I've just watched this again tonight, as I've had the new five disc Final Cut sitting on my shelf since Christmas, just dying to be watched...
To me, this is a beautiful, classic piece of Film Noir. Harrison Ford is both cool and vulnerable, and possibly at his best in this film.
The film centres on a number of complex and intriguing themes, that are so relevant and important today - and continue to get more important as time goes by. Set in a dystopian Los Angeles, set in a meagre 2019, the film has horrific connections to Globalization, Climate change and genetic engineering - sound familiar, I think we are currently running threads on all three subjects.
Harrison Ford plays Rick Dekkard. He's a BladeRunner charged with protected the population of a run down Earth from being corrupted by Androids (known as Replicants) built to do the harmful or unpopular tasks off world.
When four Replicants escape and return to Earth, it raises the question, why? Why would they return to Earth, what's in it for them? These, and other aspects, all add to the paranoia and self questioning that lie as central themes in this story of what it means to be a human.
Throughout, the Replicants are portrayed as more human than the humans. Even Dekkard, whose very humanity is also called into question, appears cut-off and cold, as he performs his "Voight-Kampff" tests on suspected Replicants - a test designed to promote an emotional response. The Replicants seem 'concerned' for they're comrades, even upset when they die, while the humans seem ruthless and cold - more android than the androids.
All aspects of this film are amazing. From Rutger Hauer's role as the powerful and devlish yet emotional leader of the Replicants, Roy Batty; and the sleek and dark cinematography; right down to the twisted classic/synthpop soundtrack from Vangelis, that still influences such modern groups as Goldfrapp. It just looks so cool!!! And it's so deep... You don't get that too often.
I think what I liked the most when I first watched it (all those moons ago) was very simple. It was the vision of a Sci Fi future were people didn't wear silver jumpsuits - a very different look at the time. It was also a dystopian future, for people who didn't realise that it was a dysotopian future. All too often, the characters involved in these stories are constantly harping on how bad things are, when in truth - unless you're really old - you just get on with how things are, as you are unaware of anything different. It is supposed to be us as an audience that can see the difference.
As to the Final Cut. Really, it's just a re-mastered version. I'm led to believe there is a few sound tweaks, but really, that is all. But it looks fantastic!! And still looks fresh, even if it is only 11 years in the future now. Perhaps they should have left this off for this version, the date of 2019...
A fantastic Neo-noir Sci-Fi, with all the trimmings. Does for the Noir what Alien did for the 'Horror mansion' film.
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Blade Runner - The Final Cut (1982)
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