Starring: Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young
Los Angeles. November 2019. In this future, Replicants
(creations that are a combination of robots and genetic engineering) are used
in human colonies away from the decaying, polluted and over-populated Earth.
When four Replicants (Johanna Cassidy, Daryl Hannah, Hauer, Brion James) escape
from a colony and land on Earth, Rick Deckard (Ford), a man known as a “Blade
Runner” (a cop specialising and destroying, or “retiring”, Replicants) is put
on the case.
Ridley Scott’s third feature film and second science-fiction
film (having been preceded by Scott’s heavily-influential second film, Alien
(1979)), Blade Runner is an adaptation of the science-fiction story, Do
Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick. Densely layered with
subtext and philosophical musings, Blade Runner hit it off to a rough start
upon its initial 1982 run, but the world has warmed to Scott’s futuristic film
noir vision. Not to mention that this revised cut of the film (the most recent
of many) addresses some of the major faults with previous versions (notably the
departure of Deckard’s monotonous inner-monologue) what’s left is a film of
rich beauty, intense action and a brilliantly engaging story. Though there are
several strong acting performances, the film ultimately belongs to Rutger
Hauer, who gives his character Roy Batty distinctive humanity (all the more
brilliant given the actual character of Roy). With some of the most astounding
set design and cinematography ever put on a screen, Blade Runner is one of the
best films of all time, regardless of genre.
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