What BLADE RUNNER Is Really About

[@geslinam9703]

I agree - the end of the movie, the final scene between Roy and Deckerd, Roy saving him, his sorrow at losing his life - none of that would have worked if Deckerd wasn’t human. And Gaff knowing about the unicorn, well, maybe he was just psychic.

[@MM-op6ti]

I always thought decker was a replicant solely because he can go toe-to-toe with them repeatedly and survive.

[@dukeon]

“I want more life, fucker.” This line should have been left intact in the Final Cut, which is otherwise superb.

[@mikebasil4832]

Part of me might agree and part of me might not. But I somewhat understand why the change was made.

[@johncollins2395]

Thanks for a perfect description and explanation.

[@nikospaleologos3907]

This movie is a once in a lifetime work of art. One can spend endless hours disseminating it and still long for more. It will live forever.

[@ethanrabideau7402]

IMO 2049 was better but 1 is very good

[@samfisher2306]

Excellently put. I have it in 1st place for SciFi genres, 2001 in 2nd place.

[@Yooyangs]

I appreciate the synopsis

[@catsupchutney]

Teenage me left the theater obsessed with this movie. I actually looked up reviews in Film magazines at the college library.

[@BlackDoveNYC]

Teenage me was obsessed too.

[@extofer]

I love that Blade Runner 2049 keeps Deckard’s identity just as ambiguous as it is in the first film.

[@richardrose2606]

I believe Deckard is human. In the novel he is human, both of the screenwriters thought he was human, and Harrison Ford played him as human. There is a symmetry in the movie. Deckard is a human who is losing his humanity; he's an alcoholic. After killing Zhora he gets drunk to deaden his conscience, which replicants don't have. Rachel is a replicant who through her experiences and implanted memories is becoming more and more human. They meet and literally and figuratively save each other's lives. Break that symmetry and the heart is ripped out of the movie and all meaning is destroyed.

[@squirlmy]

But isn't what kept the film alive all these years; the ambiguity of Deckard's humanity? The "Final cut" and edits that show the origami unicorn? The original flopped in part because E.T. came out that same summer. We're still talking about it (and not so much E.T.) in part, because of the hints that maybe, just maybe, he's a replicant. As such, he was doomed to hunt his own kind, and what's shown is a miracle that he was "rescued" from killing his own kind. That story of "salvation", because Deckard sees "humanity" in other replicants, even though he himself lacks biological "humanity". THAT story is ripped out of the movie, if he is definitely, unquestionably human. I sortof agree he's probably human, but I think it's way overboard to talk about "the heart of the movie... destroyed". It is much richer for proposing the Deckard might be android/replicant. that element adds, it doesn't take away!

[@hossesarse]

It was so gorgeous when Roy saved his life, just so he didn't have to die alone and his memories simply lost. He wanted to share his memories, to pass them forward, and to preserve them. More human than human.

[@KidFresh71]

Philip K. Dick is my spirit animal. "The man who remembered the future." Read "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" when I was 13 years old, and my life was never quite the same. While Dick's writing was serviceable; his concepts, world building and prescient imagination were astoundingly powerful.

[@OneTakeVids]

Great book - finally read it in prep for this video and sampled more of his work after that. Over time will be working my way through his whole library

[@KidFresh71]

@@OneTakeVids Way to go, fellow DickHead (what Phillp K.Dick fans are called, ha ha). I really loved your analysis on Blade Runner, and definitely hope you do a follow up video on Bladerunner 2049. Peace!

[@ansfridaeyowulfsdottir8095]

@@KidFresh71 The first I read was _"A Maze of Death"_ in 1974, when I was 12. Nothing in science fiction makes sense except in the light of Phillip K. Dick. {:o:O:}

[@kaima8002]

Conor mcgregor is my spirit animal

[@slewone4905]

great author. But you do not want him as your spiritual animal. He has some demons i n his head. His world building comes from his psychological disorder. He is a diagnosed schizophrenic. And his latter books would not exist, if it wasn't for Heinlein, and the others who hand around Clifton's cafeteria, which closed several years ago.

[@bobdinitto]

I was absolutely enthralled by this movie when it first came out. It was like a breath of fresh air: A science fiction movie that didn't involve space battles. It has a deep and meaningful plot that's quite unique and thought provoking.

[@Raz.C]

Well, it kinda DID have space battles, as per the opening text crawl. They just happened off-screen, before the start of the movie.

[@Arumflower]

It's not about space battles but it's about killing, again !

[@tomasinacovell4293]

He doesn't understand them though, he just projecting his pedantic BS on it.

[@SpiderPriestess]

People need to understand that when this movie came out there was nothing like it on the big screen . It truly was monumental for the time .

