"I've.. seen things your people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. Ice watched C Beams glittering in the dark near Tannhauser Gate. Now all those.. moments will be lost like tears in the rain. Time to die." RIP, Rutger Hauer, 1944-2019.
Orion is 1344 light years away. I find it hard to believe that with the tech in this movie, supposed to be 2019, they have reached Orion (would imply FTL)
The music for Blade Runner was composed by the late Greek composer Vangelis (Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou), who had previously won an Academy Award for composing the music for Chariots of Fire in 1981. He sadly passed away in March of this year.
I didn't know Vangelis had died recently. Blade Runner soundtrack in my opinion is superior to Chariots Of Fire. I guess at the time the academy didn't want to give another Oscar to the same guy next year. Probably Ridley Scott should have gotten director Oscar also.
He added the line about "tears in rain" to the monologue during a read-through of the script in early pre-production. He didn't write the whole thing, and he didn't improvise it on-set. On the DVD documentary Dangerous Days, he describes how he added the tears in rain line during a script read-through and then glanced around the table to see if anyone, i.e. the director and writers, would react to what he'd done. The line ended up in the final film. Holding the dove during that scene was also his idea.
I actually loved how Pris looked. Punky woman, the black shade across her eyes, so I paused the video to where she was sitting, waiting for Dekard, and drew her once.
The movie is based on the Novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep". In the book, they were actual androids. In the movie, they are genetically modified "Test tube babies". The only scene in the movie that came directly from the book were the questions he asked Rachel during the test. Everything else is Ridley. The movie only very briefly touches on this but in the book, there was a world war that wiped out most of the animal life on the planet. Animals were seen as a status symbol. If you were rich and well connected, you could afford a real animal. Everyone else had to get by with a robotic animal. The only reason that Deckard took the job was to earn the money to bye a real goat for his wife. The reason that your friend had a problem with Gaff's language at the beginning was because he was speaking "City speak" which is a mish-mash of different languages.
I was going to come and say this about the animals. It's not really explained in the movie that most of the animals are man- made because so many species were wiped out. Another thing that was in the original movie and not in this version (because they cut out the voice over) was the idea that Rachel was special. She was not given the four year life span so she could basically live as long as any other human but I don't think anyone besides Deckerd knew that.
@Dio According to the script, the 2nd generation replicants are bio-engineered. 3rd generation are "synthogenetic." Nexus 6 are definitely genetically engineered. No "circuit boards." Sebastian specifically says he does "genetic design" for Tyrell Corp.
@Dio You're completely missing the point, Einstein. You obviously don't need "circuit boards" to store memories. However memories are stored in a human brain, Tyrell found a way to replicate that. Pun intended.
The movie LadyHawke is a forgotten overlooked fantasy movie starring Michelle Pfieffer, Matthew Broderick, & Rutger Hauer. It is one of my absolute all time favorites. And in my opinion these 3 play the best roles of their careers. Have only seen one reaction to it.
23:30 the blue on the side of her face was a tattoo which confirms she's the same girl in the photo. When Deckard is talking to her in the changing room he's actually performing a Voight-Kampff test without a machine by asking her questions that should elicit an emotional response like disgust, revulsion or fear. The fact that he's able to do it without a machine shows how good he is at his job and that she doesn't react emotionally to his questioning confirms to him that she's a Replicant.
Replicants are basically humans who are built rather than grown - made from enhanced materials, some stronger / tougher / generally better physically, other bits simplified or edited down. They wake up fully grown and are trained in their basic skills then put to work , they're emotionally children in perfect adult bodies
"Origin of cyberpunk?" Writer William Gibson invented the term in 1984 when he released his iconic cyberpunk tome "Neuromancer," but published his first short story set in that cyberpunk world, "Johnny Mnemonic" in 1981, the same year Blade Runner was released. Gibson said he "was afraid to watch Blade Runner in the theater because I was afraid the movie would be better than what I myself had been able to imagine." In Japan, Katsuhiro Otomo was working on the first volume of Akira to be published in 1982. Cyberpunk's roots go back to the 60's and it's tied to counter culture writers (hence, "punk") like William Burroughs and Hunter Thompson. Blade Runner is based on Phillip K Dick's novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep." (1968) Dick also wrote the source material for "Total Recall," "Minority Report" and "A Scanner Darkly" The other big influence on cyberpunk was the "Metal Hurlant" movement of science fiction comics from Europe in the 70's, published here in the US in "Heavy Metal" magazine. Many of the tropes, including the dominance of Asian culture in the future, started in these comics. There is one specific comic by "Alien" writer Dan O'Bannon and artist Jean "Moebius" Giraud called "The Long Tomorrow" (1976) that is considered ground zero for the look of cyberpunk cityscapes. It was adapted into the "Harry Canyon" segment of the (first) Heavy Metal animated movie, also released the same year as Blade Runner. After O'bannon sold his "Alien" script, Ridley Scott hired Moebius to design all the human sets and costumes. (He took a first crack at the alien stuff but of course they went with HR Giger's designs for that) For Blade Runner, Scott didn't have Moebius but he did have Syd Mead and told him to make 2019 LA look like "The Long Tomorrow." You can see direct influences like the main character detective in a flying car, the femme fatale visual inspiration for Rachael, and the stratified society with the lower classes in the literal lower levels of the city. (And "Aliens" fans will get to see what "Arcturian poontang" looks like and why their gender doesn't matter...) Syd Mead and Moebius did work together on "Tron," another classic early cyberpunk film, again from the same year as Blade Runner, Heavy Metal, and Johnny Mnemonic.
A few things; William Gibson coined the term "cyberspace", in Neuromancer, and "cyberpunk" was coined in the classic boardgame Cyberpunk 2020 in 1988. Gibson had written Neuromancer in 1981, and before that had a publisher, he went to see Blade Runner, and was blown away by how closely the film resembled what he had written, and because of that he rewrote the entire book.
@@vandalfinnicus1507 It was actually the scifi writer Bruce Bethke who coined the term Cyberpunk in 1980 for his own novel. Gibson and Sterling only made it famous
Fun Fact: The inspiration for much of the set design and visual aesthetic of Blade Runner was the famous Ennis House in Los Feliz, California, which was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and built in 1924. It also served as the exterior location for the 1959 horror film, House on Haunted Hill, with Vincent Price.
Whether or not Decker was a replicant was the question everyone was asking for decades. So when the new Bladerunner came out everyone was hoping it would finally be revealed.
Except it was very explicitly said by pretty much entire production and cast (some 20 years ago) he isn't a replicant, though it was intentionally teased. All the commentary on humanity and what is humanity makes no sense if he is a replicant. Movie would be pointless
Roy Boy's monologue is truly a masterpiece. Saving Deckard as final defiance against the "programming" as replicant soldier. You could say Roy Boy finally achieved his goal: humanity. Finally able to make his own choice and defy his purpose. But then every time you watch this you find new things and you may even change your own deductions. There's also Kurt Russel's soldier 1998 that is sidequel. It takes places exactly the same universe as Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049. Its worth of watching. Russell made most acting without lines. he had what, less than 80 words in the film and he made it work. Sure its not action classic but definately worth watching if you want to full experience of Blade Runner universe.
Welcome back once again to the 1980s, guys! Blade Runner was one of the movies that created the genre of 80s neo-noir. It also shows you what we thought the 21st century was going to back in the 1980s. Obviously things fell way short of expectations. lol 😂
I've watched BLADE RUNNER at least 25 times. It is my favorite film !! I lived in Los Angeles for many years and have visited all the locations for the movie, including the Ennis Brown house in the Hollywood Hills. It was used as Harrison Ford's apartment , LA Union Station, Los Angeles 3rd Street Tunnel , Chinatown, the Bradbury Building, used as J. F. Sebastian apartment building, and several other locations🤗
Wasn't it from radioactive dust clouds, left over from atomic weapons? That was also the reason why most healthy humans had migrated off-world, and the buildings were mosty empty.
"All right, guys..." Audiences had no idea what to make of Blade Runner when it was released. I think because it starred Harrison Ford (Han Solo! Indiana Jones!) and was directed by Ridley Scott of Alien fame, people expected a much more intense and perhaps action-driven film. Also the title "Blade Runner" really gives nothing away about what the movie is about. But whatever they were expecting from this movie, they didn't get. It's very much a slow-burn detective noir story (that just happens to take place in a dark future and involves what are essentially human clones) and I think audiences were disappointed with that. Blade Runner would only gain the reverence it now has once it reached cable TV and home media, where it received a critical re-evaluation and came to be regarded as one of the best sci-fi movies ever made and is largely credited for inspiring the cyberpunk genre.
I saw it in the theater when it first came out. It had quite a bit of studio tampering like adding a noir-style voice-over by Ford. Also it had a happier ending with Deckard and Rachael fleeing to the north and implying that Rachael, being the newest model may not be programmed to die like the others.
@@bengilbert7655 Yes, I'm very much aware of the different editions of the film and the changes that were made to it (I have the collector's set that came in the replica Voight-Kampff case). The added Deckard voice-over always felt like the studio desperate to make the movie more accessible to casual moviegoers who needed things spelled out to them.
You sound like someone that read this in a history book and is quoting to show how “smart” you are. I saw this in this movies in the 80s. Nothing you write is correct.
