Blade Runner: The Other Side of Modernity

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Blade Runner is my favorite movie. Understanding Art House is an educational series of film study. For this reason, all ads have been turned off. I'M IN COMMENTS!
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Other video analyses of Blade Runner:
Steven Benedict: • Analysis of Blade Runner
Creepy, Obsessive Nerdlove did really interesting review of the film, talking mostly about post-colonialism and the subaltern: • Creepy, Obsessive Nerd...
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[@mattsuperfreak]

It's insane how fucking relevant this film feels

[@alexkfridges]

+matthew woodall this film was so ahead of it's time it's ridiculous.

[@denzelromero4796]

Binary Domain is arguably more relevant than this film

[@blendersheep6503]

Movie is based in 2019

[@ajackson5955]

We’re closer all the time.

[@antonhallergren588]

@@alexkfridges it still is.

[@miraxell]

RIP mr. Hauer. Memories of you will not be vanished like tears in rain. He died in the same year with Roy Batty in 2019.

[@SingaporeSkaterSam]

OMG you are right. What a brilliant observation, thank you. Life imitating art. Time to die.

[@sankhadeepburman9709]

yeah man. that's good observation.

[@feix5800]

He is immortalized with Roy Batty.

[@gerardsims6368]

I had no idea about that coincidence. That really gives one cause for pause. Wow. He brings so much to this role!! The importance and pivotal meaning that consciousness plays in the Universe. This movie will never be displaced from my number one choice of all time.

[@Daysed.and.Konfuzed]

Oh, but they will. Like everything human. And I truly believe that was his point. His passing around the same date was indeed poignant but poetic. Did you guys know that he wrote the last half of that soliloquy himself? The original lines were awful.

[@wymeranth]

What really makes this movie epic is the Vangelis soundtrack. Seals the deal for me.

[@Nerdwriter1]

When has Vangelis /not/ sealed the deal?

[@eu3145]

Agree... and visuals and the atmosphere.

[@murrrr8288]

If this movie was nothing else but vangelis sound track and beautiful scenes, i'd still watch 3 hours of it

[@remka2000]

Yes but the photography is also insane. I come from classical painting (oil, brushes, canvas - yeah some of us still exist 😊), and the framing of every freaking shot is a masterpiece in composition, color theory, layering, etc.

[@EpsilonKnight2]

Vangelis' score is so fantastic that it's almost like he layered an entire other emotional reality on top of an already densely emotional film. Just listen to Blade Runner Blues for a mere 2 minutes and you'll be warped to a world of thick ambience, warmth, cold, movement and pause all at once.

[@viktorvondoom9119]

And he also has a song called "Rain and Tears" (in the group Aphrodites Child). Not in the movie, but just a fun fact

[@tobiasholding855]

​@@viktorvondoom9119 wow

[@markwayne470]

Yes yes yes. It's absolutely the best marriage of a musical score to a film that I can imagine .

[@sohilmalhotra4053]

honestly real, the emotions i felt during this movie made me cry, been diagnosed with depression ever since, #lovebladerunnerforever

[@bijibadness]

*sigh* EVEN THE MUSIC makes my skin flush with emotion. what a movie. what...a...movie.

[@BollocksUtwat]

*EVEN THE MUSIC makes my skin flush with emotion* So you're not a replicant is what you're saying.

[@restlessentertainment9760]

Well that's what the music is meant to do I grew up with the Blade Runner soundtrack and when I heard the first note of Tears in Rain in 2049, it immediately brought a tear to my eye

[@joaopedrooliveira8906]

same here. Vangelis is a f**king genius

[@adamhogwood1830]

Why...do....people....think....pauses.....are....more.....dramatic

[@TheDalitis8]

Probably the best of all time.

[@agfelippi]

I don't think that the question of whether or not Deckard is a replicant is valid. It may be the first question you ask yourself when the movie ends but asking this is missing the point entirely, because all the movie wants to show is that it doesn't matter.

[@penttikoivuniemi2146]

Yeah, I agree it matters, and to be honest, him not being a replicant is central to the story and what it says about being human (Ridley Scott's words aren't worth shit on the issue, he didn't write the story, nor the screenplay, so he doesn't have authorial authority. Even if he did, it's questionable if that would matter though, The Death of The Author and all that). I interpret the unicorn-scenes as showing how similar to replicants humans actually are; how there really is no difference between natural and engineered life and the ending is about Decard realizing that, and choosing to fight for the rights of the oppressed even though he himself isn't one of them. Having him be a replicant cheapens the finale and his choice to abandon humans for replicants.

[@ThePrimordialChronicles]

André Felippi Well,it matters for the sake of the sequel

[@BlockheadJiujitsu]

Yep, he's still alive so not a replicant

[@rayaqin]

+Pentti Koivuniemi I think Deckard is a replicant, but he thinks he is a human, so it does not cheapen his choice.

[@nope5657]

André Felippi Thank you! This has always been my thought on the matter!

[@phoebexxlouise]

I finally understand the tears in rain thing: what's four replicants amongst billions of humans? How could you tell the difference? Why would you try?

[@MrPinbert]

+Phoebe Louise Honestly that scene makes me tear up a little bit every time I see it. So beautiful. One of the best scenes in movie history :_)

[@SuperJamesus]

+Phoebe Louise i always saw it as a existential spiritual moment as Roy Batty accepts his death he realizes the temporary nature of all existence of all life within the world. the nature of time, it is true for us all that every memory and moment of our lives " will be lost like tears in the rain" and in that acceptance he finds existential connection and value in life, in his true empathy he displays unconditional compassion and saves dekard, i see it as his most human moment, in that moment his tears ( his memory's and all that he is,) and the rain are one, and time & death and will wash them away as non distinct as water, as his memories and all that has made him and distinct individual are no different in time than the rain drops that wash away his tears, and like us all time will wash it away.. a profoundly poetic and beautiful metaphor for the illusory nature of individuality the self and the temporal nature of this life

[@ezracarson8898]

+Phoebe Louise It always seemed to me that he was saying his memories will die with him, and thus the records of those events he described. They, his memories and those events, will blend together and become indistinguishable in the long past, like tears in rain. His tears mean something to him, but the rain is indifferent, and so it all washes away together. I suppose it has multiple meanings though.

