'Blade Runner' created a provocative view of the future

Popmatters ^ | 6/21/07 | Robert W. Butler

[Bluestateredman]

Blade Runner is one of the greatest movies ever made. Ridley Scott’s visuals are stunning.
The characters offer just enough of themselves to leave you wanting more.
Very powerful, thought-provoking film.
I guess I will watch it tonight.

[DancesWithCats]

The best part of the movie is the fact that after 25 years, the film still has a fresh feel to it. It doesn’t feel dated, or feel anchored in time, the way that looking at 2001 or 2010 does. I’m glad to see that many of you feel the same way I do about this “cult classic.” CSG ... absolutely. BR has always been a favorite of mine. It has a dark chill to the truths that it exposes about the value of life. Hauer was incredibly solid as a clone wanting to be a real boy and Hannah as the nutjob he loves. And I thought that Ford's flat delivery was perfectly intentional and right for the conflicted character that he played. No complaints here. None at all.

[RepoGirl]

In some ways, Hauer stole the show from Ford.

I think he did, definitely. Ford has never been one of my favorite actors--he's more of a personality than a real actor, and a dull one--I could think of ten other actors that could have done a better job as Rick Deckard. But Rutgar Hauer is a truly unique, quirky character actor. He was perfect as Batty.

"That's the spirit!" and "That was very unsportsmanlike of you..."

I know Ridly Scott has been ridiculed for his use of smoke-and-haze to ad texture to his films, but I think it really works in Blade Runner.

[CompSciGuy]

The best part is that even after multiple screenings I still get the chills when Sebastian makes his appearance, between his home’s creepiness and the replicants it is the perfect climax for the movie.

Cheers,
CSG

[DancesWithCats]

GOT to watch this movie again! I never get tired of it.

Chilling and sad scene? Her tongue sticking out and he kisses it back into her dead mouth.

[KevinDavis]

[KevinDavis]

You can also say that the current version of BSG was influenced by Blade Runner......

[Darkwolf377]

The genius of Blade Runner for me has always been that the powerful emotional material is there for an adult, intelligent viewer to FIND. 99% of movies would spoonfeed you this material, with syrupy music and overacting, hammering the points home.

An example is how Roy reacts to learning he cannot have more life. He reacts by lashing out violently, not only at the man who made him this way but to the man who HELPED him get to Tyrell.

Similarly, the romance between Deckard and Rachel is very painful--Deckard is obviously a lonely jerk, and he stumbles over his emotions. Just because he's met someone he cares about, it doesn't mean he suddenly has the emotional equipment to DEAl with it. (And as we learn in the end of the workprint--which isn't a director's cut--there's a reason for this emotional immaturity.)

The replicants are perfect screen substitutes for today's youth--growing up so fast they don't have time to learn how to be adults, so they are just fumbling kids in sexual, buffed-up or just bigger bodies.

[Nachum]

I liked the film well enough, but one the best of all time? Not for me.

Some Sci fi's shook you. The first time the movie Alien was run, I saw it with a large audience that had no idea of what was to come. We all walked out in shock. The papers all had stories about it for weeks. The first Star Wars was stunning, The Day the Earth Stood still was like that.

Blade Runner? Definately not like that.

[antiRepublicrat]

Hauer, for instance, always has believed that his often-murderous character is the film’s true hero. He calls Deckard “a dumb character. He’s not the hero. He’s the bad guy.”

I think he's right. I always found Roy more sympathetic than Deckard. Deckard's wandering around in the dark wondering who he is. Roy knows who he is, and that he's going to die, yet he helps his hunter in the end.

[Tainan]

Leon...don’t forget Leon!

[af_vet_rr]

A 25th Anniversary Ouch

Thanks for making me feel old :-)

I was one of the few that seemed to enjoy it when it came out in the theaters the first time around. I'll be seeing it again. It's kind of eerie how much has started to come true - the computers are getting closer to being appliances you use for whatever purpose - when he has his computer zoom and enhance on the photos and then print, we can do that with existing software/hardware, albeit somebody would need to work on a voice interface, but that exists as well - at the time you would not have imagined you can manipulate a photo like that and then print it out so easily.

Same with the replicants - we are getting to where within possibly my lifetime we'll have organs as easily created as they did then.

[Spiff]

Blade Runner is still in my top 10 favorite films. It made me think that Philip K. Dick was cool before the rest of the world discovered him. Now, it seems that every other film is based upon something he wrote. (Just saw Next last week....blecchhhh....).

A bit like Blade Runner in its vision of the future, but not nearly as much of a sci-fi film, I really enjoyed Children of Men. If you haven't seen it, I recommend you get it and watch it. I was stunned by the film.

[MarkL]

Well, now we all know what to get you for your birthday!

Mark

[BigCinBigD]

I hate to admit this,but. Prior to reading this thread the only thing about this movie I remembered was a naked lady with a snake.

[Truth29]

I've only seen the narration version (years ago), but this article makes me want to see each version. I do remember the visuals. Some of what is written about here seems prescient in today’s world. It will be a real treat to see a new release in the theaters.

[dennisw]

Next with Nicholas Cage was OK.... But you must realize that connecting a movie with Philip K Dick has great cachet. But most of these movies are only “inspired” by a Philip K Dick piece or short story. Enormous liberties are taken with them

[dennisw]

Rutger Haur ..... great actor in a great movie. That movie was cutting edge back then. The plot mystified me but so be it

[brivette]

I agree.

[Egon]

OK. So the author managed to get quotes from Rutger Hauer, Ridley Scott himself, a professor of popular culture, a guy who draws Marvel comics, Roger Ebert, and Leonard Maltin.

...but he wasn’t satisfied with those quotes.

Fortunately, he managed to locate the elusive Kansas City-based Federal Express employee Jason Arnold, and get his opinion, as well.