Manufactured Memories

Rating: 8/10 (18 December 2019)

This is an amazing movie. Even all these years later, other directors are still staging climatic battles in the rain, in decrepit buildings or on the rooftop. I think Last Action Hero is the most blatant ripoff. Even Batman V Superman had the titular battle in the rain, starting on the roof then proceeding into the decrepit building - at least they reversed it.
This movie is about a manufactured being who is unaware he may be manufactured, and that his memories might be fake. So Harrison Ford is a natural for the lead.
It's also remarkable for the massive interference foisted on the film by the financiers. Most people, when watching this for the first time, can sense there is something deeper on the surface.
Since the story is about events that may or may not be colored, complete with characters who not only make the memories, but make the body parts for other manufactured beings. The implication is noir - an implied narrator who is coloring the world. The studio forced a voice over narration on the film, thus destroying that narrative. Most audiences hate to be hit over the head with exposition, so the film was flop, naturally. The later version would restore the original vision.
I consider this the last hurrah of the old school optical visual effects movie. They did everything they could do with the technology of that time, and since the camera can't move, the perspectives are all borrowed from Olson Welles, especially his Macbeth movie. You have to appreciate the artistry, because those are optically composited images. The combination of production design and visual effects was intended to inform you of the world you are visiting - that you didn't need to have anything explained to you.
You should see Ridley's "The Duellists". There is little to no exposition.