[@albertgaspar627]

on a side note, Star Trek's space battles often involved large, well populated ships, like the old naval warfare stories, with captain outwitting captain through tactical positioning and broadside volleys. Star Wars began with the classic "whale swallows ship" scenario and ends with a space battle more like WW2 dogfight movies, the Death Star being taken down not by a broadside but by a single well placed missile by one ship.

[@patbateman6729]

17 when it came out, 59 now, this movie affected me then, and now even more so. RIP Rutger Hauer, tears in rain, hardly not.

[@ErwinSchrodinger64]

I didn't like the film when I first watched it at age 12. I thought it was just boring. However, I kept thinking about the film for years. I've watched Blade Runner at least 50-60 times. After, the 5th time, I realized I liked the film but I didn't understand the full arch of the story and its characters. Now, I still watch it because it's such a beautiful film to watch. That's where its masterpiece aligns with me.

[@squirlmy]

I'm just about the same age, but I saw E.T. in theaters instead of Blade Runner. I later rented a VHS from my local video store, specifically because of controversy of whether Deckard was an android or not, and the silver origami unicorn, and so forth. I'm glad I loved it from the first viewing. The "tears in the rain" speech really had an impact on me.

[@Dowlphin]

It shows that the way to enlighten people might involve not handing them something they cannot comprehend, but, where an openness to grow is recognized, to do the 'footwork' and actually explain stuff, teach awareness for complex, philosophical thought. Somewhat related but different, when I watched Abrams' Star Trek, I was in a negligent mood and thought it was a moderately entertaining, alright action movie. But then I read some reviews and that activated my discerning mind again and then I watched it a second time and noticed what an awful piece it is. - And that's alright. It is a bit of a sacrifice of the old in order to also become able to appreciate the pleasant types of complex works.

[@flintsky7706]

Your underdeveloped 12 year old brain just couldn’t comprehend what a good movie was. Me, on the other hand, saw this movie at the same age and knew it was brilliant. That’s why I’m better than you.

[@eldronjaedike9374]

Let me guess, you've never bothered to read the book

[@BruceWall-gv4up]

I. remember. in. 83. at. the. house,. we. had. Show Time and. Blade Runner. came on. a. few. times. about. 3. am ,. talk. about. a. cool. summer,. 16. years. old,. could. stay. out. half. the. night. them. go. home. and. watch. B.R. I,ll. never. forget. those. night's. 🥲

[@stevecowder4774]

“ She might have been a Replicant, but that didn’t make me feel any better about shooting a woman in the back. “ In the original, narrated version of the movie, there’s so many great lines by Harrison.

[@KipIngram]

I always thought the most telling scene in the movie was the fact that Roy spares Deckard at the end of their conflict. He'd beaten him, thoroughly. But, faced with his own death, he chose to not strike a man down out of pure spite. It's better than a lot of humans would have done. He was willing to fight and kill for his life and freedom, as is every living being's right. But he wasn't willing to kill for no point. That indicates a moral substance.

[@tulud]

Except he literally killed Tyrell for no point

[@kimcarsons7036]

@@tulud there was a point. It was a slave revolt.

[@KipIngram]

@@tulud That's certainly true, though one could make the case that Tyrell was much more responsible for the wrongs that had been inflicted on all replicants. Deckard was a "tool" of the wickedness more than being wicked himself. I think a main theme of the movie is the change he goes through on that front.

[@cyrethnabal296]

@@kimcarsons7036 No, Roy didn't kill Tyrell because of the revolt. He had already escaped, and going after Tyrell would only put him at risk of being caught. Roy, as a Replicant, without a fully developed set of emotions, life experience, and empathy, murders Tyrell almost as if a child having an angry tantrum, because he asks 'Father' for 'More Life' and Tyrell won't give it to him.

[@kimcarsons7036]

@@cyrethnabal296 you are presuming this thru a neo-liberal lens. A slave revolt wishes for a liberation beyond the individuals concerned. It's a master/slave dialectic

[@merkinsniffs]

Great review thoroughly enjoyed it

[@albertsnijders7566]

Was blown away by this movie when it came out. And Rutger Hauer is absolutely spectacular in his role.

[@lettybastien4624]

RH played so many great roles.

[@albertsnijders7566]

Very true!@@lettybastien4624

[@willbrink]

Reception was mixed because people are dumb. I saw it in the theater when it came out as a young man, and i was blown away. I knew I'd seen something that was ground breaking and would be classic. I can't even count how many times I have viewed it since. I still prefer the original released version.

[@EduardoLoos]

This movie was a real DIRECT PUNCH ON MY STOMACH when i first saw it.... i was 15 years old... with lots of questions about life and death... I remember that scene with Deckard and Roy, in the end, made me cry, with maybe the most painfull cry i ever did... that moment opened my eyes about how death is inevitable and life is short...