[@MrPinbert]

Ezra Carson Very well put :)

[@phoebexxlouise]

Ezra Carson That's what I love about the scene, the multiple interpretations of it are pretty endless

[@dannguyen7800]

does anyone noticed the gun shots wounds on the snakegirl replicant's back seem like an angel whose wings being ripped off?

[@shellshock10]

but why would she symbolize an angel?

[@dannguyen7800]

symbolism for the sake of symbolism as far as i can tell. But thinking deeper about it, she used to live high up in the sky, only to fallen down to earth, being hunted and killed by human. Think about it...

[@dannguyen7800]

Mot to mentioned she get kicked out of the sky because she with her friends rebel against their higher rulers, that fact make them become lucifers, which make the ending even better when one of them symbolize jesus

[@dannguyen7800]

no i haven't either, everything i got is from the movie

[@shellshock10]

Paolo Chavez let's hope it isn't

[@jackieboy1606]

Is it poetic that Rutger Hauer passed away in 2019?

[@Jack-gv6xj]

He was my hero since I was 10 or 11 :/

[@whiterabbit3919]

That my friend is art. Rip

[@anantambisht4895]

Fuckkkkk dude

[@jiffylou98]

It was his time to die

[@colinfitzgerald007]

You know GD well it is

[@rampant1apart]

Funny, I always took the line about tears in the rain as more of an existential statement that all is subject to entropy, despite the new circumstances to modernity. That modern life and it's myriad new details and nuances still are beholden to a brief life and that death remains the great equalizer. In essence, I thought that line was continuing the dour tone of the film and emphasizing how unimpressed it was with modernity and how little it has done to change the true essentials of life; memories and death. Your interpretation is very well argued though, and certainly gives me new food for thought. I think I will have to rethink what I thought that final line was all about. Great video, as always! Keep up the good work!

[@Nerdwriter1]

I think Batty's speech is existential, nihilistic. I agree with you. That's why I said he resigns to his identity, rather than accepts it. His identity, for at least the end of his life, was defined by longevity. He had little, he wanted more. I think Batty was trying to find a way to come to terms with the fact that all lives are short compared to eternity -- but he still wanted more.

[@rampant1apart]

I think I hear what you are saying. Nihilism runs strong in the film and genre it created. I think what I admire about your examination of that line is that you embrace the ambiguity, where as I had just took it as a conclusion instead of considering the questions it could possibly raise. It's thought provoking stuff like that makes me enjoy your videos so much. :)

[@MajorGeneralPanic]

Also of note: "tears in the rain" was ad-libbed!

[@rampant1apart]

Oh wow. I didn't know that!

[@davidchase9424]

+MajorGeneralPanic it wasn't ad libbed it was shortened and re-written by Rutger and approved by the director. Ad libbed makes it sound like he just made it up on the spot...which is wrong.

[@donnydanko2718]

The world of blade runner is so seductive, so mesmerizing you forget how depressing it's supposed to make you feel.

[@ashnair7]

That’s because it’s more appealing than actual Los Angeles in 2019

[@randomjasmicisrandom]

I also find it incredible how a Science Fiction film made over 30 years ago still looks so good. You would expect the attempts to predict what we would be wearing, or what the future in general would look like to be really awful, but in my opinion it doesn't. And the music by Vangelis has to be one of the best movie scores of all time. Even if you do not particularly like Vangelis you have to admit the music matches the movie so well. I know that these facts are just a thin skin of looks on the outside and you are discussing much more deeper values, but the looks and sheer beauty of the film are stunning. You could have discussed the childlike and doll like character of Pris played by Daryl Hannah as another way of looking at stages of what it means to be human. After all each replicant we meet has a completely different aspect.

[@maxphilippi9944]

whenever I look at scenes from Blade Runner, I ask myself why it seems so modern. I don't speak about the sets, I mean the crisp quality, the camera movement. Can someone explain why this movie seams so modern? if I didn't know this movie, I would believe someone telling me this movie is from the last decade.

[@littlecurrybread]

+Jeff Jefferson Jekovsky A lot of it has to do with the film lens. Some older films didn't use great film lens, but if you look at Kubrick or Ridley, they always used state of the art camera lens. It's not the only thing, but it's a huge aspect almost no one talks about.

[@ZiddersRooFurry]

Most of the design work was based on Syd Mead's concept art. He's a visual futurist who excels at extrapolating from current technology where technology will go. Because his work is so influential it helped inspire modern design which is why the film looks so modern. It's considered required viewing in a lot of architectural schools.

[@MrPinbert]

The other comment is right, the lens has allot to do with it. What also probably helps is the fact that this movie uses allot of deep blacks, which helps the camera to pick up greater details. Also the Final Cut version of the movie had a digital restoration proces in 2007. If you want another example watch The Game, from 1997, with Micheal Douglas. You will notice that the image quality is almost exactly the same as House of Cards years later. (both are directed by David Fincher).

[@littlecurrybread]

MrPinbert Yup, very true that the masters' works will always age better than a guy who's just competent but doesn't have full mastery of the tech. Even in 1997 The Game stands out as a movie that looks so clean compared to other flicks at that time. It helps that these guys shoot for complete sharpness and full approval over the film processing, color grading. Sad to say but many directors don't know or worse, don't care.

