Blade Runner

Rating: 8/10 (8 July 2005)

I had seen this film a few times, but perhaps never really got into the swing of it, so I watched it twice on the same day, this definitely helped me appreciate it much more as a great classic, based on the novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick, directed by Ridley Scott (Alien, Thelma & Louise, Gladiator). Basically in Los Angeles in 2019, artificial humans were bioengineered some time ago, these are known as "replicants", but after a bloody mutiny on an Off-World Colony "replicants" were declared illegal, a LAPD cop specialising in detecting replicants, called a "Blade Runner", must terminate them, termination is called "retirement". Retired police officer Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) is detained by officer Gaff (Edward James Olmos) and brought to his former supervisor Bryant (Wild Wild West's M. Emmet Walsh) who informs him that four replicants have escaped and hijacked a ship back to Earth, they are trying to extend their their lifespan. These replicants are Leon Kowalski (Brion James), Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer), Zhora (Joanna Cassidy) and Pris (Daryl Hannah), Deckard initially refuses the assignment to retire them, but Bryan threatens him, he reluctantly agrees and carries out a test at Tyrell Corporation used for Nexus-6 models, the assistant of Dr. Eldon Tyrell (Joe Turkel), experimental replicant Rachael (Sean Young), believes herself to be human, given false memories, but a more extensive test is required. Roy and Leon do their own investigation to find a way to extend their lifespan, which for a replicant is four years, and they learn about genetic designer J.F. Sebastian (William Sanderson), Pris later finds him and manipulates him to gain her trust, Rachael meanwhile visits Deckard herself and tries to prove her humanity, showing him a family photo, but he explains that her memories are implanted, taken from a real person, she leaves in tears. Deckard finds and searches Leon's hotel room, he is then lead to the strip club where Zhora works, he chases and kills her, Bryant then comes and tells him to kill Rachael, who has departed from Tyrell Corporation, he does spot her in a crowd, but is attacked by Leon, until Rachael kills him using Deckard's gun. While Deckard and Rachael return to his apartment where he promises not to hunt her, they share an intimate moment, and he stops her from leaving, meanwhile at Sebastian's apartment Roy tells Pris the others are dead, Sebastian reveals he also has a short lifespan, due to the genetic premature aging disorder "Methuselah Syndrome". They go together to see Dr. Tyrell at his penthouse, Roy demands more life from his maker, Tyrell says that this is impossible, dismisses doing "questionable things" and praising Roy's advanced design and accomplishments in his short life, Roy kisses Tyrell, then kills him, Sebastian manages to escape alone in the elevator. Deckard finds Sebastian's apartment and ambushed by Pris, he manages to kill her just as Roy returns, Roy's body is starting to shut down, he chases Deckard through the building up to the roof, Deckard tries to jump across to another roof, but ends up hanging, Roy jumps across to watch him as his grip loosens, but Roy hoists him onto the roof and saves him. In his last moments of his life Roy delivers a monologue about how his memories are about to be lost (this was improvised by Hauer), Deckard watches silently as Roy dies in front of him. Gaff arrives and shouts to his Deckard, "It's too bad she won't live, but then again, who does?", he returns to his apartment and finds Rachael there, depending on the version you are watching, Deckard and Rachael either leave the apartment block to an uncertain future, or drive through an idyllic pastoral landscape. There are three versions of the film to watch: the 1982 original, the 1992 Director's Cut (which drops Ford's narration and has a bleaker "happy ending"), and 2007's The Final Cut (where Scott had complete artistic control, and contains an extended unicorn dream sequence). Ford is really good as the gloomy but determined ex-cop, Young is suitably mysterious, Hauer is exceptional as the nasty android with fake memories of a nonexistent childhood, and the supporting cast members do well also, it is well directed by Scott, and the story is interesting and relatively easy to follow, but what really makes this film ahead of its time is the neon-drenched metropolis, the darkened world full of flying vehicles and cool looking buildings, it is a fantastic futuristic science- fiction thriller. It was nominated the Oscars for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration and Best Visual Effects, it won the BAFTAs for Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design and Best Production Design/Art Direction, and it was nominated for Best Film Editing, Best Make Up Artist, Best Score for Vangelis (Chariots of Fire), Best Sound and Best Special Visual Effects, and it was nominated the Golden Globe for Best Original Score. Harrison Ford was number 5 on The 100 Greatest Movie Stars, the film was number 74 on 100 Years, 100 Thrills, and it was number 8 on The 100 Greatest Films. Very good!