This film's moments will never be lost in time, like tears in rain...

Rating: 10/10 (9 November 2005)

"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe." This frequently quoted line, spoken by the villainous Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer), sums up the essence of Blade Runner: it's an incredible experience. Yes, there have been controversies about the film from the day it was released, be it the arguments between director Ridley Scott and the producers over which version should be shown to the public or rumors about the filming being "troubled", but such gossip shouldn't detract from the picture's merits, and there are plenty; in fact, a lot of people consider Blade Runner the best science-fiction movie ever made, and they do have a point - how many sci-fi flicks manage to fuse film noir atmosphere and characters with philosophical doubts on the very nature of mankind?
Specifically, the story, based on a novel by Philip K. Dick, is strongly influenced by the theories of Swiss philosopher René Descartes, aka Carthesius. One of the main concerns of his line of thought was the difference between men and machines, the main theme of the film: in 2019, replicants used to be part of everyday life, but are now dangerous and must be eliminated. Five of these "skin-jobs", however, are still at large in Los Angeles, which is why reluctant "blade runner" Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) is asked to track them down. But as he gets more and more disillusioned about his work and develops odd feelings for one of the replicants (Sean Young), he begins to wonder: is there really something that sets him apart from the entities he is hunting? Batty and his lover Pris (Daryl Hannah) are trying to answer that question by eliminating the last imperfection that makes them less "human" (they only live five years), and Pris even claims to be as normal as any other person by saying: "I think, therefore I am." (another Carthesius-related element).
With his first two films (The Duellists and Alien) accused of being more about style and mood than content, Scott combines form and substance in what is widely regarded as his best achievement: the rainy, gloomy L.A. (all real sets, no CGI) sets the tone perfectly for a futuristic noir that renewed the genre by crafting an intelligent, heartfelt and adult story, making Warner Brothers' decision to chuck in a "happy ending" (subsequently removed, alongside Deckard's uninspired narration, from the Director's Cut, which is the version I'm reviewing) utterly ridiculous. I mean, how can a movie set in a bleak future where even humanity itself is a debatable topic end on a cheerful note?
Speaking of humanity, the film's point is reflected masterfully in the performances: Ford's laconic, apparently cold anti-hero is one of his best characters, and his doomed bond with Young is endearing to this day, but the whole movie is shamelessly stolen by the "monstrous" Batty, to whom Hauer gives a scary intensity that makes the doubtful replicant more complex and the Dutch actor's work (the best of his career) more touching, particularly when he remembers all the things that he has seen and will inevitably be "lost in time".
Dark and unsettling, Blade Runner is a beautiful, nightmarish and fascinating journey in a twisted society. No other sci-fi movie can match this one in terms of impact, both visual and emotional, and after seeing it one might ask himself what it must be like to see "attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion" or "C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser Gate".