[@MrElliottMckenzie]

Simply great craftsmen ship, it's why Quentin tarintino wanted the hateful 8 filmed in 8mm. If the director wants to make their movie timeless they'll pull in their best guys to do the job. The sets, editing, lighting and of course all the equipment is always top notch for its time, and in reflection to ours. Awesome cameras have been about for many years which translates the material forever

[@twelve_birds]

Deckard / Descartes... that much for modern conceptions of identity :)

[@kjetilsenNOWAY]

Woah

[@polyvinylfilmz]

Oh god DAMN it

[@jimmytwohats2538]

+LEISURE OPTIONS Holy smokes... that's just mind blowing. A whole new dimension has just been opened. Thank you.

[@WhtMike2006]

Wayne Simpso

[@MrENRAP]

i think there's much more of heidegger... blade runner is an existentialist movie directed by an existentialist author: it's time to die = it's time to become really human... it could be possible a marxist (atheistic... ) interpretation of the movie, as far as a christian interpretation too... but the greatness of this masterpiece is existentialist...

[@Geekman333]

This film is a masterpiece by any definition and for my tastes, the greatest film ever made. A fine analysis that wakened me to things I hadn't thought of. First class. Thank you.

[@Bergamot88]

Can we expect a case study on 2049?

[@MostlyPennyCat]

Yes, but in our 2050.

[@lukedoyle3002]

Projekt:Kobra Agreed. It’s not exactly a bad film but there really isn’t enough there to pick apart for a case study

[@lukedoyle3002]

Projekt:Kobra You’re not supposed to talk about it!

[@lukedoyle3002]

Projekt:Kobra Why? Did you ask questions?

[@swastiksahu6889]

@Projekt:Kobra She's kind of there. And a movie doesn't become shit if you refuse to understand and invest in it.

[@kmdvideo28]

Nice vid, especially liked the focus on minor scenes. I've always been on Harrison Ford's side, who argued that Deckard was human; he argued that making him a replicant was uninteresting, akin to having two computer programs trying to beat each other. I find Deckard as human far more interesting as he goes through the processes you outline so beautifully. Deckard seems deadened compared to the passionate replicants he pursues (highlighted by Roy Batty's "tears in rain" scene, but also his romantic pursuit of Rachel as well). What the replicants want seems reasonable, human. Batty's grace and Deckard's awe in their final scene speaks volumes.

[@Nerdwriter1]

Totally agree. The human/replicant question has never really been that interesting to me, particularly in respect to Deckard.

[@Haldered]

I think it's important that Deckard is a replicant since it represents humanity's struggle with itself. By viewing Deckard, Rachel and Batty through the replicant lens gives us more insight into the nature of our own humanity than if any of them were human. They are "more human than human". If Deckard isn't a replicant, then it just turns into the totally nihilistic story of robots vs. humans.

[@masterpieceicesculptures7029]

Replicants aren't robots. They are genetically modified, lab grown, living, breathing, sentient beings.

[@dncewzrd]

Such a beautiful and amazing movie, I remember watching it for the first time about 5 years ago, 15 year old me was amazed, I've never seen a movie as beautiful and eye-catching as this before. 34 years later, the movie holds up very well, it looks like a modern movie... truly a masterpiece.

[@Nerdwriter1]

REDDIT link: bit.ly/1pVjTmC Upvote if you want to help me keep making these!!

[@willbrine1404]

fine fine i just don't get around to reddit all that much

[@Nerdwriter1]

***** I know. It's a big ask. And I sort of hate when other creators ask me to do this. But if the video gets shared, and more people watch, it really does translate to me being able to do more of this Nerdwriter stuff. And Reddit is the ground zero of internet sharing. I appreciate it, William. I really do.

[@tnethacker]

Do keep on making these. You make my day week after week and I couldn't live without them. will upvote you hesitantly :)

[@tcfaria]

This was absolutely spectacular, man! Great job!

[@CarbonBallas]

Fantastic video with great insights. Absolutely would love more! (edit: joined reddit just to upvote!)

[@MrSupergingerman]

"the definitive version of the film, you sonuvabitch." Liked and Subscribed.

[@oldfrend]

you know what was the funnest part of this film? the critics HATED it when it was released. just goes to support my theory that scifi is the unwanted stepchild of film when it comes to awards season. i think we'd all agree today that bladerunner is the far superior film to mothereffin' Gandhi, E.T., Missing, The Verdict(!?!), or Tootsie(are you fuckin kidding me?!?)

[@0oidiedinatimemachineo024]

+oldfrend the verdict is a great movie though!!!! Sidney Lumet was a master director.. But yeah all those other movies are ehhhh.

[@ZiddersRooFurry]

It's a great film but it's depressing as fuck.

[@matman000000]

To be fair, the theatrical version was ruined by the cop-out happy ending and pointless voiceover.

[@oldfrend]

Mattchester ruined is a bit strong of a word i think. lessened, sure. but even as a kid, before the director's cut was ever released, i knew bladerunner was better than the crap that most of the critics loved.

[@GoggleMan25]

Tbf, E.T. is a special film to a lot of people, i'm not a huge fan but it's undeniably iconic

[@janders79]

"The central problem of modernity isn't humanity. It's identity." Beautifully phrased, and it really strikes me that this is, for sure, what BR is about, itself.

[@TheHandOfCod]

Also one of the best femme fatale entrances captured on film.

[@fenilparekh4439]

I am loving these movie analysis videos!!!! keep em coming.

[@Nerdwriter1]

Will do.

[@Bill-zp2mt]

Nerdwriter1 Why you don't have millions of subscribers is beyond me. Keep it up! =D Amazing!

[@CourtneyCoulson]

Ridley Scott is my favourite director, it always strikes me how he doesn't mess around. His films are generally a reasonable two hours, but they are so dense, so filled with information and yet they aren't overwhelming or rushed or otherwise weighed down. Somehow his films simultaneously moved along at a quick pace but also have room to breathe, like the scene you highlighted, it's just those extra few seconds that can create a richer world.