[@PiotrDzialak]

This film is so good! Apart from what is mentioned here, I also appreciate the love for little things. For example: Rachel's eyes glow not because of the CGI, but because of the combination of candles and mirrors.

[@dundeedolphin]

"Do Androids dream of electric sheep?" is worth a read. IMO the movie would be entirely different without Rutger Hauer's dying monologue, which he suggested and wrote on set.

[@evanescapades2513]

Deckard being a replicant is Ridley’s clear admission that he is not a replicant.

[@Egill2011]

I would recommend to read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick. It could give some insight.

[@AiDecc]

Awesome vid. Thank you :)

[@66meikou]

I had to sneak into the theatre to watch this as I was under 18 at the time. This movie changed my life. It's my all time favourite movie. From the set props to the set lighting and mood. Syd Mead's designs. Harrison Ford and Rutger Hauer's performances. I was besotted with Sean Young. It was a Ridley Scott masterpiece.

[@maxdaly8185]

Deckard’s character seems like he’s been taken over (possessed) from the start, as if he’s being played in a video game. At the noodle shop he asks for 4 but the chef tells him 2 is his usual, then Gazz speaks to him in a foreign language and Deckard tells him he’s got the wrong guy. In the meeting with Bryant he behaves almost like an imposter learning as he goes…

[@neightneight1280]

The OST remains the most soul-stirring music I've heard in 40+ years. Blade- Runner can also be a halting look at how veterans are treated as fully disposable tools by an entire society. We hoo-rah them in media, but leave MANY to die; from neglect, from PTSD & worse.

[@dpsamu2000]

If you're not getting what you contracted for hire a lawyer like the rest of us. You want to be a crybaby to get more because of the danger of the job there are a hundred jobs more dangerous, and all we get is a days pay.

[@reck0n3r]

Vangelis (the composer of the OST, for those who don't know), passed away in May 2022. RIP

[@dadejohnson6387]

Vangelis did a few scores back in the 80's. Very talented musician.

[@ziff_1]

See also Vangelis' newer album "Juno to Jupiter". it's also exquisitely done.

[@chickenlover657]

The purpose of soldiers is cannon fodder. Always was, always will be.

[@jd3497]

We have the talking pedestrian crossings already. Wait. wait, wait, walk now.

[@jademoon5103]

Rutger Hauer is the real star of this movie

[@mikebasil4832]

Agreed 100%. Though I also most fondly remember Daryl Hannah as Pris.

[@dand3953]

An android is a mechanical counterfeit of a human being. The replicants were quintessentially human. They were actually mutants, reconstructed with the best genetic material available to perform as an end-source of product labor. Most replicants fulfilled a specialty performance.

[@grandslapper]

The unicorn is a symbol of longevity. They live for 1000 years. When I saw the theatrical release (before Scott added the unicorn dream) I assumed that was why Gaff had left the unicorn there.

[@gaynorhead2325]

My favourite movie since it first came out! It was a breath of fresh air in the sci fi world. No space battles just a damn good story.

[@jkdbuck7670]

My stepdad let me watch this when it premiered on network TV...I think it was on NBC. I was very young. The end blew my mind as a child....the "bad guy" saves the detective who killed those he loved and tried to kill him as well. I really thought Roy was going to let him die.

[@Dancestar1981]

I saw the original when I was very young too I was born in 1981

[@limeyosu2000]

I know people hate when Harrison ford did narration on the original release but that was what I grew up with. On vhs of course. The movie is one of my favourites I can literally watch it several times a year !

[@Jianju69]

The unicorn dream was added to the film *after* the question of Deckert being a replicant was raised. It has always bothered me that Ridley Scott jumped on that train, something which Phillip K. Dick clearly did not intend.

[@scroopynooperz9051]

Whether or not Deckert was a replicant is completely irrelevant. If that is what people are caught up by they've completely missed the tone and message.

[@Jianju69]

@@scroopynooperz9051 Irrelevant to *you* perhaps. What's irrelevant to *me* is your opinion.

[@scroopynooperz9051]

@@Jianju69 "It has always bothered me that Ridley Scott jumped on that train." You posted your irrelevant opinion here too numbnuts 🤣 We must not be very strong on the self-awareness thing huh Tex? Lol

[@ethanrabideau7402]

@@scroopynooperz9051not really it definitely matter and that story is MUCH better if he is a true human

[@johnobrien8773]

Does anybody else remember when that robot kidnapped Dan Marino?

[@Gaggerlotion]

No

[@anotherblonde]

At 14:08, the reflection of the candles appear like a crown upon "Roy's" head. Roy means king. Like a candle, his life is snuffed out. I saw this movie first on the big screen. Amazing cinematography.