@@justmeeagainn How is everything I'm saying wrong? It had a $30 million-dollar budget and it fell short of that number on its initial run in theaters. Even by 80's box office standards, that's considered a commercial failure. And considering how the film bucked a lot of the trends of sci-fi films of the era by not relying on rollicking action/adventure or kid-friendly whimsy, you can understand why it wasn't as successful as, say, Star Wars, Terminator, or E.T. When I first watched it, I quickly understood why it underperformed, but also understood why more people eventually came around and started praising it. And yes, you may have had a different personal experience when you saw it in theaters in 1982, but not everybody shares the same experience as you. I think people tend to live in their own bubbles of subjective reality and just assume that everyone shares the same experiences. The theater you went to may have been packed, but considering its box office take, but that doesn't mean that every other theater was packed. The film's tone and themes may have been right up your alley, but given the mixed reactions it apparently received from critics in 1982, not everyone was as hot on the movie at first as you were. Hell, I've worked at a movie theater in a major metropolitan area, and I've seen films that sold out 200-plus seat auditoriums on the first Friday and Saturday night on screens but still underperformed nationwide because interest in the film in other parts of the country wasn't very high and the critical reviews weren't good. But yes, the critics and audiences can be wrong. It happens, as was the case with Blade Runner. And was I wrong about how Blade Runner influenced cyberpunk? You can see the homages and influences all over. Anime like Ghost In The Shell and Akira was definitely influenced by Blade Runner's techno-noir cyberpunk world and its philosophical questions regarding the nature of humanity. The animated series Batman Beyond owes its future aesthetic for Gotham City's monolithic buildings and hovering cars to Blade Runner, and its flying Batmobile looks very much like Blade Runner's police spinners. Christopher Nolan even cited Blade Runner as his inspiration for his "enhanced reality" approach to Batman Begins. So can you explain how I'm wrong on that account? And about me "trying to sound smart"? Yeah, I was a film major for six years in college. I studied this shit. So I think I do know at least a little bit about it.
The sexual connection with Deckard and Rachael was seen by some as rape, as he was forcing her, but Deckard knew that if Rachael wanted to feel truly human, she would have to be forced out of her programmed comfort zone, which is why he did what he did. The unicorn angle was to have you wondering if Deckard was a replicant, but I doubt he was, or he would have had the physical strength to match Roy or Leon. Even Pris was beating the crap out of him.
I'd say that one scene between Rachael and Deckard goes a bit deeper (forgive the pun). Almost everything she does before is based on her "fake memories" in some way, highlighted by the moment with piano play. Sex with Deckard, in this context, becomes her first _truly personal_ experience, as a unique person of her own, without any hints of "artificial personality" to guide. ...Wait, I've seen this move more than ten times, checked out all existing cuts, memorized it almost by every scene, and right now got that one moment of fringe revelation, previously missed by me. Quite a mark for the movie being a true masterpiece in this regard.
Harrison Ford has said that this character was human that is how he played him now the director said that he left to where you have to decide for yourself. But I believe that he is a human
I watched this when I was 11, way over my head at the time. But, I knew I had watched something special. Ridley Scott's masterpiece. I don't know if Rutger Hauer gets enough credit for his iconic performance in this, he brings such depth to his character. And you guys are so right, this is a film nior detective story, set in the future.
Fun fact: Christopher Nolan is a big fan of Blade Runner (the theatrical cut for some reason) so this movie inspired part of the aesthetic for Gotham City in Batman Begins
I too have a special place in my heart for theatrical release due to the fact that I saw this back when it was 1st shown. At the time there was nothing that gave us that sense of awe when we hear the music coupled with that metropolitan aesthetic. It was jaw dropping.
YOU GUYS! Your ongoing debate about the nature of the replicants was exactly what the movie was going for. wrapped in a high class visually awesome future noir story /setting. No weakness in your review.
Awesome reaction as always. I can’t wait for 2049. I’m sure others have pointed it out already and I’m too lazy to view all of the comments, but Replicants are not androids. They are biological, genetically engineered humans. Thanks again for sharing.
Neuromancer the novel, We'll remember it for you wholesale-the short story, and this movie, were how Cyberpunk was introduced to the world. Not to mention EVERYTHING written by Phillip K. Dick.
The reason Deckard was aggressive in the love scene was because not only was he fighting his own empathy for the replicants overall, but was also developing stronger feelings and desire for Rachael, and he was struggling with it all. He was almost angry with her for making him want her.
Blade Runner is based on the Philip K. Dick novel, ‘Do Androids Dream Electric Sheep?' which was a pioneer of the cyberpunk genre along with one of Dick's short stories, ‘We Can Remember It For You Wholesale,' which was adapted into the movie Total Recall with Arnold Schwarzenegger. The title, ‘Blade Runner,' is actually taken from a totally separate novel called ‘The Blade Runner,'' about futuristic surgeons performing illegal and unethical operations for the black market.
I love how you guys were a bit dumbfounded in interpreting the subtleties of Blade Runner. Don’t feel bad. I’ve been mentally dissecting this film for decades, and still have many questions. It was great to see this classic through your eyes.
The Asian influences in cyberpunk are related to the geopolitics of the time. In the early 80s Japan was at the height of its economic boom, and Japanese companies were buying ton of properties in the U.S. So it was believed that Japan and Japanese culture would have a very strong presence in the future. The cyberpunk elements that were seen in anime of the 80s were directly influenced by Blade Runner.
Those special effects were accomplished by the late, great Douglas Trumbull. You might've seen his other work in "2001 A Space Odyssey," "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," and "Star Trek The Motion Picture."
Did you recognise Tyrell ? Joe Turkel who played him was also the bartender in 'The Shining'. He was also in a few more Kubrick movies and another connection if you see the Theatrical version is the ending uses unused footage from 'The Shining' too.
Ridley intended to make Deckard not know he was a replicant but it got left on the cutting room floor in the editing room and is barely hinted at when he dreams of unicorns in the final movie.
This movie had a lot of production issues, as neither the cast or crew got along with each other at all, nor did they got along with Ridley Scott. The crew wore shirts that read: "Xenophobia sucks." "Yes, Guv'nor, My Ass. " "I survived Blade Runner." Scott and Harrison Ford would frequently argue on the set of the movie due to the scheduling and script rewrites. Ford hated narrating the movie, and would get into a yelling competition with the sound editor by saying, "I'm out here busting my ass, and your laughing at me!? Who the hell do you think you are!?" The narration was the biggest regret Scott and Ford had ever done, and would later be removed in future cuts of the movie. The film recieved mixed reviews by Critics like Roger Ebert, who said "it was stunning visually, but sadly, fails as a story." He would give the Director's Cut and Final Cut positive reviews.
The actor playing officer Gaff of the LAPD Blade Runner Unit is Edward James Olmos, who would later become famous as Detective Lieutenant Castillo on the TV show Miami Vice, and as Admiral Adama on the Battlestar Galactica remake. He also earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for the movie Stand and Deliver.
God this movie is fantastic. And it's one of the rare cases where a sequel comes out decades after the original and knocks it out of the park, advancing both the worldbuilding and theming of the original in near-perfect ways. Can't wait for 2049!
For composite shots, since they had to combine multiple separately filmed images onto a single strip of film, the models were filmed in 65mm, so there wouldn't be a noticeable drop in quality when they duplicated the composited images onto 35mm. Other fx shots were done in camera, without compositing, by rolling the film back, and exposing different areas of the frame with each pass. You shoot models and roll it back, shoot lights and roll it back, shoot smoke and roll it back...every pass being exposed on the same piece of film. For some shots, the same strip of film had to be run through the camera dozens of times, each time, capturing a separate element, building the final image without any kind of post compositing. This can be risky for several reasons, but again the effect is that you don't lose image fidelity by moving further from the negative, because you capture the entire finished fx shot on the negative.
This movie was based on a novel by Philip K. Dick titled Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. I liked the movie better than the book. Another sci-fi movie starring Rutger Hauer that I loved was Split Second. When Deckard talked about getting the shakes after "retiring" a replicant that's why he wasn't a Blade Runner at the start. He had quit because he didn't want to kill anymore.
This is still one of my all-time favourite movies - it lives in your head long after the credits roll - and has, quite simply the Best Death Scene Ever and possibly Rutger Hauer's finest role - frickin' fabulous! Great reaction, boys - thanks.
Firstly the replicants are not machines in the sense of being made of metal and silicon and computer chips. They are biological constructions. However they're designed to be significantly stronger and in some cases smarter than humans. As far as Deckard being a replicant or not, the film intentionally leaves that question ambiguous. According to Ridley Scott, Deckard is a replicant, but according to Harrison Ford, he isn't. Ultimately it's up to you to decide.
You're quite correct. Blade Runner and a lot of other cyberpunk took inspiration from the tech noir look of Japan during the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, especially places like Tokyo and Osaka.
Something you guys nail in this reaction is the reason the version with the voiceover narration never clicked with me the same way. The music, and the audio details in the background like radio chatter, allow you to immerse yourself in the visuals, and it feels so epic. Now imagine all of that drowned out by Harrison Ford, sounding like he'd rather be doing anything else, muttering stuff that he barely understands. The outtakes from the voiceover recordings are hilarious at times, with Ford repeatedly proclaiming that the narration is bizarre. And he was literally reading this stuff for the first time, because it's come straight off the typewriter. And what that voiceover does, more than anything, is step on the visuals, rather than augment them, as the score and sound design do.
In the 80s, Japan was going to run everything technological. After WW2, they were restricted from spending a large portion of their economy on the military, so, instead, they invested it all in tech. They ruled the tech world. Then that restriction ended and they stopped investing intelligently. A couple of decades later, no one even remembers when they were to be the masters of the world.
