Blade Runner: Final Cut - review, 9/10

Rating: 9/10 (22 April 2018)

Boiled down to the very basics, Blade Runner is a detective story set in a dystopian alternate-future version of Los Angeles. However, the emphasis of the film is not placed on the setting, nor is it placed on the usual trappings of the sci-fi genre (think galactic dogfights or laser battles), instead the focus of the movie falls squarely on one central theme; the nature of humanity - our emotions, our mortality, and our purpose. These themes are elegantly told through the story of a policeman, Deckard, who is tasked with hunting down a group of Replicants (genetically-engineered humans) and it does so with great success.
The only shortcoming I can think of for this otherwise stellar movie is the comparatively thin plot, it is clear that it was merely a tool, subservient to the greater aims of the director's vision but this is just a nit-pick as the movie's purpose was to communicate deeper questions of humanity, which it did very effectively at the expense of its detective story.
In fact, the plot's subservience to the themes of the movie is what makes this movie stand out, it is well-constructed and inter-connected in almost every aspect. Each facet of the movie's design is in service to the key themes of the movie which keep you intellectually stimulated and emotionally invested throughout the entirety of the runtime, nothing feels superfluous or in need of trimming, the structure of the film was near flawless. The themes were clear, effectively communicated and excellently given voice to by the entire cast, with Rutger Hauer's stand-out performance being particularly haunting, intriguingly sad and profound.
As previously mentioned, this movie doesn't rely on the grandiose spectacle that many sci-fi films are wont to employ, but that isn't to say that the film is not visually stunning. Rather, the bombastic spectacle has been substituted for a far more subtle (and far more effective) approach. Visually, the movie strikes a very unique tone, the dirty, poorly-lit scenes result in a sense of unease and anxious turbulence that underscores the entire film, intensified by the uncanny but brilliant soundtrack by Vangelis which had an eerily spiritual ambiance to it. Blade Runner makes great use of its claustrophobic atmosphere, thriving both in moments of tension and contemplation all with a slow, deliberate pacing that gradually builds momentum until it finally delivers a powerful and chilling climax, leaving the audience to ponder the questions it has posed. The message delivered is not one spoon-fed, it is left to the viewer to piece together of their own accord to then discuss and debate.
Blade Runner is a probing examination of the very nature of humanity, it confidently delves into deep philosophical themes and encourages the audience to consider and debate them. It accomplishes what I believe to be the crowning achievement of any form of art, it pushes the viewer to look at himself and the universe around him, and think.