Tears in rain, in a city that never stops weeping

Rating: Null/10 (30 October 2017)

The original Blade Runner, directed by then relative newcomer Ridley Scott, is loosely based on a Philip K. Dick novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, but the only things similar are the setting and some of the characters. Even the story only superficially resembles the original written work. As thus Blade Runner has come to stand as its own thing, an inspiration for future films and the cornerstone of an entire subgenre of science fiction. Namely, that of cyberpunk.
The story within the movie goes that Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) is called back into service as a blade runner. Those being hunters tasked with identifying and 'retiring' rogue replicants, artificial humans. Four of these have just arrived on Earth, and Deckard's old boss wants them found and retired. In pursuit of this goal we explore the world of 2019 Los Angeles as well as the themes of humanity versus robotics, the meaning of lifespan, mileage versus years and the illusion of memories.
Blade Runner is a slow movie, especially the director's cut that removes the narration added to the theatrical release and returns some of the gorier shots. The film is not terribly action-packed, but rather a neo-noir film set into a dystopian future. It's a detective story through and through, with a philosophical undertone. And for what it is, it's one of the best examples there are. This is a film you can get obsessed over. It almost always requires multiple viewings before you start to truly appreciate it. But when you do, it will likely become one of those defining films, which you'll use to rank all the others like it. And, as stated, it is something of a genre-starter and I'd dare to say that modern science fiction owes a lot of its style and feel to this film. All science fiction.
Is it a bit slow? Yes. Is that a problem? You shouldn't let it be. Is it an amazing look into the future of humanity and the rise of man-made intelligence? Absolutely!