. If Gaff knew about that, it's Gaff's message to say, 'I've read your file, mate.'
^"Complete National Film Registry Listing".Film Registry | National Film Preservation Board | Programs at the Library of Congress | Library of Congress.Archived from the original on October 31, 2016. RetrievedMay 20, 2020.
^Schrank, Chuck,"Syndicate Wars: Review",Gamezilla PC Games, archived fromthe original on September 8, 2013, retrievedNovember 10, 2010 – via Lubie.org
^"Syndicate",HardcoreGaming101.net, archived fromthe original on January 1, 2014, retrievedNovember 10, 2010
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^Bates, Jason (September 9, 1997),"Westwood's Blade Runner",PC Gamer, vol. 4, no. 9, archived fromthe original on November 27, 2012, retrievedJuly 27, 2011 – via BladeZone
Bukatman, Scott (1997).BFI Modern Classics:Blade Runner. London: British Film Institute.ISBN978-0-85170-623-8.
Doll, Susan, and Greg Faller. 1986. "Blade Runner and Genre: Film Noir and Science Fiction."Literature Film Quarterly 14 (2): 89–100.
Eagan, Daniel (2010)America's Film Legacy: The Authoritative Guide to the Landmark Movies in the National Film Registry, A&C Black,ISBN0826429777, pages 775–776
Kerman, Judith, ed. (1991).RetrofittingBlade Runner: Issues in Ridley Scott'sBlade Runner and Philip K. Dick'sDo Android's Dream of Electric Sheep?. Bowling Green University Popular Press.ISBN978-0-87972-510-5.
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