The Dean of Cinema

Written by Dean Zarbaugh II

Man has made his match… now it’s his problem. In the smog-choked dystopian Los Angeles of 2019, blade runner Rick Deckard is called out of retirement to terminate a quartet of replicants who have escaped to Earth seeking their creator for a way to extend their short life spans.

Ridley Scott’s neo-noir sci-fi masterpiece has influenced countless filmmakers, musicians, and artists all over the world, myself included.

Blade Runner had a huge impact on me when I first saw it as a teenager. I loved Harrison Ford as Han Solo in Star Wars and it was cool to see him in a more edgy sci-fi. Ford plays Rick Deckard, a retired police officer in the Blade Runner division which was tasked with hunting down and “retiring” replicants. For the uninitiated, replicants are genetically engineered, bio-enhanced humans with enhanced strength who were created for the sole purpose of use as slave labor off planet. When four of these replicants make their way back to Earth from off-world, Deckard is tasked with his most intense “retirements” yet.

Blade Runner, adapted from Philip K. Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, touches on a number of powerful themes in its 117 minute runtime, including religion, genetic engineering, racism, slavery and more. It poses a lot of ethical questions. Should replicants count as a person? The obvious, humane answer is yes. They are living, breathing, sentient beings. Yet, as these replicants were created for the sole purpose of being slave labor, they are treated abhorrently by humans. Seen as less than. Their creators were even cruel enough to code the replicants with a four year lifespan in order to ensure allegiance and complacency so that none of them step out of line and revolt. People often refer to replicants pejoratively as “skin jobs” or “skinners.”

What makes humans human? By all accounts, our consciousness, empathy, creativity, resilience, and the pursuit of meaning and purpose in the world. But, that’s also what Rutger Hauer’s replicant Roy Batty wants, too…to search for their place and purpose in the world beyond simple labor. There has to be something… more out there. Some philosophers like René Descartes live by the idea of, “I think, therefore I am.” The idea that “thought” asserted the certainty of one’s existence. Darryl Hannah’s Pris, a pleasure model replicant, quotes this philosophy to JF Sebastian, the man behind the Nexus-6 replicant model. This idea has been the foundation of modern philosophy as we know it. “Thought” makes us human, yet replicants “think”, and by Descartes philosophy, that makes them human. This doesn’t even begin to touch on the idea of the human “soul” and how, if at all, it can be quantified. Does every living being have a “soul” or is that what makes us distinctly… human? Can replicants even possess a soul? That’s a much harder question to answer, and one that will vary from person to person depending on your personal beliefs. One could argue, as I do, that Roy Batty’s replicant had a “soulful” nature with his philosophy on life, and his yearning for more. Does this give him a soul, or simply the implanted idea of one in his memories? Blade Runner deserves multiple viewings to help you answer these questions for yourself. One thing is for sure though, it’s not our place to judge someone on the circumstances of their birth, even if they weren’t “born” in the normal sense of the word, but “created.”

“Created” versus “born.” Is that a distinction without a difference? Aren’t we all life that has been “created” by our parents? This touches on the question, “who can create life?” A majority of the planet believe that the Almighty God “created” man in His image, and the existence of replicants simply boils down to big tech’s machinations at playing God. To the Tyrell Corporation, replicants make the perfect slave labor. They don’t see the replicants as human and place them in dangerous conditions because who cares if they die? We’ll just make new ones. I mentioned earlier that Blade Runner was highly influential to many artists, but in this aspect, it seems companies like Amazon are taking inspiration from The Tyrell Corporation on how to treat their workers. Jeff Bezos would love to get his hands on some replicants so he didn’t have to worry about that pesky “humanity” his current workforce possesses and dictates how to work his employees… not that he currently abides by any humane standard in his warehouses, where workers are expected to work long, grueling hours without breaks for minimal pay. This isn’t how things should be in 2026, but we’re on a fast track towards a dystopian Blade Runner corporate led society, and no one seems to give a damn.

Pris being created as a pleasure model highlights another, even more disturbing theme: forced sexual slavery of the replicants, a staunch reminder of the horrors that slave masters perpetrated upon slaves during slavery in the United States and beyond. Humans are more than our bodies, and it serves to shine a light on the injustice women around the world face simply trying to exist in a world run by men.

Blade Runner’s cast is one of the best assembled, and all of them are at the top of their respective games. Harrison Ford turns in an all-star performances as Rick Deckard. He carries a swagger to him that is more Sam Spade than Han Solo or Indiana Jones. He gives Deckard a number of layers, and a humanity about it that makes you sympathize with him and his dilemma. It’s one of my favorite performances by Ford and it’s because of the subtlety he brings to the role.

Edward James Olmos is a highlight of the film even with his limited screen time. He gave Gaff a mysterious vibe that made me want to know more about him and his character. His mannerisms and quiet, inquisitive nature, mixed with his love of origami was a treat to watch.

Sean Young is absolutely mesmerizing as Rachael. She commanded every frame she was in like the badass she is. It takes talent to do Blade Runner and Stripes and knock both of them out of the park. They couldn’t be further apart in nature, and she nails both roles with absolute ease. Her playful banter and attitude with Deckard is fun to watch. Their chemistry is off the charts. You want them to end up together not only for the sake of their happiness, but your own!

The actors playing the replicants are nothing short of incredible. Daryl Hannah is wonderful as Pris, and brings a level of humanity to her character that makes you sympathize with her plight. Brion James as Leon Kowalski is nervous, twitchy, and quick to react when backed into a corner as we see in the beginning of the film, when he kills a blade runner while being administered a Voight-Kompf test, which confirms if one is human or a replicant. The shining star is Rutger Hauer as Roy Batty, leader of this replicant resistance. His yearning for a life beyond labor, beyond what he has been told he is feels so real, because he’s all of us. We all want to know what else lies out there for us which makes us sympathize with his cause, even if he goes about it the wrong way. His monologue at the end of the film is simply one of the greatest ever put on film and it’s an incredible shame that he didn’t receive an Academy Award for that performance.

Ridley Scott cooks behind the camera with his work on Blade Runner. It’s my favorite film of his, bar none. Gladiator is great. Alien changed cinema. Dollar for dollar though, Blade Runner is his most ambitious achievement. His partnership with cinematographer Jordan Cronenweth produced one of the most gorgeous looking sci-fi dystopias on film. The city feels so alive thanks to the constant rush of the people on the street, and the inundation of ads throughout. (Another dystopian future fast track for our society… why does my oven or refrigerator need to show me ads?) You are constantly being bombarded with the neon glow of futuristic LA mixed with the steady downpour of rain which gives off an incredible ambiance. There are YouTube channels that are dedicated to making Blade Runner mood videos comprised of the visuals of the city, mixed with the rain and that sweet synth soundtrack. I want to crawl into that world and live in there. Not really, but dammit if Scott doesn’t make it seem like beautiful fantasy.

Let’s talk about that soundtrack a bit, too. Pure 80’s synth from Greek electronic musician Vangelis. It has elements of film noir, Neo-classical, and even inspirations from Middle Eastern music layered together to create sonic joy for your ears. It’s just as much a character in the film as any of the actors. It fills the film with suspense, hopelessness, and even wonder. I love to have the score on while I’m writing sci-fi, or even if I’m just tidying up my apartment. One of the best film scores ever produced.

Blade Runner is an incredibly important film in the history of cinema that has long-lasting effects on the industry, and storytelling in general. Simply put, it’s one of the greatest movies ever made and deserves to be seen by everyone at least once in their lifetime, before it’s lost to time… like tears in rain.

GRADE: A