'Blade Runner' was taken from a science fiction novella by Grandfather of Alternative William S. Burroughs. Burroughs also coined the terms 'Heavy Metal, Steely Dan and Throbbing Gristle'. Also, Ridley Scott confirmed in interviews that Deckard and Rachel are both advanced Nexus replicants without expiration dates.
I so appreciate your comments on world building, set design and visual aesthetics, character development, and the way you both enjoy picking up on and analyzing little story details to figure out what's going on. I would love to see you guys react to The Expanse. It's a journey that would appeal to you both.
Dudes (24:13) If Replicant blood was _blue_ then you wouldn't need to do a hundred-question psychology test to identify one. You'd just have to take a blood sample and match it against a Home Depot paint swatch. D'uh!
Given the time of upload and taking into account the time it takes to edit and stuff, it's entirely possible that we watched this film simultaneously as I had just watched this earlier this week lol
Just a random suggestion I thought of- I think you guys would enjoy the Guy Ritchie Sherlock Holmes movies starring RDJ and Jude Law ! They are great and the sequel A Game Of Shadows is especially so !!
And since you bring up Mr. Law, why not take a look at the very strange, sci-fi fairy tale, "A.I." I really felt like I was watching a feature-length "Outer Limits" episode.
1982 theatrical release of Blade Runner had narration by Harrison Ford. I actually like it. It’s not supposed to be big action sci-fi and that was what people expected. It’s neo noir. It’s a tired ex-cop gumshoe who is tracking down illegal replicants in LA. The narration provides insight and answers questions you had during the film. One of which is why Roy Batty saved Deckard‘s life in the end. It’s because in those last moments of Roy’s life, he understood that all life was precious. Including Deckard’s. He chose life as he died. BTW, I listen to this soundtrack on nights I can’t sleep. Decades now. I’ve never owned another film soundtrack. This one is a timeless masterpiece and never fails to help me dream of electric sheep.
So, the studio executives felt that the movie was too cerebral and needed to be explained, so they gave Harrison Ford a script of narration voice over to read. Both Ford and Ridley Scott felt that the narration dumbed the movie down too much, so Harrison gave it the most uninspired readings that he could. The studio went with it anyway for the theatrical release. Even with the lowest-common-denominator writing and uninspired reading, it's the version of Blade Runner I grew up on, and I can't help but feel that the narration really does contribute to selling the Noir aspect of the film.
Unfortunately I also think that while half of it is interesting the other half does just explain too much. The voice over explaining to you why the Nexus spared Deckard´s life is almost insulting. I also think that Deckard being a replicant adds a thematic richness to the movie. Using leftovers of Kubrick´s Shining for the ending is funny tough. But I wish they made the theatrical cut as available as the Final one, like Coppola does with all the cuts of AN. I hate it, but I think people like you deserve to enjoy it if it is your jam without having to spend money on an expensive out of print deluxe version. WE could all be happy.
Gaff knows Dekard is a replicant because Dekard was brought into existence after the 1st cop got shot. Only Dekard remembers "their relationship". The neon sign behind Dekard's establishing shot says "origin".
To answer you question...the aesthetic in cinema language for what is the cyberpunk look come a lot from Blade Runner, but the ideas mostly come from the work of Gibson like Neuromancer and Phillip K.Dick the author of the book who inspired Blade Runner... So many focus on the eyes and mirrors in this movie...The reflexion of the souls...
There's a lot of Asian influences present in the aesthetics of cyberpunk. It has a lot to do with Japan's economic boom, which was ongoing when the major foundational works of the genre were being developed. Looking into the near future at the time, it seemed like Japan would be leading the east in a technological revolution. As the boom faded, newer works in the genre maintained the surface-level aesthetic connections, but generally dropped or ignored the pretext in the plot connections, which has lead to some reasonable critiques of the genre for employing orientalism. After all, some of the most recognizable visual aspects of Cyberpunk are the street gangs using futuristic katana, neon kanji on every sign, and ramen stands on every corner. When those elements are divorced from the idea of a dominant Japanese economy universally shifting global culture through the strength of their tech innovations (in the same the way the US has exported its culture), they can seem a little bit fetishized. On the other hand, though, there are a lot of enduring cyberpunk franchises still creating new content, still building on worlds that were established with Japan featuring a new cultural superpower. Those works earned their influences, and as long as those franchises are still active, you're going to keep seeing street samurai and electric geisha. So that's a lot of words just to say that "Japanesey stuff" is a key aesthetic component of Cyberpunk as a genre despite being almost completely divorced from the themes of transhumanism and corporate greed that typically inform the narratives of the stories (in fact, works that use those without that meaning almost exemplify the dehumanizing corporatism that cyberpunk so frequently rails against).
I love you guys questioning everything! That’s what this movie does to people! No spoon fed easy writing you get today. Something to make you THINK. Brilliant movie!! Side note: try Terry Gilliam’s “Brazil.” And “The Fisher King”
They’re actually speaking a mix of languages. Edward James Olmos - the actor playing the detective at the start there created it. They refer to it as Gutterspeak or Streetspeak. Also, cyberpunk as a genre was created in the 60s in California - specifically through the litmag New Worlds. Cyberpunk is a blend of Japan, LA/NYC, and the drug/counterculture of the 60s.
This is why so much of Philip K Dick’s work (he wrote the book Blade Runner is based on) is centered around transhumanism and drug culture all in a future California. You should really watch A Scanner Darkly - based on another story of PKD. It stars Keanu Reeves, Wynona Ryder, Woody Harrelson, and Robert Downey Jr. and the whole film is cellshaded over live action filming.
Gaff speaks a dialect called Cityspeak, comprised of bits and pieces of Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, German, Hungarian, and French. Edward James Olmos, the actor, came up with the Cityspeak dialog mostly on his own.
First, I wrote my thesis in grad school on this film and have interviewed Ridley Scott about it. I've also seen it about 50 times lol. 1) You guys did great with most of the themes and what was going on! 2) The four replicants on the run are Nexus 5, with 4 year lifespan, and no memories but their own. They act weird because they do not have the experience of life that you and I have to deal with their emotions. Think of it like this - they're full-grown, super human adults with the emotional age of a 4 year old. 3) Rachel is a Nexus 6 with implanted memories who, at first, thinks she's human. 4) All replicants are identical to humans - they are all made of flesh and bone. The only way to discern who is a replicant without dissecting them is the VK test. 5) You did great noticing the glowing eyes - that is not supposed to be "real" that others in the movies can see, just a clue as to who and who is not a replicant. Yes, Deckards' eyes do glow briefly in the scene with Rachel after Leon is killed. It is postulated that Deckard is actually a Nexus 6 himself, or even a 7. Hell, his first moment of existence - of consciousness - might just be the first moment we see him in the movie. We can't know. Also, in the original cut of the movie with the infamous voice over, it is said that Rachel doesn't have a 4-year life span - that she has an unknown lifespan, like humans do. People assume Deckard does too, as he doesn't know he's a replicant until the end. 6) The unicorn by Gaff tells Deckard that Gaff has access to Deckard's memories and dreams, and is therefore a replicant himself. 7) The reason why Roy doesn't kill Deckard is because he wants a witness to his own death - "I was here, dammit, I mattered." Roy didn't plan that, but you can see in his eyes when Deckard is about to fall that he realizes that all life is precious - even that of there human who has killed 3 of his friends. There are some wonderful books out there on the movie, and some great articles and critiques. Search them out if you're interested. Blade Runner 2049 is a sequel and it is a masterpiece, just like the original. Glad you liked it!
There is hardly any movie that triggers so many different emotions in me at the same time : Blade Runner. For me simply a masterpiece without wanting to be one. ❤ "I've seen things you people wouldnt believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time like tears in rain." So beautiful 😊
Decker is a replicant. Ridley Scott has said so in multiple interviews. U were 100% correct that their eyes reflect light differently. In the scene where he’s cleaning up you could see his eyes reflecting in the same way as replicants.
Bladerunner final cut is def one of the best sci-fi movies ever. As soon as I saw Sean Young (Rachel) walk on screen I knew I was gonna love the whole movie lol.
One thing to maybe keep in mind while trying to figure out who is or isn't a replicant based off their reactions, the way they talk, etc. is that they wouldn't have had to invent a Voight-Kampff test if it was that easy. You're meant not to be able to tell who is or isn't a replicant just like that. That's totally part of that big question of the cyberpunk genre: What does "human" actually mean?