[@dantethunderstone5766]

Nice job. For me, the scene where Decard is chasing the nightclub performer was particularly strong. The desperate struggle to survive and the sheer terror of the assassin chasing her, blurred the distinction between replicant and human. Ridley Scott held true to the Doritos of the early sci-fi writers in that he didn’t provide answers to the questions. One reason why the film can be watch over and over is that you have to find your own answers, and these tend to change as we grow older. Great film. Great review.

[@jayexonauts5587]

One of the best analysis of Blade Runner I've come across. Truly brings the concepts, themes, and nuances of the film into focus. #bladerunner #ridleyscott #replicant

[@josephpiazza1199]

One of the best movies ever, IMHO. Also, one of the few novel adaptations that diverges so much from its source material, and yet still manages to stay true to its spirit. Not to mention, it's just f'n gorgeous.

[@Nerdwriter1]

Joseph Piazza Fucking gorgeous, indeed.

[@nasifkhan8959]

did u really put hashtags in a youtube comment section

[@TheNerd]

Blade Runner is such a unbelievable atmospheric movie, but sadly most movies today are action films with cuts that are faster than my brain can "process the data". How about a case study of 2001 odyssey in space? Maybe one of the slowest but most genious movies i've seen so far.#

[@CannibaLouiST]

+d3xLP 's Sci-Fi Channel Actions films today are so fast and shaky I can't see shit at all.

[@al112v4]

Not all Sci Fi movies have always been like BR or 2001, and there's nothing with "easy" movies like that. But I guess we should demand big corpotations to make more intelligent movies right?

[@chickenwing27]

ex machina was gud. so was INTERSTELLAR and...idk Lucy? it's only once a couple of yrs we get a gud sci fi flick.

[@paulafer485]

"Her" is tecnically a sci-fi and also "Another Earth" , but yeah the Sci-fi business has been pretty slow

[@modude117]

"My name is Max. My world is fire and blood."

[@qigong1001]

In the scene where the beautiful replicant getting shot in the back as she crashes through the store windows struggling to get away had such impact on me, its always the first thing that pops into my mind whenever I see Harrison Ford or a mention of Blade Runner or anything that tries to copy it. I can't think of any other movie with that impact. Hundreds of dreams from Blade Runner.

[@Nerdwriter1]

Dreams, yes.

[@prosecutorgodot519]

I can see how Cowboy Bebop may have used this contrasting of high technology with grimy underbelly.

[@Teadon86]

Agreed.

[@dj_koen1265]

Yes but the thematic from bebop is a bit different Its more jazzy in the sense that it portrays life in a broken but perseverant state, it shows How life always moves on Even if we as individuals cannot

[@NobilisBellator]

This being being my all time favorite film, there is no way I could pass up this opportunity to thank you from the deepest of my heart for posting this. As a new born filmmaker there is still so much for me to learn and I am so eager to do so and happy every day I learn something new. Today what I learned is WHY I loved this film so much. I could never have explained it as well as the narrator of this short film you posted. Thank you, thank you thank you. I enjoyed every second of this video.

[@noseefood1943]

6:20 there is rachel in the back ground.

[@andrelli82]

6:09 This is directly after Zhora's haunting final scene, I think there is a double meaning behind Deckard asking the vendor "Is this enough?" It's the overt vs the covert motive again, and here he is not really asking about the purchase payment. Firstly, he is subconsciously looking for outside validation. Were his reasons good enough for physically killing Zhora? It would help reconcile his internal emotional conflict with his outside job identity. And secondly, he is questioning the societal construct in which the lone wolf detective routinely abuses alcohol, to substitute expressing any feelings via healthy human relationships. It doesn't feel like the drink is enough anymore now that his awareness is outgrowing his old self. So yes, he is seeking comfort from strangers by interacting in this superficial way, but the importance of his question, especially that it is posed to another person in an unfulfilling job role, is what I took away from this scene. Before being startled by Gaff, he looks quietly relieved just to hear the vendor reply with her short "yes".

[@topsyandpip56]

In the book, Deckard struggles a lot after killing the equivalent character Luba Luft, because Deckard watched her sing in an opera and despite the cold, uncaring desolate city he occupies - and despite false emotions thrust upon him by the mood organ, he felt truly moved by her peformance. After he killed her he couldn't help but wonder if what he had done had truly made any sense, even if Luba Luft had been an android, what is the difference?

[@kikkirow]

The best movie ever made, and probably the best soundtrack

[@kikkirow]

Axe and Shield Stanley Kubrick is the best director to ever live.

[@kikkirow]

Axe and Shield Chaplin was the first famous actor and a pioneer to say the least. Kubrick was a cinematic genius -- very obsessive over his shots and choreography. It could also be argued that Alfred Hitchcock was the greatest as well....

[@TigreXspalterLP]

Nah. More like worst movie ever. None of the emotional themes he thinks are there, are in fact not there. It is a bland, inconsistent, boring mess

[@georgekurioreilly4857]

DerNeuere, worst movie? It's a great movie and that's why it has 100% on rotten tomatoes, 8.2 IMDb and 89% on metacritic.

[@restlessentertainment9760]

DerNeuere Was...that a double negative?

[@Stier2019]

so many magnificent quotes! "Quite an experience to live in fear, isn't it? that's what it is to be a slave"... " The light that burns twice as bright burns half as long... and you have burned so very, very brightly, Roy" "Nothing is worse than having an itch you can never scratch" and so on

[@Nerdwriter1]

Can someone post this on Reddit and share the link with us here in comments?

[@nicksomma]

@Charles the Movie Guy interlinked

[@undertakr]

Thank you for the Neuromancer plug. My favorite novel. It has its flaws, but still remains as enthralling as anything I have ever experienced. I also saw Blade Runner in 35mm last year... stunning. Absolutely stunning.

[@yarow122]

+undertakr: "I also saw Blade Runner in 35mm last year" Where?

