(#2) Blade Runner (1982)
By: Sean Smith, Chantal Klumpenaar & Shveta Dooprajh
A perceptive run-through Ridley Scott's:
Blade Runner
Blade Runner (1982), Directed by: Ridley Scott
Screenwriter(s): Philip K. Dick, Hampton Fancher, David Webb Peoples
Lead Actors: Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young
Running time: 1h 57m
View the official trailer here!
A General Review
“Blade Runner” revolves around a man named Rick Deckard, and takes place in the futuristic city of Los Angeles in the year 2019. A company named the Tyrell Corporation has created robots nearly identical to humans called Replicants. Replicants are used as slaves off-colony and are illegal on earth. Blade Runners are assigned the task of killing, or "retiring" all Replicants who are found on earth. When four violent Replicants return to earth to find out how to extend their life spans, Deckard, a former Blade Runner, is forced back into action by Bryant, his former boss. While Deckard sets out on his mission to retire the rogue Replicants, he meets and falls in love with a girl by the name of Rachael, who is revealed to be a Replicant.
Various film techniques are used to enhance the film. For example, the scene in which Roy and Leon visit the lab has a very important set. Hannibal Chew’s lab is very cold and is depicted through its use of ice and icicles hanging from ceilings and the frost buildup on his equipment. This set was used to emphasize the effect that the cold had on the Replicants, as they remained completely unaffected by it. It signifies that they are superior to humans and the strength they hold over them.
Another example of a well used set is the back alley in which we meet Pris(36:21). It’s very gloomy, as it is raining and windy, and the area is surrounded by garbage. The setting has a bleak atmosphere to it, as it has very little lighting and looks absolutely miserable. This setting compliments Pris’s introduction very well, as she appears to be homeless, lost and in hiding.
Another example of a well used set is the back alley in which we meet Pris(36:21). It’s very gloomy, as it is raining and windy, and the area is surrounded by garbage. The setting has a bleak atmosphere to it, as it has very little lighting and looks absolutely miserable. This setting compliments Pris’s introduction very well, as she appears to be homeless, lost and in hiding.
Along with the sets, the acting in the film has both points of strength and weakness. For example, Rutger Hauer does an incredible job at playing Roy Batty. He maintains his character throughout the film and he never once makes you question or think about whether or not he is acting. He keeps a very serious and evil tone, and emits his power within his acting. Hauer’s strength was portraying the crazy and hysterical aspects of Roy, keeping the viewers anticipating what he would do next. Not only did we see strength within his acting, but as for his physique, he embodied a man of pure physical strength which added to his strength as a Replicant. He was buff, making him appear more intimidating
As for Harrison Ford playing Rick Deckard, he does an okay job. His acting is at times a bit too monotone, almost holding back his emotions from the viewers. This created a disconnect between his character and the audience, and at times it felt as though he was just reading off lines into a microphone. His acting could imply that he was potentially a Replicant and that his stale acting shows a contrast between him and the more lively Replicants.
As for the editing, it incorporated the use of long takes and short takes to depict emotion. For example, there was a long take in which the camera remained on Rachel's face as she cries in Deckard's apartment, after he has said something to upset her. This emphasizes that she is hurt over her realization that she is a Replicant but also implies that she has human-like feelings. Also, there is a short take where the camera cuts closely on Pris’s face while Rick is heading up J.F.’s apartment building to kill her (1:31:50). A short take was used to show the anticipation of her waiting for him to arrive and the buildup as he slowly gets closer.
Sound is used to heighten the intensity in many scenes. For example, internal diegetic sound is used in Leon’s opening interview scene, as there is the sound of a heart beating faster and faster. It indicates that he is feeling very anxious and is hiding something during his questioning. Diegetic sound is used when the machine is vigorously repeating “cross now” and “don’t walk” as Rick anxiously runs to kill Zhora through the streets of Los Angeles. The repetitiveness of the machine builds suspense and anticipation as to whether or not he will make it to her.
In terms of props used in the film,one of the more eye-catching ones is the futuristic ship-like hovercraft flying high above the city. The use of the modes of transportation show how advanced the technology is at this time. In addition to the ship, another interesting prop used in the film is the eye camera used during the Voight-Kampff tests, which aid in determining whether or not the individual being questioned is a replicant.
The film touches on the theme of technology and the modernity of technology. Everything in the film is based on or around technology and its capabilities, such as the Replicants, animals and transportation used by the characters. For example, the Replicants mimic real human beings so well that they are almost indistinguishable from the actual humans on earth. The effect of this technology on the population is almost threatening and has us questioning whether or not it is evolving for better or for worse. For example, the Replicants are technology made by the Tyrell Corporation, a human based company, which become detrimental to the safety of society. This shows a possible in the development of this type of highly advanced technology. In the film, even the animals such as the owl in Edon’s apartment or Zhora’s snake are artificial and technology based, as real animals had gone extinct.
