A visually stunning film that actually improves on subsequent viewings

Rating: 8/10 (22 June 2011)

It's 2019 on planet Earth and blade runners are glorified bounty hunters called in to identify and destroy rogue replicants, synthetic humans with fixed life spans relegated to work in dangerous environments. Harrison Ford is a semi-retired blade runner called back into action to hunt down four renegade replicants that have mutinied and returned to earth in search of their creator, who they hope will extend their lives.
Ridley Scott's science-fiction/film noir epic based on Philip K. Dick's novel may not quite live up to its legendary cult status, but it certainly comes close enough to warrant a success. I saw the film on its original release in 1982 when it received mixed critical reviews and tepid box office, but its reputation has steadfastly and deservedly grown over the years. It is that rare film that actually improves on subsequent viewings as it reveals hidden depths on further introspection and facets which were dismissed as misfires the first time around have been re-evaluated.
One thing that was never disputed was the visual impact of the film. Not since Fritz Lang's legendary silent film masterpiece Metropolis has a futuristic world been depicted with such convincing and compelling realism. The Earth of Blade Runner is a grungy, polluted, rain-soaked hell-scape of seemingly endless night drenched in neon, gigantic skyscrapers and nightmarishly crowded streets. This is a rare film in that even if the story failed to work at all, one could sit in wonder for the running time just admiring the elaborate denseness of the background and the limitless imagination of the director and the set designers, costume designers, visual effects artists, and various technicians that brought it all to breathtaking life. We see flourishes of both the future and the past in everything, including wardrobes and hairstyles that remind one of the 1940s. That alone is a simply amazing achievement. Truly, the sheer verisimilitude of the environment is nothing less than stunning.
The "villains" of the piece – the replicants – are undeniably deadly, but their hopes for a better and longer life make them oddly sympathetic. These synthetic humans ironically seem more emotionally accessible than a number of the humans populating this future, which is unquestionably the point the film makes. The question of what exactly constitutes "being human". The lines are further blurred with the introduction of the assistant to the head of the company that manufactures replicants, a stunning beauty named Rachel (played by Sean Young), who unbeknownst to herself is a replicant with the memories of another programmed into her. Ford becomes entranced by her and feels oddly sympathetic to her plight when she begins to realize the truth.
One of the things that drew many complaints initially was the low-key performance of Ford in the central role coupled with his world-weary voice-over narration. However, I have grown to believe that both elements work surprisingly well. The narration and the restraint of Ford's performance are both ingredients very popular and often important to the noir genre that Scott is partially paying homage to. Vangelis' soulful jazz-inspired score also adds to the atmosphere of the piece.
Rutger Hauer is first-rate as the charismatic and threatening leader of the replicants. If his final confrontation with Ford is anti-climactic, Hauer nicely pulls off the undertones of the character's final moments on screen. Young has become a huge Hollywood joke after her career derailed a number of years ago, but her work here is quite moving and displays some of the promise that she demonstrated early in her career. Neither Edward James Olmos or M. Emmet Walsh have much to do as Ford's colleague and supervisor. Joe Turkel provides a subtle turn as the creator of the replicants. William Sanderson is also memorable as a lonely company employee whom the replicants befriend for their own reasons. And who can forget the lithe and beautiful Daryl Hannah, who makes a terrific impression as the deadly acrobatic replicant Pris. Her showdown with Ford is one of the film's highlights, even if it could have lasted longer.
A truly marvelous achievement that should be watched more than once to fully appreciate what Scott and company have accomplished.