A flawed but ambitious take on dystopia

Rating: 8/10 (7 January 2016)

I first saw this film (Final Cut) three years ago in Blu-Ray, and I was stunned by its visual details. To achieve something like that in 1982 is a big deal, and to inspire a generation of filmmakers by doing so is a huge feat. Kudos to the production team!
The problem lies in its screenplay which is a total disaster, given the nature of the themes it tried to explore. It was only saved by the ideas of its original author Philip K. Dick who was more interested in exploring the dark side of American future. It is debatable as to how much of that vision was accurate, but some Americans today have widely acknowledged its dangerous similarity to the present situation. It is interesting why an author of that caliber, who lived during the glory days of USA, had such a bad dream about his nation.
Sir Ridley Scott (of 1982) is absolutely fantastic as a visualizer, but his lack of storytelling sensibilities is highly evident in how he has handled that flawed material. He is very successful at creating such an immersive experience that, if the viewer willfully suspends his belief, can feel like he had a bad nightmare.
There isn't anything here for the actors though, apart from Rutger Hauer and his iconic 'Tears in Rain' monologue, which I felt was very poetic and quite thought provoking in the end. I'm eagerly waiting for its recently announced sequel and hope that it features a better screenplay which is less fumbled than its prequel while at the same time retaining those oddities that actually makes it so special.