Beautiful, atmospheric, thought-provoking.

Rating: 9/10 (14 July 2005)

Based on a novel by Philip K. Dick, this futuristic urban Sci-Fi film is a masterpiece indeed. Director Ridley Scott has managed to turn Dick's story into a dark and complex film-noir styled mystery, that packs as much punch on an aesthetic level as it does on an emotional and substantial one. It's clear throughout the film that the movie makers' intentions was to make this more of an intelligent character study cum thought-provoking drama rather than the thrill seeking movie that the Sci-Fi genre movies usually are. This is shown by the way that the action in the movie is kept down to a bare minimum, and the way that the film always seems to want to put forward an idea rather than an action sequence. The plot, which covers themes such as what it takes to be considered alive, follows a group of four androids ("Replicants") that have escaped their masters and come to Earth, where Replicants are illegal. Their intention is to seek out 'the maker' and try to add to their maximum four-year lifespan, given to them to ensure that they wont have sufficient time to develop emotions. On their tail is Deckard; a policeman in the business of hunting Replicants; known as a Blade Runner.
Through a grim setting and dark characterization; Ridley Scott has truly succeeded in giving Blade Runner a classic film-noir style. This bodes well with the futuristic metropolitan version of Los Angeles that the film takes place in. Both of these elements blend excellently with the characters, which are intriguing as they are dark. Harrison Ford steps into the role of Deckard; the classic noir protagonist. We never really delve into his character; but at the same time, that ensures that the mystery surrounding him is kept up, which serves in making our protagonist all the more intriguing. Rutger Hauer, who gives a career-best performance as the leader of the Replicants, matches him. Hauer treads the line between pathos and pure evil brilliantly, and it's always easy to believe that he is the doomed android that the movie presents him as. The main thing I love about this movie is it's style; the dark Gothic undertones are superb to look at, and once the film enters it's final third, the atmosphere takes over and the way that it builds to it's beautiful and classic conclusion is absolutely superb. Blade Runner may have been met with negativity on it's release; but today it's an absolute classic.