Where Did I Come From ? Where Am I Going ? How Long Have I Got ?

Rating: 8/10 (18 October 2008)

In 2019, androids are dangerous, incredibly life-like, and banned on Earth. Deckard is a bounty-hunter who specialises in "retiring" rogue androids. He is charged with finding four such fugitives, who seem intent on contacting Dr Eldon Tyrell, their designer
There are a handful of movies where I think the filmmaker should be entitled to receive royalties on the style of their film; Blade Runner is one of these select few. You could literally pick almost any TV show or commercial from the last twenty years and they all steal something from Blade Runner; looks, clothes, sets, lighting, makeup. It's an absolute triumph of artistic design - the most interesting-looking science-fiction film ever made - but it's also so much more than that. Its critics accuse it of being all looks and no drama but they've really missed the point; it's also a fantastic story with endlessly fascinating characters and unusual situations. I mean, what other movie ends with the villain saving the hero ? Hampton Fancher and David Peoples' script is a loose but clever adaptation of Philip K. Dick's classic 1968 novel Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep ?, although they stole the title from a more obscure book, The Bladerunner, by Alan E. Nourse. At its core is the concept of the androids' humanity. Deckard tries to rationalise his occupation by referring to them with third person pronouns and cynicism but essentially he's just a killer, and all of the android death scenes are bloody and disturbing. They might not be people, but they live life much more than the rest of the population seem to. Scenes like the one where Deckard teases Rachael with her false memories and she quietly cries at the awfulness of what's been done to her are charged with emotion and tenderness. All of the performances are absolutely first rate in extremely demanding roles; Ford is terrific, Young, Hannah and Olmos are iconic, Turkel hypnotically enigmatic, Sanderson and Cassidy both beautifully tragic, Walsh and Hong are hilariously seedy, and best of all is an unforgettable Hauer as the truly one-of-a-kind Roy Batty. Hauer is Frankenstein's Monster for the modern age, striding through the movie, alternately terrifying, humorous and tragic. His final scene in the rooftop rain is one of the most powerful endings in all cinema, majestically stylised and beautifully acted. Scott is often accused by half-witted detractors of being too focused on the imagery in his films - heaven help us, isn't that what a movie director is supposed to do - tell a story in pictures ? Scott is a genuine, no-apologies, barking-mad genius and this movie is just crammed full of amazing shots - the opening cityscape, the golden Tyrell Building, Deckard's future-noir apartment (which is just about the coolest in any movie), Pris' punk-doll look, the Esper/photo sequence, Roy in the elevator, Roy with the dove, way too many to mention. Movies can be so much more than just talking heads, and when you see one as good as this, I'll be goddamned if it doesn't convince me that Cinema is an Art after all. Add to this an incredibly stylish electronic score by Vangelis which complements the dark, industrial visuals perfectly and you have one of the most imaginative, entertaining and memorable science-fiction films ever made. I'm not going to get into that whole Unicorn dream / replicant Deckard thing because I believe we're free to interpret any movie anyway we want. I do have to say though that I liked the original version with the gumshoe-style narration - I sometimes wish filmmakers wouldn't keep dickering with their work; once it's released, that should be it. Featuring superb photography by Jordan Cronenweth, astounding production design by Lawrence G. Paull (Harlem Nights, Escape From L.A.) and terrific visual effects by Douglas Trumbull, Richard Yuricich and David Dryer, don't miss this fabulous futuristic classic, made with incredible skill and intensity by a truly great filmmaker.