Has there ever been a more brilliant, claustrophobic film than the original Bladerunner? The dystopian future Los Angeles portrayed within is one of the most atmospheric and claustrophobic depictions of society on film. A place where people crowd the streets and buildings soar fluorescently to skywards all to a backdrop of incessant rain. In terms of prescience it isn't too far off what Hong Kong is like now, a city which has outgrown its footprint allowing only for upward growth.
This movie is as film noir as it comes. Everything in Blade Runner is so dirty, decaying and broken, the streets are as filthy as Rutger Hauer's fingernails, people scavenge to survive, there is rain water and dark skies everywhere. The only light is from the skyscrapers with Neon advertisements that lourd over the inhabitants of the darkened near subterranean streets. All right minded people long escaped to the off world planets in search of a better life, leaving those who are unable to leave.
In 1982 this was groundbreaking stuff, a film that was so dark and unrelenting about a future which generally had been portrayed as bright and progressive. Nearly 40 years later it still doesn't look as dated as some of its contemporaries, there are a few bits here and there, but as a whole this is a film that drags you in from the start traps you and doesn't let you back up for breath until it concludes 2 hours later. What really makes this film however is the themes. The question of what is it to be human is becoming increasing relevant as science in robotics and AI catch up with this movie (albeit a little behind the 2016 setting!). This discussion has become increasingly discussed in modern film and television, Star Trek and the Borg, Westworld (2017), Battlestar Galattica. AI to name but a few. Bladerunner has had something of a tortured history, the original cinematic release had a voice over on it which has never been re-released, there are multiple endings and several versions have the pivotal unicorn scene missing. This version however should be considered the definitive version, it is the one which Ridley Scott had artistic control over and it is the one which resolves the Deckard replicant question.
Time has not taken the shine of this movie, it still has the same raw impact as the day it came out, a true classic of the genre and rarely bettered.
This movie is as film noir as it comes. Everything in Blade Runner is so dirty, decaying and broken, the streets are as filthy as Rutger Hauer's fingernails, people scavenge to survive, there is rain water and dark skies everywhere. The only light is from the skyscrapers with Neon advertisements that lourd over the inhabitants of the darkened near subterranean streets. All right minded people long escaped to the off world planets in search of a better life, leaving those who are unable to leave.
In 1982 this was groundbreaking stuff, a film that was so dark and unrelenting about a future which generally had been portrayed as bright and progressive. Nearly 40 years later it still doesn't look as dated as some of its contemporaries, there are a few bits here and there, but as a whole this is a film that drags you in from the start traps you and doesn't let you back up for breath until it concludes 2 hours later. What really makes this film however is the themes. The question of what is it to be human is becoming increasing relevant as science in robotics and AI catch up with this movie (albeit a little behind the 2016 setting!). This discussion has become increasingly discussed in modern film and television, Star Trek and the Borg, Westworld (2017), Battlestar Galattica. AI to name but a few. Bladerunner has had something of a tortured history, the original cinematic release had a voice over on it which has never been re-released, there are multiple endings and several versions have the pivotal unicorn scene missing. This version however should be considered the definitive version, it is the one which Ridley Scott had artistic control over and it is the one which resolves the Deckard replicant question.
Time has not taken the shine of this movie, it still has the same raw impact as the day it came out, a true classic of the genre and rarely bettered.
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