No. Not in my opinion. He's human. He doesn't have superior strength. That's a big give away. He gets the shit beat out of him, & almost killed by Leon. The audience is afraid for him, with good reason, when he is pitted against Roy Batty(Rutger Hauer). Roy Batty is a military model Replicant. With superior strength. (So is Zhora - the one with the snake.) He clearly has the advantage over Deckard. In the beginning Deckard says to Rachel, "Technology is either beneficial or it's not. If it's beneficial, then I don't have a problem with it. If it's not, then I have a problem." (Not worded ver batem). Tyrell says that RACHEL is an experiment - nothing more. There are then 3 hints in the movie, that I think are about Rachel. Declared has a vision or sees on a screen or dreams (not sure which), about a white unicorn running. James Olmos' character says first, "I guess you're through". Then, "It's too bad she won't live. But then again who does?". He also leaves an origami paper unicorn on the floor towards the end, that Rachel steps over. And as Declared picks it up, he hears again, in his mind, James Olmos' voice saying that again. It's a strange thing to say, considering the police captain wants Deckard to kill her, & the other Replicants, & Olmos'character seems to be about making sure that he does. Yet he makes & leaves an origami unicorn as a calling card. And says what he says about, her not living. My opinion has always been, that Rachel was a prototype model, created to be more like a human than any "generation" before her. She was kept from slavery. She did not know she was a replicant. She thought she was human, with memories, & emotions. She was not in the same place as the other replicants originally, & did not operate the same way, or have the same motives. And I believe she was not given an expiration date, so she could conceivably live as long as a human, or indefinitely. So the unicorn references IMO were about her. The movie is based off a book by Phillip K. Dick, called "Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep", which I have not read. The Books & the movie are not necessarily exactly the same story. Perhaps in the book, it is referenced outright, or alluded to more, that Deckard himself is a Replicant. But in the movie, he does not seem to have superior strength, or superior skills to the Replicants. And screenwriters take liberties, & change things when producing movies from books all the time. So I could be wrong - but I think all the unicorn references in the movie are about Rachel, & Deckard is human.
Definitely not. The Replicants are all physically superior to him in every way, even Priss, a mere pleasure model. Deckard has been alive more than 4 years. He was a Blade Runner long enough to "retire" from active duty. Given the unstable nature of Replicants, do we really believe they would allow one to roam around unsupervised, with a gun? There is talk of him being a "special" model, but he predated the Nexus 6, Tyrell Corps "newest models". Any older model would be even less human than a Nexus 6. So, no, in my opinion, he's not a Replicant.
Come on guys, it literally says in the opening crawl that the Nexus phase introduced the replicants, which were beings "virtually indistinguishable from a human". Why would you think they're literal robots when it even shows later the dude who makes their eyes, which appear biological and the dude calls himself a genetic designer. They're not mechanical robots, they're biological creations.
It should be an rule that the theatrical release is always viewed as a prerequisite to watching any other version. The theatrical release offers just enough information via Harrison Ford's narration to keep from being so confusing. The director's cut is more enjoyable when you already have the context of the original.
Interestingly, the author of the novel understood Deckard to be human. The director of the film understood him to be a replicant. The actor, plaid him as human.
The author of this source material, Phillip K. Dick, had a penchant for exploring the nature and validity of personal consciousness. Some other facinating adaptation of his include the very uniquely animated "A Scanner Darkly" (2006), "Minority Report" (2002) and "Total Recall" (1990).
Cyberpunk arguably started with Blade Runner and the novels of William Gibson. In any case, Blade Runner is foundational to cyberpunk. Ridley Scott wanted Los Angeles to have a Tokyo feel, because that's what felt super modern to him, at that moment.
In the theatrical cut, at the end we hear a voiceover from Decker talking about the Rutger Hauer saying "I don't know why he saved my life. Maybe in those last moments he loved life more than he ever had before. Not just his life. Anybody's life. MY life. All he wanted was the same answers the rest of us want. Where do I come from? Where am I going? How long have I got? All I could do is sit there and watch him die". And that's why he spared his life. I think it adds to Hauer's character arc. Also it add to the sci/fi-noir vibe given the old detective movies with voiceovers. I think Ridley Scott went back and cut it along with other stuff because Ridley wanted to focus on the narrative of Decker being a replicant. Whereas the voiceover in particular made him too human and put the focus away of Decker being a replicant. A lot of us who watched the theatrical cut and loved it were kind of pissed with the notion that Decker may be a replicant when Scott brought it up cause that's not really the story we got. But that was the original intention(esp. with all the things that have to do with the unicorns). Personally I like both versions. The novel that was based on is titled "Do Android Dream of Electric Sheeps?". Maybe they could have named Blade Runner "Do Androids dream of Unicorns?". lol
Blade Runner is one of those stories that were "too influential". Like Lord of the Rings did for Fantasy, Blade Runner did for 'future-earth' Sci-Fi. It was so successful that it gave something with limitless potential a *standard* . The fact the phrase 'Standard Fantasy Setting' is something that can exist without any sense of irony is really telling of how this can affect stories and creativity.
If you remember the Astroid-dwelling Minoch's attached to power cables of the Millenium Falcon, you'll better understand the LITTLE scavengers that swarmed Deckard's vehicle.
04:49 its a mix. Punk started in England/America with books like A Clockwork Orange and all the related-successive authors in the West. Cyber was a mix of Asimov, Dick and Tezuka and so all the related books, comics and mangas
At 42:00, the reason they used Decker, is because the human Blade Runner at the beginning almost got killed. These Replicants were too dangerous. So, they needed to use the Replicant Blade Runner (Decker) to hunt them down. Gaffe knows the memories of Decker, because Tyrell told him about his memories. Just like Tyrell told Decker about Rachel's memories. At the end of the movie, Gaffe even says, "You've done a Man's job sir." Gaffe was complimenting him in a sarcastic way, because he knows Decker's a replicant.
The use of lighting in this movie is inspired by classic film noir of the 1940s, which was itself inspired by German Expressionism of the 1920s. However, by the 1980s these movies were considered “neo-noir," as they were either contemporary noir thrillers like Blade Runner, Body Heat, and Blue Velvet, or period noir thrillers set during the 1940s and 50s like Chinatown and L.A. Confidential.
For what it's about, I mean, one of my Senior papers I did over this movie, Detroit: Become Human, and Metropolis (1920s) on how ai/androids in media have been utilized to explore what it means to be human, and how that narrative has evolved over a century. It was very fun to delve into and compare the three and explore the topic.
This film is based on the novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Phillip K. Dick. Dick is, in my and many other's opinion, one of the Top 10 Best sci-fi writers of the 20th century. His books predict the internet and so much more. He died shortly before this film came out and made him famous posthumously.
I did not get the movie when I was younger.......... but it took a few watches and some study to understand the move.............. this was a movie waaaay ahead of its time
This is a brilliant movie based on the short story by Philip K. Dick, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep..... The lines you quoted..."To bad she won't live, than again, who does" can be looked at literally in terms of Rachel, or it can mean, are you really living life to the fullest as a human. All the androids wanted was life, are we as humans living like repetitive meaningless robots.... Also Deckard was not a Replicant, he was controlled by the system, a murderer for the system and wanted out.......
When I first saw it, it blew my mind. Loved it! The replicant Pris is played by Daryl Hannah, who plays Elle Driver in Kill Bill. Sean Young is also in No Way Out, with Kevin Costner. Very under rated movie.
"I've.. seen things your people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. Ice watched C Beams glittering in the dark near Tannhauser Gate. Now all those.. moments will be lost like tears in the rain. Time to die."
RIP, Rutger Hauer, 1944-2019.
Amazing thing is that speech was all Rutger.
Yeah, I remember watching a clip of him saying how he came up with it late one night and told Ridley Scott about it.
Orion is 1344 light years away. I find it hard to believe that with the tech in this movie, supposed to be 2019, they have reached Orion (would imply FTL)
The music for Blade Runner was composed by the late Greek composer Vangelis (Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou), who had previously won an Academy Award for composing the music for Chariots of Fire in 1981. He sadly passed away in March of this year.
RIP Mr. Vangelis.
I didn't know Vangelis had died recently. Blade Runner soundtrack in my opinion is superior to Chariots Of Fire. I guess at the time the academy didn't want to give another Oscar to the same guy next year. Probably Ridley Scott should have gotten director Oscar also.
He was also a member of the Greek Prog Rock band Aphrodite's Child.
Rutger Hauer was such a powerhouse of an actor, never tire of watching him🥰 if im not mistaken, his final monolog was partially improvised
he fully improvised it himself and is considered the greatest movie monologue of all time :D
@@benecio20 it is a masterpiece, truly!
Pity they cut his famous monologue at the end.
He added the line about "tears in rain" to the monologue during a read-through of the script in early pre-production. He didn't write the whole thing, and he didn't improvise it on-set. On the DVD documentary Dangerous Days, he describes how he added the tears in rain line during a script read-through and then glanced around the table to see if anyone, i.e. the director and writers, would react to what he'd done. The line ended up in the final film. Holding the dove during that scene was also his idea.
@@Corn_Pone_Flicks well according to ridley scott here in this interview it went down quite differently lmao
ua-cam.com/video/uPUIDHQv8rM/v-deo.html
I actually loved how Pris looked. Punky woman, the black shade across her eyes, so I paused the video to where she was sitting, waiting for Dekard, and drew her once.
She fit right into 1981. PUNK
Pris looked so cool but her character scared me. 😫
what a great reference for a drawing! I would to see it
The movie is based on the Novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep". In the book, they were actual androids. In the movie, they are genetically modified "Test tube babies". The only scene in the movie that came directly from the book were the questions he asked Rachel during the test. Everything else is Ridley.
The movie only very briefly touches on this but in the book, there was a world war that wiped out most of the animal life on the planet. Animals were seen as a status symbol. If you were rich and well connected, you could afford a real animal. Everyone else had to get by with a robotic animal. The only reason that Deckard took the job was to earn the money to bye a real goat for his wife.
The reason that your friend had a problem with Gaff's language at the beginning was because he was speaking "City speak" which is a mish-mash of different languages.
I was going to come and say this about the animals. It's not really explained in the movie that most of the animals are man- made because so many species were wiped out.
