Background Information
The 1982 science fiction film Blade Runner directed by Ridley Scott is ripe with paradox and complexities. The film is based in Los Angeles in the year 2019. The Tyrell Corporation is created bio-engineered, synthetic humans for venturing into the space colonies that have been set up. However, a group of these machine humans escape the scape colony and come to Earth. An exhausted cop Rick Deckard played by Harrison Ford is assigned with the task of finding these three escapees and retire them which means to kill them. Later in the film the leader of the synthetic humans, Roy Batty played by Rutger Hauer, finds out that they have only been designed to live for up to four years and that he will inevitable be dead soon. He goes to Tyrell to increase his lifespan but Tyrell admits that it is impossible and Roy kills him. In a climactic scene Roy and Deckard come face to face and when Deckard is hanging off the edge of the building in pouring rain Roy pulls him up and talks about his experience and last thoughts.
The film explores several important concepts like what it means to be human, the role of society and individual, the possibility of coexistence, technological advancement: its use and misuse, human vs. robot, power and control etc. The film paints a dystopian picture for the audiences yet within the world of Blade Runner’s dystopian future there lies a certain sense of hope. The disillusionment of society and individuals is contrasted with the idea of hope. Moreover, the Blade Runner is a bleak film capturing a dystopian world, however, the paradox lies in the fact that the inhabitants of this dystopian world actually consider their world as a utopia where they have advanced so much that they have now become creators of human beings. In this sense the film also deals with the idea of what it means to play with humanity and its experiences. Thus, the film Blade Runner offers a dystopian representation of a utopian society. However, the dark and bleak world of Blade Runner is tinted with the glow of hope for humans, society, and the future.
Themes in Blade Runner
Humans Vs. Robots
Human vs. robots is one of the main themes of the film. An exploration of what it means to be human is central to the film Blade Runner. The film may be set in a science fiction genre yet it asks very fundamental questions about humanity and its experiences. The film asks the questions like what are the things that define humans and make them humans. In the film it is suggested that being human is being connected to emotions and having memories and emotional connection to those memories as well. This is revealed from the way in which the Tyrell Corporation tests subjects to determine whether they are human or replicants (synthetic humans are called replicants in the film). Rachael is an excellent example of the complexities of creating mechanic humans. She had been installed with false memories to make her behave more like a human which leads to her believing that she was in fact a human being. When she learns that she is not human but a robot she is heartbroken and the audiences feel the pain she must feel.
Roy is another great example of the intermingling of humans and robots.in the climax of the film Deckard is chasing Roy to eliminate him. Yet when Deckard hangs precariously between life and death it is Roy who lifts him up and saves him from sure death. Following this Roy gives one of the greatest monologues in film history stating that his memories will fade into time just like tears disappear in rain. The expression of such human emotions shocks Deckard and he looks at Roy in extreme sympathy realizing that in many ways Roy was more human in that moment than Deckard himself was. Deckard was blindly following the orders from above to exterminate the robot fugitives while Roy was only running to keep on living which is the most basic of human predilections; survival. Roy also mentions that it is fear that keeps one chained to obeying orders and being a slave to the established structure. The statement shows to Deckard that he was being more of a robot than Roy because he was the one blindly following the orders he had been given. In this way, Roy was doing something extraordinary because he confronted his fears and tried to reclaim his freedom from the chains in which he had been shackled. Once again, along with Deckard, the audiences go on a journey of illumination and self-awareness through this final climactic confrontation between Roy and Deckard.
Hope in a Dystopian World
The world of the film Blade Runner appears to be dark and bleak. Yet there are still remnants of hope in this darkly decaying world. One of the aspects of hope in the film is the relationship between Deckard and Rachael. Despite knowing that Rachael is a replicant not a human Deckard finds himself falling in love with her. At the end of the movie we see Deckard and Rachael together which shows that Deckard has decided to spend his life with Rachael even though she would be dead soon as she too has been designed to live for four years. Gaff points this out to Deckard and accepts that no human is deigned to live forever, therefore, Deckard must make use of the time he has left with Rachael.
The unicorn is a frequent symbol in the film. While some critics have suggested that the unicorn symbolizes that Deckard himself is a replicant, the creature, nevertheless, remains a symbol of hope, purity, and magic. At the end of the movie Rachael knocks over an origami of a unicorn left there by Gaff. Moreover, by saving Deckard’s life Roy himself becomes a symbol of hope. Roy saves someone who has been trying to kill him yet in his final moments he chooses compassion over annihilation which not only gives hope to the audiences about the replicants but also about the world in which they live. There are elements of hope to be found in all circumstances.