Along with this topic, a main question is raised of whether or not our world will become similar to that of the one in Blade Runner. Their society is so similar to that of the real world we live in and with the advancements of technology we are facing in everyday life, it is an absolute possibility. Companies are slowly introducing artificial intelligence into society and it will soon become a normality for us all. Developments are being made frequently and with the increasing interest in artificial intelligence, robots might be integrated as a key part of our society before we know it.
Lastly, the film looks at the use of technology with ethics. The Replicants were created by humans to be incorporated into human society, with lack of judgement. Since they were created to be nearly more powerful than humans, when they began doing harmful acts to humanity, their creators were quick to eliminate them. The destruction of these Replicants was solely the fault of their own creators (humans), as they were the ones who forced them into slavery and mysery. Tyrell was playing God in the sense that he created these robots, but it was without thought of what their strength, power and intelligence could withhold and undergo. This situation proved that the creators of these robots and the rest of society, may not be ready just yet to take on the responsibility of such highly advanced, intelligent, powerful robots.
Lastly, the film looks at the use of technology with ethics. The Replicants were created by humans to be incorporated into human society, with lack of judgement. Since they were created to be nearly more powerful than humans, when they began doing harmful acts to humanity, their creators were quick to eliminate them. The destruction of these Replicants was solely the fault of their own creators (humans), as they were the ones who forced them into slavery and mysery. Tyrell was playing God in the sense that he created these robots, but it was without thought of what their strength, power and intelligence could withhold and undergo. This situation proved that the creators of these robots and the rest of society, may not be ready just yet to take on the responsibility of such highly advanced, intelligent, powerful robots.
Word Count: 1322
The Film's Overall Quality
Blade Runner is a very unique, strange and interesting film. Considering the year that this movie was released (1982), the overall quality of it is great. We highly recommend this film to anyone looking for an engaging watch with an easy to follow yet distinctive plot.
Fans of the sci-fi genre may love this movie especially, however, even for those who aren’t too thrilled about the genre, this movie is still enjoyable. The only aspect that really gives this movie its sci-fi vibe and appearance,is the technology that’s shown in it as well as some of its concepts, such as the idea of having realistic human robots created for specific reasons. It’s not very “in your face” with the sci-fi genre because it still takes place on the planet earth (in a futuristic version of Los Angeles), there isn’t any space travel or aliens etc. It seems realistic, so it shouldn’t scare away people who aren’t fans of sci-fi.
The overall theme of having human-like robots living alongside us in society is represented well in this movie. It brings up themes of having relationships, specifically romantic ones with these types of robots (i.e, the relationship between Deckard and Rachael). Consequences of having these robots is also represented.
The possible dangers of having robots like replicants living alongside us is shown, raising questions such as: can
these robots go rogue, turn on and overpower us? The four replicants that Deckard is trying to take down are
prime examples of this idea, as they possess super strength and abilities, and have murdered 23 people at once as
mentioned in the film.
These robots are also subtly shown to be quite self aware, as they know that their lifespan is more finite than that of normal humans (just four years). This is their primary reason for being upset and why they’re are acting out with such frustration. All important themes in this movie revolve around the main concept of having these indistinguishable human robots with incredible artificial intelligence living in our society, and the movie represents these themes very well.
these robots go rogue, turn on and overpower us? The four replicants that Deckard is trying to take down are
prime examples of this idea, as they possess super strength and abilities, and have murdered 23 people at once as
mentioned in the film.
These robots are also subtly shown to be quite self aware, as they know that their lifespan is more finite than that of normal humans (just four years). This is their primary reason for being upset and why they’re are acting out with such frustration. All important themes in this movie revolve around the main concept of having these indistinguishable human robots with incredible artificial intelligence living in our society, and the movie represents these themes very well.
Aside from the themes, the visual quality of this film is also fantastic for the time. Lighting and visual effects are pretty and interesting, like the strong sunset-like lighting in the tyrell corporation office early on in the movie, or the blue hue that the city of Los Angeles has. The camera quality appears a little blurry, but isn’t distracting, and is steady. The replicants having glowing, reflective eyes is also a nice touch and attention to detail, showing that they’re artificial beings. The futuristic flying ship shown early on in the movie and and the machine used during the Voight Kampff test are eye catching props detailing the movie’s setting in terms of the time it takes place in. All this to say that Blade Runner is a movie just oozing with stylistic charm which is all appropriate to the setting and themes.