Another thing that was in the original movie and not in this version (because they cut out the voice over) was the idea that Rachel was special. She was not given the four year life span so she could basically live as long as any other human but I don't think anyone besides Deckerd knew that.
@Dio According to the script, the 2nd generation replicants are bio-engineered. 3rd generation are "synthogenetic." Nexus 6 are definitely genetically engineered. No "circuit boards." Sebastian specifically says he does "genetic design" for Tyrell Corp.
@Dio You have memories. Do you have circuit boards? Do you have a CPU?
@Dio You're completely missing the point, Einstein. You obviously don't need "circuit boards" to store memories. However memories are stored in a human brain, Tyrell found a way to replicate that. Pun intended.
Deckard knew what he was saying also he was just being an ass asking the guy to translate
The movie LadyHawke is a forgotten overlooked fantasy movie starring Michelle Pfieffer, Matthew Broderick, & Rutger Hauer. It is one of my absolute all time favorites. And in my opinion these 3 play the best roles of their careers. Have only seen one reaction to it.
I love love love LadyHawk It's my favorite Rutger Hauer role ever! (although he does make a great vampire in the Buffy the Vampire movie)
Omg yesssss, Ladyhawk 😍😍😍😍 a masterpiece
There’s that one scene in Ladyhawke, you know the one, I cry my eyes out every time!
I wish someone would rescore LadyHawke, because the horrible soundtrack really lowers it.
@@SirHilaryManfat + It wasn't horrible back in the day - in the theater. I guess that's what you mean by rescore it? Fix or redo the original?
23:30 the blue on the side of her face was a tattoo which confirms she's the same girl in the photo. When Deckard is talking to her in the changing room he's actually performing a Voight-Kampff test without a machine by asking her questions that should elicit an emotional response like disgust, revulsion or fear. The fact that he's able to do it without a machine shows how good he is at his job and that she doesn't react emotionally to his questioning confirms to him that she's a Replicant.
Replicants are basically humans who are built rather than grown - made from enhanced materials, some stronger / tougher / generally better physically, other bits simplified or edited down. They wake up fully grown and are trained in their basic skills then put to work , they're emotionally children in perfect adult bodies
"Origin of cyberpunk?"
Writer William Gibson invented the term in 1984 when he released his iconic cyberpunk tome "Neuromancer," but published his first short story set in that cyberpunk world, "Johnny Mnemonic" in 1981, the same year Blade Runner was released. Gibson said he "was afraid to watch Blade Runner in the theater because I was afraid the movie would be better than what I myself had been able to imagine." In Japan, Katsuhiro Otomo was working on the first volume of Akira to be published in 1982.
Cyberpunk's roots go back to the 60's and it's tied to counter culture writers (hence, "punk") like William Burroughs and Hunter Thompson. Blade Runner is based on Phillip K Dick's novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep." (1968) Dick also wrote the source material for "Total Recall," "Minority Report" and "A Scanner Darkly"
The other big influence on cyberpunk was the "Metal Hurlant" movement of science fiction comics from Europe in the 70's, published here in the US in "Heavy Metal" magazine. Many of the tropes, including the dominance of Asian culture in the future, started in these comics. There is one specific comic by "Alien" writer Dan O'Bannon and artist Jean "Moebius" Giraud called "The Long Tomorrow" (1976) that is considered ground zero for the look of cyberpunk cityscapes. It was adapted into the "Harry Canyon" segment of the (first) Heavy Metal animated movie, also released the same year as Blade Runner.
After O'bannon sold his "Alien" script, Ridley Scott hired Moebius to design all the human sets and costumes. (He took a first crack at the alien stuff but of course they went with HR Giger's designs for that) For Blade Runner, Scott didn't have Moebius but he did have Syd Mead and told him to make 2019 LA look like "The Long Tomorrow." You can see direct influences like the main character detective in a flying car, the femme fatale visual inspiration for Rachael, and the stratified society with the lower classes in the literal lower levels of the city. (And "Aliens" fans will get to see what "Arcturian poontang" looks like and why their gender doesn't matter...)
Syd Mead and Moebius did work together on "Tron," another classic early cyberpunk film, again from the same year as Blade Runner, Heavy Metal, and Johnny Mnemonic.
Indent please.
A few things; William Gibson coined the term "cyberspace", in Neuromancer, and "cyberpunk" was coined in the classic boardgame Cyberpunk 2020 in 1988. Gibson had written Neuromancer in 1981, and before that had a publisher, he went to see Blade Runner, and was blown away by how closely the film resembled what he had written, and because of that he rewrote the entire book.
@@vandalfinnicus1507 👍
@@vandalfinnicus1507 It was actually the scifi writer Bruce Bethke who coined the term Cyberpunk in 1980 for his own novel. Gibson and Sterling only made it famous
Never forget one of the original sci Fi/dystopia movies from the days of yore:
"Metropolis"
Fun Fact: The inspiration for much of the set design and visual aesthetic of Blade Runner was the famous Ennis House in Los Feliz, California, which was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and built in 1924. It also served as the exterior location for the 1959 horror film, House on Haunted Hill, with Vincent Price.
It's featured heavily in HBO's Westworld.
Whether or not Decker was a replicant was the question everyone was asking for decades. So when the new Bladerunner came out everyone was hoping it would finally be revealed.
That’s super cool!!!
Do androids dream of electric sheep?
Not everyone. Some liked the mystery.
The real question is given no cut off, would a replicant age?
Except it was very explicitly said by pretty much entire production and cast (some 20 years ago) he isn't a replicant, though it was intentionally teased. All the commentary on humanity and what is humanity makes no sense if he is a replicant. Movie would be pointless
Roy Boy's monologue is truly a masterpiece. Saving Deckard as final defiance against the "programming" as replicant soldier. You could say Roy Boy finally achieved his goal: humanity. Finally able to make his own choice and defy his purpose. But then every time you watch this you find new things and you may even change your own deductions.
There's also Kurt Russel's soldier 1998 that is sidequel. It takes places exactly the same universe as Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049. Its worth of watching. Russell made most acting without lines. he had what, less than 80 words in the film and he made it work. Sure its not action classic but definately worth watching if you want to full experience of Blade Runner universe.
Oh, "Soldier"'s a longtime favorite! Very good. Not quite as good, but I think also in the same universe is "Screamers" with Peter Weller.
This movie is an experience, honestly. You can’t say isn’t visually stunning.
If you guys decide to watch the sequel, 2049 (and I think you should), do watch the shorts first. They're helpful, and also worth watching ;)
Its up on patreon
@@whitenoisereacts Great!
The movie where the “enhance picture” meme began.
Welcome back once again to the 1980s, guys! Blade Runner was one of the movies that created the genre of 80s neo-noir. It also shows you what we thought the 21st century was going to back in the 1980s. Obviously things fell way short of expectations. lol 😂
I've watched BLADE RUNNER at least 25 times. It is my favorite film !! I lived in Los Angeles for many years and have visited all the locations for the movie, including the Ennis Brown house in the Hollywood Hills. It was used as Harrison Ford's apartment , LA Union Station, Los Angeles 3rd Street Tunnel , Chinatown, the Bradbury Building, used as J. F. Sebastian apartment building, and several other locations🤗
In the book, most animals had died from a mysterious disease, hence the various lines about animals.
Wasn't it from radioactive dust clouds, left over from atomic weapons? That was also the reason why most healthy humans had migrated off-world, and the buildings were mosty empty.
"All right, guys..."
Audiences had no idea what to make of Blade Runner when it was released. I think because it starred Harrison Ford (Han Solo! Indiana Jones!) and was directed by Ridley Scott of Alien fame, people expected a much more intense and perhaps action-driven film. Also the title "Blade Runner" really gives nothing away about what the movie is about. But whatever they were expecting from this movie, they didn't get. It's very much a slow-burn detective noir story (that just happens to take place in a dark future and involves what are essentially human clones) and I think audiences were disappointed with that. Blade Runner would only gain the reverence it now has once it reached cable TV and home media, where it received a critical re-evaluation and came to be regarded as one of the best sci-fi movies ever made and is largely credited for inspiring the cyberpunk genre.
I saw it in the theater when it first came out. It had quite a bit of studio tampering like adding a noir-style voice-over by Ford. Also it had a happier ending with Deckard and Rachael fleeing to the north and implying that Rachael, being the newest model may not be programmed to die like the others.
@@bengilbert7655 Yes, I'm very much aware of the different editions of the film and the changes that were made to it (I have the collector's set that came in the replica Voight-Kampff case). The added Deckard voice-over always felt like the studio desperate to make the movie more accessible to casual moviegoers who needed things spelled out to them.
You sound like someone that read this in a history book and is quoting to show how “smart” you are. I saw this in this movies in the 80s. Nothing you write is correct.
@@glennwelsh9784 I’ve always liked the theatrical version. But then, I’m a sucker for film noir voiceovers.
@@justmeeagainn How is everything I'm saying wrong? It had a $30 million-dollar budget and it fell short of that number on its initial run in theaters. Even by 80's box office standards, that's considered a commercial failure. And considering how the film bucked a lot of the trends of sci-fi films of the era by not relying on rollicking action/adventure or kid-friendly whimsy, you can understand why it wasn't as successful as, say, Star Wars, Terminator, or E.T. When I first watched it, I quickly understood why it underperformed, but also understood why more people eventually came around and started praising it.