[@daydreamers8254]

what language does roy = king? do you mean Rex?

[@anotherblonde]

@@daydreamers8254 Old French source rei, Middle French roy (modern roi)

[@daydreamers8254]

@@anotherblonde sweet, i love learning new things. ^_^

[@rikk319]

@@daydreamers8254 Roy=king, the root for the word royal.

[@mattc3581]

'The light that burns twice as bright burns but half as long, and you have burned so very very brightly.' The original proverb that this was based on actually says candle not light, since that was where the principle came from.

[@tokarukora7272]

Who the hell ever said about Blade runner that "the story was lacking"? That is absurd and always was.

[@diligentsun1154]

'quite an Experience, to live in fear, isn't it?' It most certainly IS, Roy. Without a doubt.

[@jeronimorubim]

Yes, thank you! My father took me to watch it at the cinema when I was abou 5-6 years old. The imagery and the music by Vangelis stuck with me forever, and the it got even more remarkable when I understood the message. What a masterpiece.

[@calvinduke1553]

The underrated function of scify, by placing the characters in fantastical environments, is actually to examine that deeper understanding of human nature.

[@ariarc]

Bingo. I agree completely. I've felt that in my bones for years and never verbalized it like you did. Thank you.

[@ErizotDread]

Yeah, Sci-fi done well absolutely does that. Sadly, a lot of sci-fi nowadays seems to be just throw aliens and space with explosions and heroes acting like a-holes in a blender and hope the cash comes rolling in! lol

[@SigToyArts]

Beautifuly put. I’d wager that even the fantastical elements in sci-fi and fantasy are deeper explorations of the human condition. Vampires, robots, dragons, aliens .. all of it! We probably can’t see past our own noses but, there it is.

[@Dowlphin]

By showing that we shouldn't fixate on the setting. Changing the backdrop creates contrast to what doesn't change, and that is to be focused on. Also a somewhat sad message that we can keep developing technological gadgetry as an expression of escapism, for hundreds or even thousands of years, while still neglecting our human development, getting stuck in a rut.

[@Raz.C]

That was the feeling of Asimov when it came to the Robots series. Particularly the later ones, involving Elijah Bailey. The last two novels have Bailey taking a back seat to R.Daneel and R. Giskard when it comes to exploring human nature, but Bailey is always there to ground the others, particularly Daneel, who becomes a favourite of Bailey's.

[@Suejd1001]

You have seem to skipped over the fact that the replicants are VIOLENT and DANGEROUS.

[@commiessuckballs2287]

My Dad and I were late enough to the theater to miss the beginning of a Star Wars reshowing that we watched Blade Runner instead with a later start time. As a ten year old, I was amazed.

[@Trapster99]

"All these memories will be lost, like tears in the rain" Brilliant

[@shereecontreras2846]

NOT "TEARS IN THE RAIN".........IT'S " TEARS IN RAIN"........there is no "THE" in the line!

[@Trapster99]

@@shereecontreras2846 Got me there

[@clakes11]

Also, it's moments not memories

[@mattc3581]

'...All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain...'

[@Trapster99]

@@mattc3581 That's it! Bravo

[@mcdonelldavid]

Best argument for why the ambiguity of deckard (in the original) is more consistent with the theme that the difference between replicant and human is irrelevant.

[@danielwilliamson6180]

Blade Runner is such a classic. I believe Blade Runner is about a man questioning his own humanity and what makes us human and questions such as what I am? Am I real? Am I human? Is my life and my memories real or a dream? What is my purpose? and how long do I live for? Blade Runner is pure cinematic storytelling.

[@EMedNation]

Ridley Scott has entertained me all of my adult life. He is a true gift to us all.

[@philipkoekemoer4705]

This movie has not aged, incredible

[@BrianRPaterson]

It kind of has, a little at least. I watched it with my son recently and he wondered why Dekkard didn't just phone for backup when batty was chasing him all over the Bradbury Building? The reason is because in 1982, when Ridley shot the movie, cell phones weren't a thing. William Gibson says the same thing about Neuromancer. That said, the movie is still a masterpiece and probably my favourite film. Or Aliens. One or the other. Cheers

[@numbdigger9552]

@@BrianRPaterson Police radios and battery powered radio phones did exist though. There are many much more real reasons. First of all, it wouldn't really matter would it? Backup takes time to arrive and roy may kill him any second. Also, he's probably not in the right state of mind, since he has just had his fingers broken and is running from a mad murder-bot, so he's probably running off of pure instinct and adrenaline is clouding his mind. Also also, he could've just not gone alone to begin with, so he's not really the brightest guy anyway. In the end, it doesn't matter, since the fact that he didn't call backup has never even crossed my mind when watching the movie, and if you really want to be a stinker about mobile phones, then I could also point out that since 2019 came and went already, the movie has aged pretty poorly considering we still don't have flying cars or replicants, and animals are still not artificial. Maybe they just didn't invent cellphones in the movie's universe, there's no reason to overthink about it.