Another major symbol of hope in the film is the dove or pigeon. During the climax of the movie, after Roy saves Deckard’s life, he is holding a dove in his arms. Throughout the monologue he keeps petting the dove with kindness and compassion. When his monologue is finished he lifts the bird up in his hands and sets him free. We then see a shot of the white dove flying into the sky above. The dove is a symbol of innocence, purity, and love while a bird is a symbol of freedom. Through this scene, it is being suggested that however dark or bleak the circumstances may appear to be there is always the possibility of hope in every situation.
The Role of Society and Individual
Blade Runner is a dystopian tale of a utopian world. What it means is that while the world in which the narrative of the movie is based is extravagant, technological, and very well-developed the story of this world told by the director is highly bleak. The people living in the world of Blade Runner consider their society a scientific marvel of technological progression. However, seen from a vantage point (the point of the director) the audiences can clearly see the apparent failings of such a society. Society’s effect on the individual is not good as it is based in the principles of utilitarianism rather than compassion and humanity. A society based be based on the principles of kindness and regard for each of its individuals yet the society in Blade Runner is only concerned with making profits by colonizing other planets. A society which cares for all of its members and helps them reach their potential instead of exploiting them for personal gain has a more positive impact on the people.
The huge skyscrapers, flying cars, and technological innovation suggests that this world might be a utopia. However, the story of the film reveals the setbacks of technological evolution and the dangers it poses in the wrong hands. When society begins to misuse its resources for personal gain than the dynamics of that society becomes unbalanced which is the case with Blade Runner. In the movie we see that the speakers keeps advertising, to the people, the colonies established in space using these words “A new life awaits you in the off-world colony; the chance to begin again in a golden land of opportunity and adventure.” (Scott 1982). While these words paint a very positive image of the advances the society has made in actuality the condition is very bad. The colonization of planets in space is not just a misuse of resources but also a nightmare when it comes to the lives of people and where the society is headed as a collective.
Power and Control
Blade Runner poses serious questions regarding the ideas of power and control to the audiences. The film shows that those who have the money are in power and therefore control the lives of the masses as well as the resources available to the society. As we can see in the movie the Tyrell Corporation is exploiting the technological advances society has made by playing God and creating their own army of synthetic humans for military combats or as a slave race to populate the space colonies. The corporation ignores the fact that in creating replicants they are causing a lot of anguish and pain to humanity. The idea of what makes people human becomes blurred in this dystopian world as machine humans and real humans come into direct confrontation with each other.
In the climax of the movie, as Roy sees the fear of death on Deckard’s face as he hangs between life and death he comments “Quiet n experience to live in fear, isn’t it? That’s what it is to be a slave.” This simple comment made by Roy is extremely powerful in its significance. Roy points out that it is essentially the fear of death that turns people into slaves. It is the same fear of being annihilated that has turned Roy into this monstrous being. Yet in that moment he chooses to overcome this fear and save Deckard, breaking free of the chains of fear. Moreover, Roy also refutes control and power by escaping the colonies and by choosing to decide his own fate rather than working blindly as a robot for the authorities which is something Deckard himself has been doing. Roy refuses to accept that his life has only been designed to serve the purpose of others and he finds his own purpose in life, which is to free the replicants from slavery to Tyrell Corporation. Thus, in the climax Roy turns out to be freer and fearless when compared with the character of Deckard.
Retro-futurism
Blade Runner might be a science fiction film but also has roots in the genre of retro-futurism. Retro-futurism refers to a genre in which the narrative is based in a future time. So, even though Blade Runner was made in 1982 it is set in the future year of 2019. Retro-futurism combines the elements of the past with those of the future to create a present reality. The costumes, plot, setting and the other creative features of the film helps to categorize the film as belonging to retro-futurism. The setting and plot of the film as well as the set-design is highly futuristic. The world of Blade Runner is full of flying cars, skyscrapers, and the colonial ventures into space which defines a futuristic tendency. However, the remnants of the past, the old world, can still be found in this world as the recurring advertisement of Coca Cola shows that the narrative of Blade Runner is a memory of the past and a vision of the future. Deckard himself is a man who is torn between the past and the future. he has faced serious issues and trauma in the past which affect him in the future. The film itself is an exploration of a world that is conflicted between its roots of the past and its ambitions for the future. the world of Blade Runner thus fits perfectly into the genre of retro-futurism as deals with both thee traumas of the past and visions for the future.