The acting in this movie is interesting. It isn’t phenomenal, but it isn’t horrible either. The acting can be dry at times for certain characters like Deckard, who appears to be lacking in emotion throughout the film. Perhaps this is intentional, as he displays a great deal of emotion at the end of the movie when he reunites with Rachael and finds out that she’s okay, showing that a replicant, an artificial being, brought out the emotion and humanity in a real human. Roy on the other hand, being a replicant, is gushing with a emotion, and has somewhat of a poetic vibe to his speeches. However the amount of emotion that he displays can be a bit awkward to watch and may come off as a bit stilted to some, but maybe this is to highlight that even though he is a replicant, his overflowing amount of emotion shows that he’s just as human as anyone else. It’s hard to say whether or not the way these characters are being portrayed by the acting is intentional, but if not, the sometimes awkward acting could just be a product of the times. Overall it isn’t bad.
The movie as a whole is truly engaging, with its unique premise. It isn’t perfect, and has its flaws, but it’s still amazing has so much style to it, with an easy to digest plot. It’s hard not to recommend this film to anyone, especially to those who adore science fiction.
Overall, we feel as though it deserves a ranking of 4/5 stars!
Concepts brought up in this film relating to course content
1) Psychological benchmarks in social robot development: Psychological benchmarks refer to the robot’s mental and ethical capabilities, making them more human-like, as shown in the article, "Us. And them". (pg.3). I think that the replicant, Rachael, is a perfect example illustrating this idea in the movie. I think that the main topic being demonstrated to us in this movie, is what we are capable of creating at some point in the future: human-like robots which are nearly indistinguishable from other humans. This is not only in terms of their physical appearance, but in terms of their psychological capabilities, and in this movie, Rachael is the most developed replicant when it comes to emotion and intelligence. She first shows the audience a great deal of emotion when she learns that she is indeed a replicant, and that her memories a fabricated. She sheds tears and flees Deckard’s apartment and shock and despair at this fact. Another prime example of Rachael’s advanced psychological abilities is her demonstration of good ethical judgment and care for another human being, when she shoots leon and saves Deckard from almost being killed, a truly important scene in this movie. She also shows a recognition that other beings have thoughts and feelings too, a specific psychological benchmark mentioned in the article (pg.3).
2) Axiology: “Axiology is the study of value, including both aesthetic value and moral value. (Ethic) involves inquiries into the nature of moral judgments, virtues, values, obligations and theories.” (Knowing the Inner self pg.21). We feel as though it is important to bring up the subject of axiology and ethics in this movie since in it, highly intelligent, human like robot are being sought out and killed. Even though six of these replicants did kill 23 people two weeks prior to the events of this film, should they be hunted down and killed on the spot? Should they be tried like a regular human being? These robots are so complex that a machine must be used in conjunction with a test to figure out whether or not an individual is a replicant. If these replicants do have such human-like qualities and can display emotion and certain level of judgment, perhaps they should be put on trial instead.
3) The uncanny valley: The uncanny valley refers to (in this case) humanoid robots with many convincing human traits, physically and mentally (Us. And them (pg.2)). Our technology isn’t quite there yet, but it’s on its way. We may eventually have robots similar to the replicants featured in this film that are nearly indistinguishable from your everyday human being. The fact that these robots have to be questioned along with a machine to help determine whether or not they are human is a somewhat scary thought. Using Rachael as an example once again, she is so developed compared to the other replicants, that is took so much questioning to figure out whether or not she was a replicant. Dr. Tyrell himself had to tell Deckard that she was a replicant, saying that he was impressed and stating that it “took more than a hundred questions” for Deckard to even be suspicious. Rachael is so advanced that Deckard ended up falling in love with her and having a relationship her as if she were another human being. This begs the question: Will robots ever become so advanced that it will become universally socially acceptable to have relationships with them? A more creepy and unnerving example comes in the form of the scene in which Pris starts squirming, screaming and convulsing on the ground after getting shot once by Deckard (1:33:30). It’s a scene straight out of a horror movie, the screams of pain and the convulsions appear to be so uncomfortably realistic. A creepy representation of a robot making its way to the other side of the uncanny valley.
What Provocative Questions are Raised by this Movie's Themes?
1) If extremely human-like robots with emotions are ever created, how should they be integrated into our society if at all, and should they have the same rights as humans?
2) Rick Deckard's cold exterior and dry acting holds many implications. Is Deckard actually a human, or is he a replicant?
3) Is Blade Runner’s world realistic? Could our future really be like Blade Runner?
Looking for more info and insight on Blade Runner? Visit these links!
Each of these sites talk about how the future could be overturned by robots because of technology being greater and having more influence everyday. For example, in blade runner they associate robots with women, just like the movie “Her”. In the movie “Her”, the robot siri is portrayed as a woman.