[@BrianRPaterson]

@@numbdigger9552 Like I said, "the movie is still a masterpiece and probably my favourite film. Or Aliens. One or the other."

[@Yogsoggeth]

The movie hasn't aged yet because it's set in the future. DUH!

[@6catalina0]

Other movies that have not aged, It's a Wonderful Life, West Side Story, and When Harry Met Sally. I am sure that I will think of more classic movies later.

[@chrispnw2547]

Blade Runner sits at the top of most influential movies of all time as it foreshadowed the future while speaking to how society defines 'human'.

[@Johndoe-co3pw]

Tears in rain might be the most touching impactful piece of cinema I have ever seen. I have a feeling this movie will have a much larger impact as AI and automation becomes more mainstream

[@stoveguy2133]

Deckerd didn’t know about 4 year life span when he was talking to boss? How the hell did a blade runner not know that?

[@RubbittTheBruise]

Tying this up with the reimagined Battlestar Galatica, is a great next step.

[@johngeiger3770]

Felt the melancholy of Roy Batty. All those moments we treasure while we are alive, moments we shared with our loved ones, great experiences we had we were alone, individual experiences that are unique and cannot be replicated, experiences if conserved and shared could enrich human experience and wisdom altogether will be lost like tears in rain among thousands of other individuals who will also pass away.

[@ThuyTran-ci2et]

I like your thoughtful take on this movie . Really gave me something to think about.

[@cylon1983]

I saw this in the movie theaters when it first came out and it immediately became one of my all time favorites. I love the story line and the gritty atmosphere it has. Truly still amazing to this day.

[@caroline3806]

Loved this video so much

[@AnibalHornos]

The best video about Blade Runner I've ever seen. And I've seen a lot!

[@mikebasil4832]

One of the best on Blade Runner that I’ve seen too.

[@SubtleStair]

"Fiery the angels rose" implies that the angels are rising up out of hell. "Fiery the angels fell" is an insight into how Roy views himself and his Replicant companions as "rising" up to heaven to confront their maker, Dr. Tyrell.

[@mphrdldn]

Glad I saw it in the theater. Loved the visuals. I wanted to be the snake lady.

[@paulcolbourne9112]

You are the snake lady Janet.

[@georgewarner8652]

Yes , I do feel an explanation of " 2024" is inorder ! Thanx

[@cinema4life416]

Netflix? You freaking own it on glorious 4k with the incredible atmos track🔥

[@davemiller6884]

After many, many years and many viewings and now no longer feeling the impact of trying to grapple with such a harsh and disturbing reality that BR brought to screen so vividly by Scott, it's a love story at its very core. The replicants show complete loyalty, sacrifice and devotion (love) for each other. Deckard and Rachel's love story is integral. I would say that their love of life and their fierce determination was best demonstrated in Roy Batty's final scene. I love the line by Tyrell when he states that- 'commerce, that is our goal here at Tyrell, more human than human is our motto'.

[@SlippinnnJimmy]

"fire-breathing buildings" When this film was new, the rust belt was quite a bit like this, especially along the northern leg of the Ohio River. The river was lined with plants, billowing out orange smoke, with fire rolling out of stacks. Neighborhoods pressed right up against these plants. It was dark and rainy half the time in that area. If you can find old night-time photos of Wheeling Pittsburgh Steel, near Follansbee, WV, you'll see what I mean. That entire area between Steubenville, Ohio, Weirton, WV and New Cumberland, WV truly looked like Blade Runner, at that time. It's nearly all gone.

[@sigmann66]

This movie was for me the most innovative movie at the time, and for several more decades to come. So ahead of its time on different levels. And much respect to the original author of the book also.

[@agl1138]

If you travel on the London Underground, you see retrofitting a lot. You travel down decrepit escalators, through 100 year old tunnels, which look and smell 100 years old. But there are always HD monitors advertising iPhones to your left.

[@marcusadams8067]

Excellent analysis. I’ve love this film for decades and thought I understood all of it…..but you have identified more layers

[@laurentco]

I completely agree with your thoughts on the film. It would be great to have a film that focuses on Lenny.

[@byteme007]

It's really simple folks. In the book Deckard is human. In the film he is a replicant. The director who shot the bloody film says he's a replicant.

[@tonyfrench2574]

Brilliant, materly, analysis of Bladerunner.

[@alisterfolson]

*Dove flies away in pivotal scene* Director John Woo: this could be something 🤔

[@OneTakeVids]

😂

[@dab42bridges80]

This movie is in my top 5, I vividly remember the first time I saw it.