[@undertakr]

Hollywood Theater Portland Oregon

[@ArchonExMachina]

Blade Runner is perhaps the emotionally strongest movie experience of all time.

[@lawrencecalablaster568]

I just finally watched Blade Runner last night. Even though I'd already seen this video, it still surprised & amazed me at each turn. It's excellent.

[@ChalfantMT]

Has anyone else noticed that Roy Batty and Rutger Hauer both died in 2019??

[@ekbergiw]

This is by far my favorite evolution of the Vsauce KZbin style :)

[@highlightshadow]

Just found your channel recently but i'm already enthralled by your insight and perspective.... superb work

[@OrionCallisto]

I have watched many videos of yours today, and each and every one has managed to well up a torrent of emotion in me toward the end. I don't know how you do that, but it is marvelous.

[@Kiptrev]

Love these! Can't stop watching them and you! You are a very talented editor, researcher and presenter of everything you cover. Well done! Keep up the incredible work!

[@Nerdwriter1]

Cheers, Kip.

[@NVOLIKOS]

The scene with the kids on the bicycle may seems dead time and pointless for some people but somehow I find it beautiful and suitable for the tone of the film. Perfect scene!

[@TheElectrizantee]

A true Masterpiece, my favourite movie of all time

[@TheElectrizantee]

#83279 random guy Yeah, i'm little scared to, but denis villeneuve is great and Ridley scott is implicated in the movie, so i'm optimistic

[@ausiuchi]

Thank you for again another spectacular video essay. As a Art undergrad you're my dream in terms of essay writing, such as when every time you keep the point so concise and dense. And you end your essay with a killer last sentence EVERY TIME!

[@VinceTibo]

This is a fantastic video. Not the most recent, but soooo enjoyable to watch. Thank you NerdWriter.

[@bensmith9253]

I'm in a Japanese noodle booth in Bangkok watching your video. Perfect, I think.

[@HenriGP]

After watching this I couldn't help but think that the background music, Vangelis' Blade Runner Blues sounded to me an awful lot like Pink Floyd's Shine on You Crazy Diamond. That made me hope and wish for a Nerdwriter video on "Shine on You Crazy Diamond: Understanding Emptyness in Music" or something to that effect

[@prisma6799]

I knew i wasn't the only one who noticed that

[@alekx1603]

Bravo! A fantastic and just analysis of my all favorite film! I think many of the points you discussed is why a small fraction of us have always came back to this wonderful film... the depth, themes, and beauty it provides.

[@gapper3]

Very good analysis of my all-time favorite movie. I've seen it so many times and yet you've brought up points that never occurred to me. Well done !

[@wheeler553]

Every time I watch this film I'm so conflicted. I love the thematic elements and obviously the visuals, but I feel like the film does a poor job at establishing plot points and executing proper film language. I'm constantly asking myself "Where are they now? Who is that? What is he holding? What are they even there for? etc". Does anyone else have a problem with the narrative continuity of Blade Runner? What I find frustrating about Blade Runner is that whenever someone breaks it down, it relies ultimately on its thematic elements but when you observe the film as a whole, I feel it has a lot of flaws lying within its chain of sequences and screenplay. Does anyone else have issues with the narrative continuity of Blade Runner?

[@CptMaximus]

Just watched the movie for the first time. It does not hold up in my opinion. A lot of the acting, writing and editing is extremely questionable. But it opened up a genre and defined a new aesthetic. I appreciate it for what it signifies, but it is not a good movie by today's standards, in my opinion.

[@noradosmith]

It has a very odd way of telling the story. Many odd traits to characters and motivation. Still love it though.

[@averyplaysguitar]

I recently watched both movies for the first time and I think that it does have some moments where I thought “who is that, where are they, why are they there?” But in the end I loved the movie because I mostly understood it as whole.

[@TheDanrox110]

It’s good to know I’m not the only one who felt that way. I only grew to appreciate it after watching videos like this that broke it down. In my opinion the movie could have used more dialogue, not the phoned in voiceover but at least a bit more context to the characters and their actions

[@MacetazzOpina]

bad movie but perfect piece of art

[@MichaelBridge_]

Best film of all time, well, for me anyway, especially after attending Secret Cinema in London. I can't wait for the convention in Teeside in November, 2019.

[@Stier2019]

this film is simply delightful! so many beautiful and profound dialogues! 35 years after it was made it is still one of the most amazing master pieces...everything is so perfect: the music, the characters, the environment (rainy, dark, smoky), the so profound adressed topics...and so on

[@jonnykelleyy]

hiyya Evan, your book has brought me back here, and will bring me to rewatch this film and its sequel as well. As well as other novel recommendations in that chapter. Thank you for all you do

[@Bronxguyanese]

Blade Runner artistically and visually is a stunning movie and well ahead of its time. we as a society can relate with blade runner and it's themes which plague our everyday modern lives. Themes such as technology, corporatism, slavery, elitism, globalism, environmentalism, urbanism, all played and layed out in blade runner, but also play out in our modern world that we live in.

[@AnkushNarula]

Best analysis of the film I've ever seen on KZbin

[@timw2144]

I believe that the tears in rain line signifies the pointlessness of trying to make a difference or to fight when there is such a large world that cannot be escaped. It also adresses the idea that everyone is living in their own raindrop, their own world and never takes a look around. Roy at the end finally aknowledges this and sees that the beauty in life comes from experiencing the world rather than creating experiences.

[@mythcreant]

This is the first of your vlogs I've seen. I come to you as a filmmaker who is genuinely impressed with your insightful and fascinating in-depth analysis of what is, to me, among the greatest movies ever made. I'm eager to hear more. Keep up the good work.

[@jordel2010]

My favorite sci-fi film ever. A masterpiece. I have a few issues with 2007's final cut because of Ridley Scott' slight case of "George Lucas Syndrome", but still the great film it has always been. Kudos.