Works Cited
“Blade Runner.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Mar.2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blade_Runner.
Trailers, Movieclips Classic, director. Blade Runner (1982) Official Trailer - Ridley Scott, Harrison Ford Movie. YouTube, YouTube, 27 Jan. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=eogpIG53Cis.
Carroll, Chris. Us And them. National Geographic. 2011
Dick, Philip K. & Peoples, David & Fancher, Hampton. Blade Runner. (final cut). Doubleday, 1982
McKinney, Kelly. Knowing the Inner Self.
Images
https://www.google.com/search?q=blade+runner+:
Trailers, Movieclips Classic, director. Blade Runner (1982) Official Trailer - Ridley Scott, Harrison Ford Movie. YouTube, YouTube, 27 Jan. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=eogpIG53Cis.
Carroll, Chris. Us And them. National Geographic. 2011
Dick, Philip K. & Peoples, David & Fancher, Hampton. Blade Runner. (final cut). Doubleday, 1982
McKinney, Kelly. Knowing the Inner Self.
Images
https://www.google.com/search?q=blade+runner+:
Answer to Question 1) If extremely human-like robots with emotions are ever created, how should they be integrated into our society if at all, and should they have the same rights as humans?
ReplyDeleteHuman-like robots, if ever they achieve to go past the uncanny valley, could be integrated into our society as companions...but with great care and caution. At that point, we would need to make sure everything works out perfectly, meaning fair and even, because in a sense we would be playing “God” with their lives. Even if they are artificial, it would be important to include them into our rights because they have feelings, they have original thoughts and they can understand suffering, and these are core human aspects that need to be protected from abuse. Of course, if they are given the same rights as humans, it would be imperative that they abide by our code of laws too, this way humans and robots would be placed on the same level in society.
-Quinn Saggio
Answer to Question 3) Is Blade Runner’s world realistic? Could our future really be like Blade Runner?
ReplyDeleteLooking at the current state of our world, it doesn't look like it. Japan is currently in immense debt, so it will not be the greatest city of our world and, thus, not the metropolis that this movie is set in. Secondly, a lot of this movie shows Replicants that are so intelligent to us that we cannot tell them apart. Our robots that we have now are not nearly as intelligent as theirs. Our robots can either talk but not walk or walk but not talk. Seeing a robot do both is still a fantasy among us, much less talk on their own without programming.
-Sean Gregory
Blade Runner’s world is not realistic. It contains replicants, AI, flying cars, video phones and voice commands, off-world travel, and many more unbelievable items that are non-existent on the earth. In the future, AI can never replace humans. In fact, responsible AI and humans are stronger together than alone. AI assistants will continue to evolve rapidly, then become more helpful in ways we can’t imagine. Limited AI will continue to advance and will probably be transformed into meta-bots, like Apple’s Siri and Google Home, or used in more general purpose, AI trying to solve a big set of problems. Predicting the future is hard, but movies like Blade Runner make it fun to try, helping us think about how AI can improve quality of life for everyone.
ReplyDelete- By Mazen Zaki^
Delete1) I think that if extremely human-like robots with the capability to experience emotions were created we would have to grant them the same rights as humans. Any being that has an emotional self should be treated and regarded the same as a human. If these robots existed they would have to be given the same opportunities as humans, meaning the same chance at getting a job or the same access to education. This will likely cause more problems and will create conflict between humans and robots. The human-like robots could take jobs or buy up homes limiting humans from access to things.
ReplyDeleteMia Clarke
Personally I've always been a big fan of Harrison Ford's acting and am a little surprised I've never bothered to watch this film. One thing I liked in particular about this review is how they kept the summary of the movie very brief. I like this because it doesn't give away the whole plot of the story and it makes me want to watch the whole movie to see exactly how things unfold. Based on what I read about the ending I could see how some people relate to the love story of this movie. When Rachael is revealed to be a Replicant people could possibly relate this to a situation where they believe they know someone and then finally something occurs and your whole perception of that person changes.
ReplyDeleteIf extremely human-like robots with emotions are ever created, how should they be integrated into our society if at all, and should they have the same rights as humans?
ReplyDeleteI feel like they definitely should be integrated into our society but i feel like the real question would be if they should be there as servants or if they should have their own free will? can they even have their own free will? Someone was behind their creation, so someone programmed what they like how they feel and react, does the purpose of why they were made play a role? if the robot was made to be a full autonomous being with emotions reactions and learning as it lives i think it should be it's own person to live the same as us. But i feel like although i think they should be part of our society i don't know how i would integrate them if they weren't completely autonomous, if they have emotions and are fully autonomous then how are they even different than humans? so why wouldn't they get the same rights? so many questions to ask with this.
- Christopher Forlini