[@tryscience]

I would also add, that both Deckard and Gaff reached the same conclusion about Rachel, that she was rare and special - a Unicorn. Even in nature, we see the same conclusions can arise multiple times independently. For example, the capacity for flight evolved independently among flying insects, pterosaurs, birds, bats. Although in this case Ridley Scott inserted the Unicorn to suggest Deckard is a replicant, the other factors of the story greatly outweigh the impact of the unicorn. For example Deckard could not retire as a Blade Runner on Earth if he was a replicant, since they are dangerous, unpredictable, illegal, and shot on sight. Put a different way, psychotic serial killers are not allowed to serve and retire from the police force and roam the public. So the unicorn story was a feeble failed attempt to paint Deckard as a replicant.

[@stingyringpiece]

note the "memories" or photos on Deckard's piano!! Its the same reason for brion James character of wanting his (Leon's) "precious photo's". They're both replicants, that's the point, Tyrell made two replicants to the next phase, they don't know how long they have to live, "then again who does" (GAFF)

[@lsporter88]

You completely nailed it. Bravo. Please do 2049.

[@secretgoldfish]

What it is to be human......ironically and ultimately defined by the actions of a replicant

[@malcolmlagares8245]

Bladerunner is arguably the greatest science-fiction film of all time, and whether you realize it or not, you've made an excellent 22 minute support for that claim. In this video, you've brought so much to light all those things that were put there under the surface. Ridley Scott made the story significantly better by making all his slight changes to Phillip K. Dick's original story. And the amazing thing is that his changes are not obvious or readily apparent. It requires the viewer to have read Phillip K. Dick and to have a deeper understanding of both version of the story. It requires the viewer to be mature, perceptive, intuitive. . . . You did an amazing job. Wow. My appreciation for this video and commentary is beyond anything I can say. Thank you.

[@bigbasil1908]

What would have Blade runner have become without Vangelis? I personally think blade runner cannot be without Vangelis.

[@lochmoigh1]

To me the biggest tell that Deckard is a skin job is Gaff saying "You've done a man's job".

[@FuckYoutubeAndGoogle]

But he's not so...

[@andrewedwards7544]

One of those great films that leaves something with you..

[@worldsincollision]

Amazing analysis of an equally amazing movie. Bravo!

[@wwmandalore]

My problem is that replicants are programmed AI in a flesh suit. They aren't alive, they aren't conscious beings. So killing one isn't really killing. You're shutting down a robot.

[@Delos_Shoe]

What if they think they're real? What constitutes being real? What if you were a replicant, and think you felt all the things you felt. Robots with feelings are no robot at all, no?

[@robertholtz]

Respectfully, you've missed the meaning entirely. This story is built around a core question: "What constitutes life and identity?" Tyrell achieved a leap with his Nexus Replicants by seeding them with memories which gave them a foundation - a sense of identity, dreams, aspirations, a will to live. When Rachel is confronted with the truth of her origins, she is lost. Not just lost in the sense of her place in the world but down to her very being, her sense of self and self-worth is taken from her. Without this foundation, her very identity and her life purpose are tumbling down on her. Imagine not being able to trust your own memories and emotions. At the piano in Decard's apartment, Rachel plays a tune. Deckard awakens from the twilight of a dreamstate and says, "I heard music." She resumes her play then says, "I remember lessons. I don't know if it was me or Tyrell's nieces." He looks at her and says, "You play beautifully." With this one remark, he gives her something back of herself. In essence he is saying "I know your truth and I accept you, appreciate you, love you, just as you are." Each Replicant has an existential crisis of their own. Each has an innate imperative to survive and a will to thrive but also a looming sense of their own mortality. Does knowing your own death is imminent make you anymore alive? At first, Roy does not accept it. He sets out to meet his maker, to demand more life. When Roy and Pris engage Sebastian (himself a human who suffers from a degenerative terminal disease), Roy tells him "We've got a lot in common" which leaves Sebastian perplexed. "What do you mean?" he asks and Roy replies, "Similar problems." Pris drives it home saying, "Accelerated decrepitude." In every character we see a blur between humans and replicants. "We're not computers, Sebastian, we're physical," Roy tells him. And we're again confronted with the recurring question: What constitutes life? The imperative to live? Facing accelerated death? Dreams? Memories? Identity? If none of those then what? What does it matter then, human or replicant? Literally every character in this film walks this path in some form or another only to have all differences or distinctions blurred out. We end on Deckard and Rachel's departure together, flying into the happy ever after. The unicorn origami is symbolic. It is Gaff's way to tell Deckard he was there and will not give chase. It's also there to blur that last line of "more human than human" and make us wonder if Deckard is also a Replicant. The sequel ruined this of course but the idea there was to leave it open-ended, to leave us questioning, because that, after all, is the point of this story. To make you ask yourself, what constitutes life and living? Do androids dream of electric sheep? The apex is unquestionably Roy's "Time to Die" rooftop soliloquy when he comes to accept his death with dignity, recognizing that all life, all identity, however glorious, is ultimately fated to fade into oblivion - lost like tears in rain - but the takeaway message of the story is delivered by Gaff. In releasing Rachel and letting them go, he tells Deckard, "It's a shame she won't live. But, then again, who does?" In effect, that is to say, "no matter who you are or think you are, death awaits us all so make what little life you've got left worth living." And THAT's what Blade Runner is really about.