[@DragonTigerKnight]

I remember i cried when i seen the movie i love music perfect fit. My favorite movie blade runner.

[@MrWhipple42]

I've seen this movie dozens of times over almost 40 years. You brought some new perspectives on it that I'd never noticed or considered before. I guess that's the mark of a good film-when there's always more to learn about it. Thank you.

[@Dooger414]

Been a fan of EveryFrameAPainting and Criswell for some time, which brought me to your channel. This analysis got to me. Subscribed.

[@dlysele]

I have seen things, you people wouldn't believe.

[@nurlindafsihotang49]

condicending, but full of loathing to the ones that was ignorant and naive...always felt the eerie, unconfortable and curious everytime i am rewatched this movie

[@dlysele]

Nurlinda F Sihotang I love the noir mix with scifi of this film. not alot of films are like that.

[@nurlindafsihotang49]

***** yep. Many dark humour there

[@gundabalf]

yeah, what?

[@mikeylikesit100]

Man, what happened to the Ridley Scott who made _Blade Runner_ and _Alien_? Cause that director is sadly no longer with us. Most of his films of the last 15 or 20 years have ranged from serviceable (_Kingdom of Heaven: Director's Cut_, _Body of Lies_, _Black Hawk Down_) to complete crap (_The Counselor_, _Robin Hood_, _Exodus_, _Hannibal_, _Prometheus_, and I have a feeling I'll be adding _Alien: Covenant_ to that list if the trailer is anything to go by). Even his better films of the last 10-20 years (_Gladiator_, _The Martian_, _American Gangster_, _Matchstick Men_), all films that I really enjoy and consider to be pretty good, still don't really come close to the genius of _Blade Runner_ or _Alien_. I want THAT Ridley Scott back, please.

[@TheBatman135]

mikeylikesit100 he got old? lol

[@nurlindafsihotang49]

he tried to shake off the blade runner's spells. you know how great works often jailed the creator. stop to compare his work and enjoyed it as their own merit :v

[@michaelotis223]

Man, the level of ego in this comment Lolz!! Amazing!!!

[@BollocksUtwat]

*To start with films are subjective* Oh god, not one of these people.

[@MrDrezzy007]

mikeylikesit100 if you think the counselor was a bad movie you have missed the entire point lol reply to me whe you watch it again but this time with zero expectations

[@deborahkim890]

I stumbled on to your channel today. I'm sad I didn't know about this channel sooner! I love it. Keep up the good work.

[@Astarti9]

One of my favorite channels. Thank you so much Nerdwriter!

[@SunsetSideVet]

Great points and insight but I think you missed the real soul of the movie as many people do. Let me refer to Prometheus an extension of blade runner. What was the theme of the movie? What do we do when we meet our makers. What if our makers are flawed not god like maybe not even more moral then the people/robots they created. What if we were created for science or commerce and were not created for any good reason? Roy is the center of this his travels back to earth is like humans travel to the planet where the engineers who created humans were. Roy realizes his makers were clumsy ill moral and losses his faith in himself and his GODS. In the end by giving life to deckard by not killing him Roy found faith in himself and made himself better than his Gods. P.S. Deckard is a robot Gaff is the clue

[@nurlindafsihotang49]

very much a like frankenstein (the book mind you). very agreed with you, and it seemed...no one else thinking the same as us?

[@alundberg]

You have to do a film analysis of 2001: A Space Odyssey

[@dbryan1688]

Excellent analysis. I've read several books on the film. This video brought good, new ideas forward.

[@lazy_gamer_dad]

Great work! I love watching this film to empathize with every characters struggle with their identity and how they deal with their place in the beautiful world they live in. I always felt Roy has done more than any human but realizes that such things have no importance in the scheme of all things. The whole question he asks is "What am I to the world?"

[@BearOdysseyTV]

"Duuuh CaUcAsIaN wHiTe fLiGht" This type of intersectional dogma was creeping into the consciousness of the societal intelligentsia as far back as 2014. No doubt this dude was a bright guy subjected to it in university. Good analysis apart from that fart sniffing moment though. 8/10.

[@Milk-jy1kn]

And? That that point of view is recent doesnt make it any less valid nor dogmatic. Its always “mUH POstMODErnisT maRXIST prOPagandA” with you fools, you are as sheepish and easily swayed by reactionary points as you paint OP out to be

[@evooff]

@@Milk-jy1kn It's an invalid point. What he said is factually incorrect. You don't see the "upper class" at any point during the movie. You literally saw one company executive and that's it, how do you know the rest of the upper class which lives away from Earth isn't diverse?

[@theguy134]

There is no doubt the argument of a homogeneous ruling class is made in this film. Being woke wasn't created in the 2010s. Get over yourself.

[@CrackSmonka]

I always find in your insights a huge amount of subjectivity. I'm fairly positive in 60/70% of the times not even the director ewas thinking about the things you point out. I don't mean it's a bad thing you have that inside world, but I'm sure that is just your vision.

[@emotown1]

+Diente de Pollo Welcome to the world of art critics ! Say anything earnestly enough and it sounds like you know your "-isms" inside out.

[@RuiCBGLima]

I disagree... I think real artists have to think about all this. But it doesn´t mean their own interpretations are the most accurate. Also, it's art, so it is meant to generate different meanings, different explorations and possibilities. I think he (nerdwriter1) is good at presenting some of these possibilites to a broader public, as companion pieces, and give depth to the work of art. In this sense, helping the rest of us to look up for new stuff in these and other works. Generally speaking, works of art could be considered "imperfect works" by design. Artists and directors don´t need to be perfectly aware and "conscious" of what they are making, specially considereing art is so subjective, but, I believe, they have a level of cognition not entirely made out of words, but premonitions, actions, of senses, an extra sensibility which words were not yet made for. That's why art kinda exists. Yet, it doesn´t come from devine inspirations, rather concrete experience. So artists, the director must have tried this in other different ways. The director must have thought of this, just, not in the way we think he did, maybe uncounsciously.