And yes, you may have had a different personal experience when you saw it in theaters in 1982, but not everybody shares the same experience as you. I think people tend to live in their own bubbles of subjective reality and just assume that everyone shares the same experiences. The theater you went to may have been packed, but considering its box office take, but that doesn't mean that every other theater was packed. The film's tone and themes may have been right up your alley, but given the mixed reactions it apparently received from critics in 1982, not everyone was as hot on the movie at first as you were. Hell, I've worked at a movie theater in a major metropolitan area, and I've seen films that sold out 200-plus seat auditoriums on the first Friday and Saturday night on screens but still underperformed nationwide because interest in the film in other parts of the country wasn't very high and the critical reviews weren't good. But yes, the critics and audiences can be wrong. It happens, as was the case with Blade Runner.
And was I wrong about how Blade Runner influenced cyberpunk? You can see the homages and influences all over. Anime like Ghost In The Shell and Akira was definitely influenced by Blade Runner's techno-noir cyberpunk world and its philosophical questions regarding the nature of humanity. The animated series Batman Beyond owes its future aesthetic for Gotham City's monolithic buildings and hovering cars to Blade Runner, and its flying Batmobile looks very much like Blade Runner's police spinners. Christopher Nolan even cited Blade Runner as his inspiration for his "enhanced reality" approach to Batman Begins. So can you explain how I'm wrong on that account?
And about me "trying to sound smart"? Yeah, I was a film major for six years in college. I studied this shit. So I think I do know at least a little bit about it.
The sexual connection with Deckard and Rachael was seen by some as rape, as he was forcing her, but Deckard knew that if Rachael wanted to feel truly human, she would have to be forced out of her programmed comfort zone, which is why he did what he did.
The unicorn angle was to have you wondering if Deckard was a replicant, but I doubt he was, or he would have had the physical strength to match Roy or Leon. Even Pris was beating the crap out of him.
I'd say that one scene between Rachael and Deckard goes a bit deeper (forgive the pun). Almost everything she does before is based on her "fake memories" in some way, highlighted by the moment with piano play. Sex with Deckard, in this context, becomes her first _truly personal_ experience, as a unique person of her own, without any hints of "artificial personality" to guide.
...Wait, I've seen this move more than ten times, checked out all existing cuts, memorized it almost by every scene, and right now got that one moment of fringe revelation, previously missed by me. Quite a mark for the movie being a true masterpiece in this regard.
Harrison Ford has said that this character was human that is how he played him now the director said that he left to where you have to decide for yourself. But I believe that he is a human
I watched this when I was 11, way over my head at the time. But, I knew I had watched something special. Ridley Scott's masterpiece. I don't know if Rutger Hauer gets enough credit for his iconic performance in this, he brings such depth to his character.
And you guys are so right, this is a film nior detective story, set in the future.
Fun fact: Christopher Nolan is a big fan of Blade Runner (the theatrical cut for some reason) so this movie inspired part of the aesthetic for Gotham City in Batman Begins
All the versions have their merits.
I too have a special place in my heart for theatrical release due to the fact that I saw this back when it was 1st shown. At the time there was nothing that gave us that sense of awe when we hear the music coupled with that metropolitan aesthetic. It was jaw dropping.
Nolan has been quoted that he has watched Blade Runner over 500 times.
A MASTERPIECE for the ages!!!!!
I still dream about this movie. Its too powerful in a very subtle way.
YOU GUYS! Your ongoing debate about the nature of the replicants was exactly what the movie was going for. wrapped in a high class visually awesome future noir story /setting. No weakness in your review.
Awesome reaction as always. I can’t wait for 2049. I’m sure others have pointed it out already and I’m too lazy to view all of the comments, but Replicants are not androids. They are biological, genetically engineered humans. Thanks again for sharing.
Neuromancer the novel, We'll remember it for you wholesale-the short story, and this movie, were how Cyberpunk was introduced to the world. Not to mention EVERYTHING written by Phillip K. Dick.
I am with the ones that think that Bester´s Tiger, TIger is one of them too, but your mileage might vary on that one.
The reason Deckard was aggressive in the love scene was because not only was he fighting his own empathy for the replicants overall, but was also developing stronger feelings and desire for Rachael, and he was struggling with it all. He was almost angry with her for making him want her.
Blade Runner is based on the Philip K. Dick novel, ‘Do Androids Dream Electric Sheep?' which was a pioneer of the cyberpunk genre along with one of Dick's short stories, ‘We Can Remember It For You Wholesale,' which was adapted into the movie Total Recall with Arnold Schwarzenegger. The title, ‘Blade Runner,' is actually taken from a totally separate novel called ‘The Blade Runner,'' about futuristic surgeons performing illegal and unethical operations for the black market.
I love how you guys were a bit dumbfounded in interpreting the subtleties of Blade Runner.
Don’t feel bad. I’ve been mentally dissecting this film for decades, and still have many questions.
It was great to see this classic through your eyes.
The Asian influences in cyberpunk are related to the geopolitics of the time. In the early 80s Japan was at the height of its economic boom, and Japanese companies were buying ton of properties in the U.S. So it was believed that Japan and Japanese culture would have a very strong presence in the future. The cyberpunk elements that were seen in anime of the 80s were directly influenced by Blade Runner.
I saw this while stationed in Korea in 1982. I always loved the sci-fi and soundtrack. Every since, I’ve collected some of Vangelis work.
Those special effects were accomplished by the late, great Douglas Trumbull. You might've seen his other work in "2001 A Space Odyssey," "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," and "Star Trek The Motion Picture."
Did you recognise Tyrell ? Joe Turkel who played him was also the bartender in 'The Shining'. He was also in a few more Kubrick movies and another connection if you see the Theatrical version is the ending uses unused footage from 'The Shining' too.
Ridley intended to make Deckard not know he was a replicant but it got left on the cutting room floor in the editing room and is barely hinted at when he dreams of unicorns in the final movie.
Some people think Deckard was a replicant. I never have, and still don't. This is probably my favorite sci-fi film ever.
This movie had a lot of production issues, as neither the cast or crew got along with each other at all, nor did they got along with Ridley Scott.
The crew wore shirts that read:
"Xenophobia sucks."
"Yes, Guv'nor, My Ass. "
"I survived Blade Runner."
Scott and Harrison Ford would frequently argue on the set of the movie due to the scheduling and script rewrites.
Ford hated narrating the movie, and would get into a yelling competition with the sound editor by saying, "I'm out here busting my ass, and your laughing at me!? Who the hell do you think you are!?"
The narration was the biggest regret Scott and Ford had ever done, and would later be removed in future cuts of the movie.
The film recieved mixed reviews by Critics like Roger Ebert, who said "it was stunning visually, but sadly, fails as a story."
He would give the Director's Cut and Final Cut positive reviews.
If the story about laughing is true, damn, i hate when people laugh thinking they're joking or something and you're suffering
Yeah it was odd
I wonder how different it is from Dick story
There's a fantastic book on the whole battle to make the movie called 'Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner' but Paul M Sammon. Well worth a read.
@@meropemerope6096 Very. Very, very different and, in my opinion, the film is much better.
The freezer guy is in many things back then. Big Trouble in Little China is one of those. I'll suggest this forever. lol
The actor playing officer Gaff of the LAPD Blade Runner Unit is Edward James Olmos, who would later become famous as Detective Lieutenant Castillo on the TV show Miami Vice, and as Admiral Adama on the Battlestar Galactica remake. He also earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for the movie Stand and Deliver.
Holy sh- this is gonna be amazing.
Fun fact, Daryl Hannah broke her wrist when it went through that van window, that wasn't scripted.
For some strange reason 1982 was an amazingly good year for sci-fi movies.
God this movie is fantastic. And it's one of the rare cases where a sequel comes out decades after the original and knocks it out of the park, advancing both the worldbuilding and theming of the original in near-perfect ways. Can't wait for 2049!
The unicorn origami was, I believe, a signal to the Blade Runner that she, the unicorn, is safe from him ... he was there, but didn't kill Rachel.
The shot of Rachel at the table during the Voight-Kampf test, with the reflection in her eyes, is one of my favorite shots from any film.
For composite shots, since they had to combine multiple separately filmed images onto a single strip of film, the models were filmed in 65mm, so there wouldn't be a noticeable drop in quality when they duplicated the composited images onto 35mm.
Other fx shots were done in camera, without compositing, by rolling the film back, and exposing different areas of the frame with each pass. You shoot models and roll it back, shoot lights and roll it back, shoot smoke and roll it back...every pass being exposed on the same piece of film. For some shots, the same strip of film had to be run through the camera dozens of times, each time, capturing a separate element, building the final image without any kind of post compositing. This can be risky for several reasons, but again the effect is that you don't lose image fidelity by moving further from the negative, because you capture the entire finished fx shot on the negative.
This movie was based on a novel by Philip K. Dick titled Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. I liked the movie better than the book. Another sci-fi movie starring Rutger Hauer that I loved was Split Second. When Deckard talked about getting the shakes after "retiring" a replicant that's why he wasn't a Blade Runner at the start. He had quit because he didn't want to kill anymore.
Based on the Science Fiction book 'Do Androids dream of electric Sheep'. A really great adaptation. We all bought the Vangelis soundtrack!
This is still one of my all-time favourite movies - it lives in your head long after the credits roll - and has, quite simply the Best Death Scene Ever and possibly Rutger Hauer's finest role - frickin' fabulous! Great reaction, boys - thanks.