[@mikesmovingimages]

This is excellent and a fine counterpoint to the video. The subtlety of the storytelling in BR is amazing, one of the reasons it is worth watching over and over. Every encounter between replicants and humans reveals something about what divides and united them. Awesome writing.

[@robertholtz]

@@mikesmovingimages I totally agree with you on every point. And thanks for reading my long comment. Most appreciated.

[@blakemoon123]

Thanks for your thoughtful comment. But perhaps the film asks questions about the nature of personhood, rather than ‘life’.

[@blakemoon123]

By the way, I agree with almost everything in your comment. I think you are spot-on.

[@robertholtz]

@@blakemoon123 That’s a fair distinction. Identity, self-awareness, self-actualization, personhood, consciousness. Perhaps my use of the word “life” was too broad. I meant it in the more nuanced sense as in “being alive” and all the myriad intangible aspects that entails. Personhood, while more precise and clinical, may be just slightly too precise and clinical for my style of expression or my aim in this discussion. I prefer to be slightly over-broad to include other aspects of identity such as dreams, aspirations, motivations, and still other realms associated with spirituality and existentialism. I think the biggest reason I chose the word “life” is because of how this film seemed to say that the tie that binds us all, human and replicant alike, is the fear and urgency that comes from the unrelenting sense of our own mortality - that life will end. That’s why I scoped my statement beyond mere personhood. Hopefully this better contextualizes my original comment. Thank you for the constructive feedback.

[@Dougrutter1]

If there was a visualisation of the imagination of interpretation of a readers subjective thoughts of a sci-fi novel… then Blade Runner is the one that resonates most and therefore stands out as the best example of what is possible in the medium of media, ever… period…

[@1800astra]

For me, the retconned unicorn in the Final Cut is a red herring; Gaff was in Deckard’s apartment, and left the origami unicorn *precisely* to let Deckard know he’d been there and spared Rachel, not because he knew Deckard’s thoughts. The ‘You’ve done a man’s job’ line is merely acknowledging that a human can be a bunch of contradictions and still be a one-man slaughterhouse, *not* that Deckard aspires to be a man. Scott’s insistence that Deckard is a replicant fundamentally wrecks the writers’ vision of Deckard escaping his Blade Runner ‘programming’ and rediscovering his humanity, which is exactly what the theatrical release was telling us. Anyway, saw it in 82 and loved it, regardless of how the critics dissed it. It had the fabulous feeling of being simultaneously old and new; just how new is still being discussed!

[@ashleyhill7137]

I've posted similar quite frequently! I mean, taking Scott's involvement/acceptance of 2049, then effectively, as someone else put it (as either myself!) 'Deckard as a Nexus 7 Replicant given memories of a retired Blade Runner is a plot-twisted mess' 🤣😜. Why introduce an expensive 'experiment' into the World, in an (ex🤔) BR apartment, waiting around to meet Rachel? Without the Off-World escape there wouldn't even have been a reason for them to meet and procreate, which was presumably the whole point. Ruins the ending completely as you say, which is about a Replicant showing dehumanised human the precious nature of life, and being alive.

[@alexandresobreiramartins9461]

Scott said that 20 years after the movie and as his later work up to Prometheus and Covenant has shown, his off his rocker with hubris and idiocy.

[@grayman7208]

scott is 100% wrong. if deckard was a replicant the story would make no sense.

[@fredbloggs5902]

Please explain why Gaff chose a unicorn, he always chose apposite symbols.

[@1800astra]

@@fredbloggs5902 For what it's worth, my reading is he had knowledge that Rachel was 'special' and one of a kind, with no termination date. As rare as a unicorn

[@kizunadragon9]

"it's a shame she won't live, but then again who does?" i think about that line every day of my life.