[@DrakeMagnum]

I never tire of serious discussion about this, perhaps my all time favorite film. This brief video is so good it still brought on the goosebumps. Well said He-Man, well said.

[@wrichcirw]

Please do more of these. I'm not particularly a fan of bladerunner and it's been dissected to no end...but your piece on snowpiercer was really good and really refreshing. Cheers, you've earned a subscriber.

[@toshi292929]

Fuck me..so happy I found this channel!

[@Nerdwriter1]

So happy you're happy you found it.

[@HealthSet]

I always thought that the last words "Time to die" spoiled that awesome monologue... I see you think the same, mate, taking that you have cut them out of the video =D

[@elementalrainbow]

Excellent analysis from a film that has so many tiered perspectives. I have been watching this film over and over again for decades. I kid you not. Used to play it on my VCR and fall asleep to it. This is the best film of all time.

[@nigiastephens6984]

Wonderful, this was great. I can watch this movie each year for the rest of my life. Insightful commentary. The best on a movie I've seen in a great while.

[@blazemordly9746]

I remember that Apple TV ad back in the day, it always came on sometime before i had to get on the bus and head to school. I’d be riding to school staring out the window, all the time wishing that lady’s boobs would’ve popped out while she spun around to throw the hammer.

[@Unakanon]

When I watch this film I like to imagine that the first eye is Deckards as he is "switched-on" for the first time, that those noodles he eats are the first thing he's ever eaten.

[@cheshireinjapan]

Funny that I just watched this yesterday for the umpteenth time. It's a really good analysis of a masterpiece. Thanks for that, and looking forward to the next video.

[@Nerdwriter1]

Cheers, Derek. I've seen it umpteen times too.

[@peytonbarnard2113]

Right now I’m at a point in my life where I’m unsure of my passion for film and filmmaking. This movie and your dissection of it rekindled my love for movies. Thank you. (I know it’s a little dark but it’s not like I know anyone here)

[@argelisplanchart9438]

One of the best sci fi movies ever made.

[@Puckosar]

2:46 but we literally only see one person who is part of the upper hierarchy, so saying that the upper society is predominately caucasian doesn't make any sense. We only have on person to go by

[@chrislejuez]

So glad you touched upon that scene with the bicycles. I revisited the film before viewing 2049 and found myself rewinding that one scene over and over. That scene more that any other convinced me that I was witnessing a living, breathing world. Absolutely captivated me.

[@richardrose2606]

There's a very similar scene in The Conformist by Bernardo Bertolucci, which I believe is one of the greatest films ever made. I think that either the director or one of the screenwriters must have been influenced by it.

[@melissamoore6539]

I wish that this youtube channel was around while I was in film school. I might not have dropped out. The discussions are for nuanced, expositional, and interesting than any of my classes and truly presents film as high art as opposed worthy of attention.

[@allencrider]

He mispronounced Deckard. I wonder why?

[@Nerdwriter1]

allencrider for a dark and mysterious reason

[@DontBeNegative]

+allencrider that's coincidentally how Ridley Scott has pronounced it in a few interviews though

[@Katurha]

+allencrider it comes from René Descartes (which you can pronounce ranay dacart) who's a french philosopher who worked on the subject of identity. Cogito ergo sum (i think therefore i am) is one of the main core of Phillip K Dick's work and comes from him.

[@LiveDissection]

+allencrider because Nerdwriter1 likes to sound like a little fancy boy.

[@josevelajr]

+allencrider Descartes

[@criztu]

Ah for fuck sake... this movie is about the Transmutation of the Soul. The alchemical process of transcending to a higher state. Magnus Opus. The All Seeing Eye in the beginning, is the Creator, gazing at the crucible of souls - City of Angels, where Replicants are created. The darkened city is the *Nigredo* - black, first stage of the alchemical transformation. Giant furnaces spew flames over the city. The two pyramids with two columns of light is the *Albedo* - white, second stage, separation into the two opposing principles. Deckard brought to meet Rachael, is the *Citrinitas* - yellow, third stage, dawn of the the union of the two opposing principles. Roy Batty dying engulfed in white light, is the *Rubedo* - red, last stage, union of male and female, the completion of the Self.

[@royford3]

Great observation. Terrible preface.

[@rickdeckard1075]

alchemy IS for fuck's sake - it's a classic philosophy of pickup lines

[@shellshock10]

could you please elaborate on that?

[@rickdeckard1075]

criztu a stream of random hermetic nonsense worthy of umberto eco...

[@tomstonemale]

+Rick Deckard Actually is not that random, maybe poorly phrased or overly concised. There are whole essays written about gnostic themes on Ridely Scott's early films. There's even a quote of a poem from William Blake in the movie, and just by reading "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell" helps a lot to understand (kind of, I mean at least it helped me) the themes of the movie. excuse my english

[@xbox360nerd97]

Love these videos! Thank you!!

[@michaelbonade4667]

well said...those moments Ridley shows us beyond or after relevant dialogue serve to draw us deeper into the world he created on screen.....we don't have to think about what's being said, we just take in a random experience and it strengthens our connection to that world

[@squamish4244]

The angst over modernity and identity is, in my opinion, the result of Western philosophy's long obsession with the search for an 'authentic self' that lies at the core of the person. You see this idea permeating our culture, hence all of the questions about what it 'means to be human' and the anxiety over biotechnology, advances in neuroscience, etc. that supposedly threaten to alter this self. Eastern philosophy offers a different take, however, by positing that there is no authentic self. What we take to be 'human nature' is in fact an ever-changing aggregate of thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations that is not even the same from day to day, much less over a lifetime. From this viewpoint, Blade Runner is not a nihilistic film, but for me at least a deeply inspiring one as it causes us to look closer at just what we take for granted as our humanity, which may in fact be nothing more than a construct. When Roy Batty stops fighting his disintegration and dies, it is liberation, not loss.

