A new 'Rosebud' ?

Rating: Null/10 (2 October 2001)

There are few films which have genuinely had an impact on my life & the way I think. Bladerunner is THE main one. I first saw the film in 1984, (ironic ?), and was literally blown away. As a film it operates in it's own believeable environment. Deckard, Rachel, Rory, Tyrell, Sebastian, all form empathic, believeable characters, all of them have they own rational desires & genuine motivations. Rory wants life, but in the end understands that it is such a precious commodity that even in his quest he cannot deny it of others. The themes of the film are worthy of Chaucer, or Shakespeare, and it's to Scotts' credit that he explores these in the film in the same way that Chaucer or Shakespeare would have done. In cinematic terms NO film since has managed to impart the same pathos, though a viewing of 'Hannibal' will show that Ridley has lost none of his art. I feel that 'Bladerunner' has had the same effect on it's generation as 'Citizen Kane', or 'Apocolypse Now' must have had on their's. Look at all of these works and the common theme is human frailty. In real life the outcome of events is rarely black & white. In real life there is rarely a happy ending, the loose ends are never neatly wrapped up. At the possibility of offending some people, I would say that Hollywood produces it's best work when it allows original directors, a large proportion of which appear to be European/South American/Asian directors to make truely original films. In fifty years time no-one will remember 'Deep Impact', except perhaps for Morgan Freeman buffs ;), but EVERYONE will remember 'Citizen Kane', 'The Maltese Falcon', & 'Bladerunner'. What more could a film ask for ?