Please watch STAR TREK! 🖖
Firstly the replicants are not machines in the sense of being made of metal and silicon and computer chips. They are biological constructions. However they're designed to be significantly stronger and in some cases smarter than humans. As far as Deckard being a replicant or not, the film intentionally leaves that question ambiguous. According to Ridley Scott, Deckard is a replicant, but according to Harrison Ford, he isn't. Ultimately it's up to you to decide.
You're quite correct. Blade Runner and a lot of other cyberpunk took inspiration from the tech noir look of Japan during the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, especially places like Tokyo and Osaka.
Something you guys nail in this reaction is the reason the version with the voiceover narration never clicked with me the same way. The music, and the audio details in the background like radio chatter, allow you to immerse yourself in the visuals, and it feels so epic. Now imagine all of that drowned out by Harrison Ford, sounding like he'd rather be doing anything else, muttering stuff that he barely understands. The outtakes from the voiceover recordings are hilarious at times, with Ford repeatedly proclaiming that the narration is bizarre. And he was literally reading this stuff for the first time, because it's come straight off the typewriter. And what that voiceover does, more than anything, is step on the visuals, rather than augment them, as the score and sound design do.
In the 80s, Japan was going to run everything technological. After WW2, they were restricted from spending a large portion of their economy on the military, so, instead, they invested it all in tech. They ruled the tech world. Then that restriction ended and they stopped investing intelligently. A couple of decades later, no one even remembers when they were to be the masters of the world.
Welcome to one of the greatest films of all time - so stylish and open to interpretation!
'Blade Runner' was taken from a science fiction novella by Grandfather of Alternative William S. Burroughs. Burroughs also coined the terms 'Heavy Metal, Steely Dan and Throbbing Gristle'.
Also, Ridley Scott confirmed in interviews that Deckard and Rachel are both advanced Nexus replicants without expiration dates.
Sean Young who played Rachael was in another great movie called "No Way Out "1987. Well worth watching.
I can’t believe James is speechless! Never thought I see the day
I so appreciate your comments on world building, set design and visual aesthetics, character development, and the way you both enjoy picking up on and analyzing little story details to figure out what's going on. I would love to see you guys react to The Expanse. It's a journey that would appeal to you both.
Will keep it in mind!!
Dudes (24:13) If Replicant blood was _blue_ then you wouldn't need to do a hundred-question psychology test to identify one. You'd just have to take a blood sample and match it against a Home Depot paint swatch.
D'uh!
Given the time of upload and taking into account the time it takes to edit and stuff, it's entirely possible that we watched this film simultaneously as I had just watched this earlier this week lol
For sure
Just a random suggestion I thought of- I think you guys would enjoy the Guy Ritchie Sherlock Holmes movies starring RDJ and Jude Law ! They are great and the sequel A Game Of Shadows is especially so !!
And since you bring up Mr. Law, why not take a look at the very strange, sci-fi fairy tale, "A.I." I really felt like I was watching a feature-length "Outer Limits" episode.
@@jean-paulaudette9246 Awesome suggestion!
1982 theatrical release of Blade Runner had narration by Harrison Ford. I actually like it. It’s not supposed to be big action sci-fi and that was what people expected. It’s neo noir. It’s a tired ex-cop gumshoe who is tracking down illegal replicants in LA. The narration provides insight and answers questions you had during the film. One of which is why Roy Batty saved Deckard‘s life in the end. It’s because in those last moments of Roy’s life, he understood that all life was precious. Including Deckard’s. He chose life as he died.
BTW, I listen to this soundtrack on nights I can’t sleep. Decades now. I’ve never owned another film soundtrack. This one is a timeless masterpiece and never fails to help me dream of electric sheep.
So, the studio executives felt that the movie was too cerebral and needed to be explained, so they gave Harrison Ford a script of narration voice over to read. Both Ford and Ridley Scott felt that the narration dumbed the movie down too much, so Harrison gave it the most uninspired readings that he could. The studio went with it anyway for the theatrical release. Even with the lowest-common-denominator writing and uninspired reading, it's the version of Blade Runner I grew up on, and I can't help but feel that the narration really does contribute to selling the Noir aspect of the film.
Unfortunately I also think that while half of it is interesting the other half does just explain too much. The voice over explaining to you why the Nexus spared Deckard´s life is almost insulting. I also think that Deckard being a replicant adds a thematic richness to the movie. Using leftovers of Kubrick´s Shining for the ending is funny tough. But I wish they made the theatrical cut as available as the Final one, like Coppola does with all the cuts of AN. I hate it, but I think people like you deserve to enjoy it if it is your jam without having to spend money on an expensive out of print deluxe version. WE could all be happy.
Gaff knows Dekard is a replicant because Dekard was brought into existence after the 1st cop got shot. Only Dekard remembers "their relationship". The neon sign behind Dekard's establishing shot says "origin".
To answer you question...the aesthetic in cinema language for what is the cyberpunk look come a lot from Blade Runner, but the ideas mostly come from the work of Gibson like Neuromancer and Phillip K.Dick the author of the book who inspired Blade Runner... So many focus on the eyes and mirrors in this movie...The reflexion of the souls...
There's a lot of Asian influences present in the aesthetics of cyberpunk. It has a lot to do with Japan's economic boom, which was ongoing when the major foundational works of the genre were being developed. Looking into the near future at the time, it seemed like Japan would be leading the east in a technological revolution.
As the boom faded, newer works in the genre maintained the surface-level aesthetic connections, but generally dropped or ignored the pretext in the plot connections, which has lead to some reasonable critiques of the genre for employing orientalism. After all, some of the most recognizable visual aspects of Cyberpunk are the street gangs using futuristic katana, neon kanji on every sign, and ramen stands on every corner. When those elements are divorced from the idea of a dominant Japanese economy universally shifting global culture through the strength of their tech innovations (in the same the way the US has exported its culture), they can seem a little bit fetishized.
On the other hand, though, there are a lot of enduring cyberpunk franchises still creating new content, still building on worlds that were established with Japan featuring a new cultural superpower. Those works earned their influences, and as long as those franchises are still active, you're going to keep seeing street samurai and electric geisha.
So that's a lot of words just to say that "Japanesey stuff" is a key aesthetic component of Cyberpunk as a genre despite being almost completely divorced from the themes of transhumanism and corporate greed that typically inform the narratives of the stories (in fact, works that use those without that meaning almost exemplify the dehumanizing corporatism that cyberpunk so frequently rails against).
I love you guys questioning everything! That’s what this movie does to people! No spoon fed easy writing you get today. Something to make you THINK. Brilliant movie!!
Side note: try Terry Gilliam’s “Brazil.” And “The Fisher King”
They’re actually speaking a mix of languages. Edward James Olmos - the actor playing the detective at the start there created it. They refer to it as Gutterspeak or Streetspeak. Also, cyberpunk as a genre was created in the 60s in California - specifically through the litmag New Worlds. Cyberpunk is a blend of Japan, LA/NYC, and the drug/counterculture of the 60s.
This is why so much of Philip K Dick’s work (he wrote the book Blade Runner is based on) is centered around transhumanism and drug culture all in a future California. You should really watch A Scanner Darkly - based on another story of PKD. It stars Keanu Reeves, Wynona Ryder, Woody Harrelson, and Robert Downey Jr. and the whole film is cellshaded over live action filming.
Fun tibbit for Blade Runner: all the replicants have a glow in their eyes. It was a film trick the cinematographer created for this.
Watched this movie as a kid. I had no idea what it was about, but I wanted to live in that cool looking future and be as cool as Harrison Ford.
Gaff speaks a dialect called Cityspeak, comprised of bits and pieces of Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, German, Hungarian, and French. Edward James Olmos, the actor, came up with the Cityspeak dialog mostly on his own.
First, I wrote my thesis in grad school on this film and have interviewed Ridley Scott about it. I've also seen it about 50 times lol.
1) You guys did great with most of the themes and what was going on!
2) The four replicants on the run are Nexus 5, with 4 year lifespan, and no memories but their own. They act weird because they do not have the experience of life that you and I have to deal with their emotions. Think of it like this - they're full-grown, super human adults with the emotional age of a 4 year old.
3) Rachel is a Nexus 6 with implanted memories who, at first, thinks she's human.
4) All replicants are identical to humans - they are all made of flesh and bone. The only way to discern who is a replicant without dissecting them is the VK test.
5) You did great noticing the glowing eyes - that is not supposed to be "real" that others in the movies can see, just a clue as to who and who is not a replicant. Yes, Deckards' eyes do glow briefly in the scene with Rachel after Leon is killed.
It is postulated that Deckard is actually a Nexus 6 himself, or even a 7. Hell, his first moment of existence - of consciousness - might just be the first moment we see him in the movie. We can't know. Also, in the original cut of the movie with the infamous voice over, it is said that Rachel doesn't have a 4-year life span - that she has an unknown lifespan, like humans do. People assume Deckard does too, as he doesn't know he's a replicant until the end.
6) The unicorn by Gaff tells Deckard that Gaff has access to Deckard's memories and dreams, and is therefore a replicant himself.
7) The reason why Roy doesn't kill Deckard is because he wants a witness to his own death - "I was here, dammit, I mattered." Roy didn't plan that, but you can see in his eyes when Deckard is about to fall that he realizes that all life is precious - even that of there human who has killed 3 of his friends.
There are some wonderful books out there on the movie, and some great articles and critiques. Search them out if you're interested.
Blade Runner 2049 is a sequel and it is a masterpiece, just like the original. Glad you liked it!