[@michaeldawson1194]

+valinor100 Is it really that simple though? I don't know enough about philosophy, but can you really just paintbrush it as a West Vs East thing? Surely there were Western philosophers who disagreed with the mainstream school of thought

[@squamish4244]

Flynn Gumshoe There were. David Hume proposed that all experience consisted of 'bundles' of phenomena that is very similar to the Buddhist concept of 'aggregates.' Although he may have had contact with Buddhist ideas at one point in his life.

[@30071997kario]

Am I the only one who likes the original cut?

[@ZiddersRooFurry]

I prefer it, too.

[@gonpotsyring5303]

Contrary to many, I also think the narrated version has another subtle line of continuity that draws me deeper than Scotts version(and the happy ending appeals in a film so full of unrequited darkness. the book is quite a bit different, more mental, as Phillip K is(was), than physical). I also edit out the 'gratuitous' violence, but not all. I appreciate the aspect to aspect feel(as NW exposes in his analysis of Ghost in a Shell). It melts me, like tears in rain.

[@SeantommyE]

My reasons for disliking the original cut are these: Harrison Ford's acting on the voice over lines is incredibly flat, the voice over lines don't add anything to the film's story, since anything they tell you is either already mentioned in the opening text or obvious from context, and the happy ending, while heartwarming, is tonally out of place after the bleak outlook Roy's death scene leave us with, while the excuse given for the happy ending was flimsy at best and thus not believable at all (she's "special"? "No termination date"? Why? That runs counter to everything we've learned about the replicants and the Tyrell Corporation). Lastly, the film's point is wrapped up with the reveal of the origami figure (whether it refers to Deckard or Rachel, which might change based on the version) and the recollection of the line "it's too bad she won't live, but then again: who does?" That leaves us thinking about the difference/lack thereof between humans and replicants, which is what the film is all about and follows well from Roy's death scene. There's no reason to continue from there to the added scene, nothing more is added to that central theme and instead it just distracts from the message, even directly harming it by juxtaposing the "then again: who does" line with lines about how she'll get to live after all. I can understand wanting a happy ending, but the specific fate of Deckard and Rachel is left hopeful enough in the Final Cut without detracting from the movie's themes.

[@arckocsog253]

I loved the happy ending.

[@AnthonyTyson1]

Great video.  I knew a lot that you mentioned myself, but you also mentioned a lot that I never thought about either. I really enjoyed the final metaphor you gave, and reveals much of the unapparent allegory of the film. Subscribed!

[@cyedrysek]

Was so completely intrigued by your thoughts on this most wonderful movie that I almost forgot to click "like". Think I got wrapped up watching the large bathers and forgot. Will go back and fix my error. Thank you for doing this! It really helps to appreciate art in all its forms, when someone in the know is willing to share their thoughts. Please keep it up.

[@g.t.5483]

this movie is great

[@kino_verite]

Is the director's cut of Blade Runner sufficient?

[@MrPinbert]

Final Cut is the best version. The director's cut is not even really a directors cut, since Scott was not involved (he was busy shooting Gladiator, so they based it on notes and what the editor said the original cut was like). The Final Cut is the actual Director's Cut. The Final Cut is also the version with the best image quality.

[@marcbrasse747]

I think all versions have their merit, even the original release with the cliché detective voiceover. Many fans are secretly happy with all these versions because it gives them something to become totally *nal about. Just watch whatever version(s) you can lay your hands on and let them speak for themselves, although comparing them IS of course still good study material about the art of film making. Imagine 3 versions of Esenstein's Battleship Potemkin existing. Oops, just went *nal myself! :-)

[@halimaakter7388]

Marc Brassé I actually wasn't a fan of Ford's voice over. What made blade runner so good imo was The eeriness and the voice over took away from that. The final cut is by far the best imo

[@marcbrasse747]

The voice over reaches back to the 40ties film noir detective theme which is also present in Rachels make up and hairdo, the One More Kiss My Dear song and other aspects of the art direction. To call it a forced Hollywood graft on is therefore part of the, actually even more artificial, myth building. But again: My argument simply is that all versions are more then O.K. even if one might have personal preferences.

[@RynMyers]

I actually prefer the director’s cut. Has most of all the added elements, without the color altering and bumped up contrast. I can clearly see more details in the world much better in the Director’s Cut DVD compared to the Final Cut Blu-ray.

[@SpiritoGiovane]

Two out of two (the first was Ghost in the Shell): people need to watch your analysis! The eye, the split of the society, Deckard's dream, the maternity (paternity in realty and absence of maternity for the Replicants, the things that push Roy to blind his 'father')... Very well done, I will search your channel for more cyberpunkish movie analysis - or wait for them! ;-) Thank you very much!

[@1337HaxXx0r]

I watched your analysis to under the skin and also read the conversation with you and that guy in the comments. Until now i watched all the movies he mentioned in his first comment. Just a few days ago I watched blade runner for the first time and now you're making an analysis of this film. I feel like traveling through movie history having a great mentor. I love your work and feel like I'm learning somenthing new everytime. Thx for that :)

[@Nerdwriter1]

Just give me a heads up about what you're watching next.

[@1337HaxXx0r]

Nerdwriter1 Next, I'm gonna make my way through the Lych movies, because I did like Mulholland Drive a lot and keep on checking on the movies mentioned in your comment section. Already on the list are Memories of Murder and Apocalypse Now. I'm also a big fan of Park Chan-wook. I watched Oldboy a thousand times, but also his other movies are worth watching, for example Thirst. I love asian Art House, the mixture between the crazy characters and depth feels refreshing, when I get sick of western happy end movies. I rather prefere stories and endings that leave me with a bad feeling I need to think about the days after watching, than a happy end i forget about within seconds.