Masterful sci-fi thriller from Ridley Scott

Rating: 10/10 (15 January 2009)

When i first watched Blade Runner (directors cut) i thought it was a very good, superbly made sci-fi. Recently i gave it a second viewing and have come to the conclusion that it is a masterpiece. There are many reasons for this. The film follows Deckard, a so called blade runner who must 'retire' a group of replicants who have found there way to earth. Sounds simple doesn't it... it isn't. This film is so layered in subtext and moral themes it is impossible to pick up on its genius with one viewing.
it is an incredibly visual film filled with such memorable cinematic moments and deep symbolism, a unicorn gallops across the screen, a perfect symbol of purity and goodness in a moment when the central character, played by Harrison ford, remembers how it was before. a white dove flys off into a miraculously blue sky placing a profound importance on the defining moment of the film. not only is this visually stunning but the story has so many implications about human nature and life and death. Scotts direction is masterful as always and some of the sequences create a crackling atmosphere of genuine suspense. where Scott excels is in cutting from one scene to a striking image in the next, for example Roys inhumanly clenching fist or a delicately made origami sculpture. the score is perfectly suited to the film and so evocative of the time and place, it really enhances The scenes focusing on the wasted cityscape of 2019 LA. Fords performance is excellent and he adds an underlying sense of pain in his character which might otherwise be missing. The ending of the directors cut leaves room for personal interpretation although i wont mention what happens in case i spoil it. Suffice to say i found the true meaning of the film is both a damning comment on society and an exploration of what it means to be human.... but thats just me, it is so open to various interpretations.
Enjoy..... or perhaps you wont?.