There is hardly any movie that triggers so many different emotions in me at the same time : Blade Runner. For me simply a masterpiece without wanting to be one. ❤
"I've seen things you people wouldnt believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time like tears in rain."
So beautiful 😊
Decker is a replicant. Ridley Scott has said so in multiple interviews. U were 100% correct that their eyes reflect light differently. In the scene where he’s cleaning up you could see his eyes reflecting in the same way as replicants.
I think the general consensus is that Deckard isn't a replicant. But Deckerd knew what some of Rachel's memories were because he read her file.
One of my all-time favs!!! ✌️
Bladerunner final cut is def one of the best sci-fi movies ever. As soon as I saw Sean Young (Rachel) walk on screen I knew I was gonna love the whole movie lol.
One thing to maybe keep in mind while trying to figure out who is or isn't a replicant based off their reactions, the way they talk, etc. is that they wouldn't have had to invent a Voight-Kampff test if it was that easy. You're meant not to be able to tell who is or isn't a replicant just like that. That's totally part of that big question of the cyberpunk genre: What does "human" actually mean?
Is Deckard AI or not?
I like to believe so although we'll probably never know. Plus, your opinion on it will vary depending on what version of the film you watched.
No. Not in my opinion. He's human. He doesn't have superior strength. That's a big give away. He gets the shit beat out of him, & almost killed by Leon. The audience is afraid for him, with good reason, when he is pitted against Roy Batty(Rutger Hauer). Roy Batty is a military model Replicant. With superior strength. (So is Zhora - the one with the snake.) He clearly has the advantage over Deckard.
In the beginning Deckard says to Rachel, "Technology is either beneficial or it's not. If it's beneficial, then I don't have a problem with it. If it's not, then I have a problem." (Not worded ver batem). Tyrell says that RACHEL is an experiment - nothing more. There are then 3 hints in the movie, that I think are about Rachel. Declared has a vision or sees on a screen or dreams (not sure which), about a white unicorn running. James Olmos' character says first, "I guess you're through". Then, "It's too bad she won't live. But then again who does?". He also leaves an origami paper unicorn on the floor towards the end, that Rachel steps over. And as Declared picks it up, he hears again, in his mind, James Olmos' voice saying that again. It's a strange thing to say, considering the police captain wants Deckard to kill her, & the other Replicants, & Olmos'character seems to be about making sure that he does. Yet he makes & leaves an origami unicorn as a calling card. And says what he says about, her not living. My opinion has always been, that Rachel was a prototype model, created to be more like a human than any "generation" before her. She was kept from slavery. She did not know she was a replicant. She thought she was human, with memories, & emotions. She was not in the same place as the other replicants originally, & did not operate the same way, or have the same motives. And I believe she was not given an expiration date, so she could conceivably live as long as a human, or indefinitely. So the unicorn references IMO were about her.
The movie is based off a book by Phillip K. Dick, called "Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep", which I have not read. The Books & the movie are not necessarily exactly the same story. Perhaps in the book, it is referenced outright, or alluded to more, that Deckard himself is a Replicant. But in the movie, he does not seem to have superior strength, or superior skills to the Replicants. And screenwriters take liberties, & change things when producing movies from books all the time. So I could be wrong - but I think all the unicorn references in the movie are about Rachel, & Deckard is human.
That's been the argument for 40+ years. Even the screenwriter and director don't agree on whether Deckard is a Replicant or not.
Definitely not. The Replicants are all physically superior to him in every way, even Priss, a mere pleasure model. Deckard has been alive more than 4 years. He was a Blade Runner long enough to "retire" from active duty. Given the unstable nature of Replicants, do we really believe they would allow one to roam around unsupervised, with a gun? There is talk of him being a "special" model, but he predated the Nexus 6, Tyrell Corps "newest models". Any older model would be even less human than a Nexus 6. So, no, in my opinion, he's not a Replicant.
You'll really need to see the theatrical release to see why it's been such a contested argument over the years.
The whole point of the movie is that if you get robots (or replicants) up to a certain level, there is no difference between a replicant and a human.
Gentleman, Replicants are not "robots" they are genetically engineered "humans"
Soundtrack is FIRE, the artist Vangelis composed the whole soundtrack.
Come on guys, it literally says in the opening crawl that the Nexus phase introduced the replicants, which were beings "virtually indistinguishable from a human". Why would you think they're literal robots when it even shows later the dude who makes their eyes, which appear biological and the dude calls himself a genetic designer. They're not mechanical robots, they're biological creations.
Super cool reaction guys!
It should be an rule that the theatrical release is always viewed as a prerequisite to watching any other version.
The theatrical release offers just enough information via Harrison Ford's narration to keep from being so confusing.
The director's cut is more enjoyable when you already have the context of the original.
"WHAT DOES IT MEAN??"
Simply that you're not ready.
Interestingly, the author of the novel understood Deckard to be human. The director of the film understood him to be a replicant. The actor, plaid him as human.
The author of this source material, Phillip K. Dick, had a penchant for exploring the nature and validity of personal consciousness. Some other facinating adaptation of his include the very uniquely animated "A Scanner Darkly" (2006), "Minority Report" (2002) and "Total Recall" (1990).
Cyberpunk arguably started with Blade Runner and the novels of William Gibson. In any case, Blade Runner is foundational to cyberpunk. Ridley Scott wanted Los Angeles to have a Tokyo feel, because that's what felt super modern to him, at that moment.
The opening shot of the industrial hellscape was inspired by the opening shot of the Blues Brothers.
In the theatrical cut, at the end we hear a voiceover from Decker talking about the Rutger Hauer saying "I don't know why he saved my life. Maybe in those last moments he loved life more than he ever had before. Not just his life. Anybody's life. MY life. All he wanted was the same answers the rest of us want. Where do I come from? Where am I going? How long have I got? All I could do is sit there and watch him die". And that's why he spared his life. I think it adds to Hauer's character arc. Also it add to the sci/fi-noir vibe given the old detective movies with voiceovers.
I think Ridley Scott went back and cut it along with other stuff because Ridley wanted to focus on the narrative of Decker being a replicant. Whereas the voiceover in particular made him too human and put the focus away of Decker being a replicant. A lot of us who watched the theatrical cut and loved it were kind of pissed with the notion that Decker may be a replicant when Scott brought it up cause that's not really the story we got. But that was the original intention(esp. with all the things that have to do with the unicorns). Personally I like both versions. The novel that was based on is titled "Do Android Dream of Electric Sheeps?". Maybe they could have named Blade Runner "Do Androids dream of Unicorns?". lol
Blade Runner is one of those stories that were "too influential". Like Lord of the Rings did for Fantasy, Blade Runner did for 'future-earth' Sci-Fi. It was so successful that it gave something with limitless potential a *standard* .
The fact the phrase 'Standard Fantasy Setting' is something that can exist without any sense of irony is really telling of how this can affect stories and creativity.
If you remember the Astroid-dwelling Minoch's attached to power cables of the Millenium Falcon, you'll better understand the LITTLE scavengers that swarmed Deckard's vehicle.
04:49 its a mix. Punk started in England/America with books like A Clockwork Orange and all the related-successive authors in the West. Cyber was a mix of Asimov, Dick and Tezuka and so all the related books, comics and mangas
At 42:00, the reason they used Decker, is because the human Blade Runner at the beginning almost got killed. These Replicants were too dangerous. So, they needed to use the Replicant Blade Runner (Decker) to hunt them down. Gaffe knows the memories of Decker, because Tyrell told him about his memories. Just like Tyrell told Decker about Rachel's memories.
At the end of the movie, Gaffe even says, "You've done a Man's job sir." Gaffe was complimenting him in a sarcastic way, because he knows Decker's a replicant.
THEY FILMED THIS IN HISTORICAL BRADBERRY BUILDING IN L.A. GORGEOUS!!!🎬📽🎥📽🎬🎥
Yes, that glow in the eyes is very telling.
The use of lighting in this movie is inspired by classic film noir of the 1940s, which was itself inspired by German Expressionism of the 1920s. However, by the 1980s these movies were considered “neo-noir," as they were either contemporary noir thrillers like Blade Runner, Body Heat, and Blue Velvet, or period noir thrillers set during the 1940s and 50s like Chinatown and L.A. Confidential.
For what it's about, I mean, one of my Senior papers I did over this movie, Detroit: Become Human, and Metropolis (1920s) on how ai/androids in media have been utilized to explore what it means to be human, and how that narrative has evolved over a century. It was very fun to delve into and compare the three and explore the topic.
This film is based on the novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Phillip K. Dick.
Dick is, in my and many other's opinion, one of the Top 10 Best sci-fi writers of the 20th century. His books predict the internet and so much more. He died shortly before this film came out and made him famous posthumously.
I did not get the movie when I was younger.......... but it took a few watches and some study to understand the move.............. this was a movie waaaay ahead of its time
This is a brilliant movie based on the short story by Philip K. Dick, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.....
The lines you quoted..."To bad she won't live, than again, who does" can be looked at literally in terms of Rachel, or it can mean, are you really living life to the fullest as a human. All the androids wanted was life, are we as humans living like repetitive meaningless robots.... Also Deckard was not a Replicant, he was controlled by the system, a murderer for the system and wanted out.......
It is one of the few novels, not short stories, they adapt... but so loosely it is almost a reimagination.
When I first saw it, it blew my mind. Loved it! The replicant Pris is played by Daryl Hannah, who plays Elle Driver in Kill Bill. Sean Young is also in No Way Out, with Kevin Costner. Very under rated movie.