[@davidjordan2336]

That the movie critics thought that this amazing movie was shallow when it first came out tells us a lot about movie critics. But personally, I think the twist of Deckard turning out to be a replicant himself weakens the whole story. It's just another layer of complexity that draws attention away from the main story without adding anything to it. All of the main characters are replicants, except Tyrell who is kind of secondary anyway. This removes the element of seeing the sacredness within the opponent that seems so central to the movie. The key event of the movie is Batty saving Deckard's life, as fellow-replicant Rachael had earlier, thus fulfilling his quest for humanity just as he dies. This would mean much more with a human Deckard, rather than with Deckard being one of Batty's own people. Another question I have about the film is, who really is the protagonist? We see everything from Deckard's perspective, but it's Batty who is really going through the character arc, while Deckard is mostly just following along. And Deckard's growth, if there is any, is much more ambiguous. There's not much evidence that he "loves" Racheal in any real way, and he essentially rewards her saving his life by raping her. That could be the start of a growth arc, but the story ends before it has time to kick in. As it is, Deckard ends up in largely the same place as he started. It's Batty and Racheal who are the interesting characters, the ones who are confronted with the challenges and make the decision to attempt to rise above their programming. But Deckard seems to be mostly a plot device to let us observe Batty and Rachael.

[@BartdeBoisblanc]

I think you could call Blade Runner Neo Noir.

[@DanaVastman]

Beautifully conveyed... Thank you. When I first saw Blade Runner back in the day I was blown away. Such an eloquent, sad and prophetic depiction of humanity. I've wept almost my entire life reflecting on these issues. Thank you so much for this vid...

[@cybercheese3]

Imteresting video! And lots of interesting comments here too, thought provoking stuff in any event.

[@aprylrittenhouse4562]

I saw this movie in the theater when I was in college. It was a real lonely time for me,so I thought that I'd go to a movie to cheer myself up. It didnt,however It's what I wrote my sociology paper on. Many of the points you touch on are what I touched on. Scott made me feel more empathy for the replicants then any of the humans. This program of yours has me all nostalgic for 40 yrs ago. My God how time does fly! Better then 4 yrs I guess. Hope you get a chance to read this, I hardly ever comment since it's akin to shouting into the void.

[@OneTakeVids]

I’d love to read that paper if you still have a copy!

[@blinktrading1553]

Rick Deckard: named in honor of Rene Descartes who famously said: "I think, therefore I am". If an android can think, is it indistinguishable from a human? The whole story revolves around these themes. Roy Batty's final soliloquy reflects the human condition: we spend a lifetime assembling knowledge and building wisdom just to have it snuffed out in the end. All these scenes come together as a study on what makes a human. The book, as the original source material, makes no allusion towards Deckard being an android, by the way.

[@oliversmith9200]

Wonderful analysis. Great presentation. I hadn't run all these aspect particulars down. Thank you.

[@kaljic1]

Good analysis

[@Jared_Wignall]

I really enjoy Blade Runner. Not my favorite science fiction film, but it’s defiantly one that has earned its place in film history. While it would have been great if it was enjoyed more when it was first released, I think because it has a cult following the film has a longer lasting impact. Sometimes the cult films stay longer than the ones that were huge and popular at one point in time, yet aren’t talked about as much as time goes on. Thank you for this video and keep up the great work!

[@OneTakeVids]

Thanks Jared! The cult popularity of the film has definitely helped because it tells people who didn't love it on their first viewing (me included) that there's something there. So, we revisit it and many learn to love it over time (also me included haha). I definitely have my criticisms of it (like I mentioned in the podcast) but the movie just has a way of sticking around in my head for a while every time I watch it!

[@alexandresobreiramartins9461]

Just curious: what IS your favorite sci-fi movie? Mine is 2001-Alien-BladeRunner (can't rank them 1,2,3, sorry).

[@squirlmy]

@@OneTakeVids I remember when it came out, and I, like millions, saw E.T. that summer instead of BR. It was one of the first films that came out on VHS, that got life beyond the theaters, because the second and further viewing is fascinating, AND because it was a bit challenging to find the "final cut" and other versions with the origami silver unicorn. (people did see E.T. for second and third times that summer it was out, watching it again instead of seeing BR) But collectors would search for other versions of BR, and have multiple viewings, which showed it's glory, long after that summer was over. It's my favorite film, in no small part because of the "tears in the rain" speech, which I'm sure you know about. Now that streaming and "Video on Demand" are commonplace, I don't think ever again will films gain "cult status" after failing both in theaters, and initial "video release", at least not to the point a sequel is made over 35 years later. It won't happen again in our lifetimes.

[@paulkelly9250]

What is your favorite?

[@mattc3581]

@@OneTakeVids It is a bizarrely marmite film (sorry for a UK term if you don't get that). What I mean though is that it seems like people either aren't that bothered for it at all, or they rate it as one of the greatest, if not the greatest sci-fi ever. There doesn't seem to be that many people, or certainly not many I've come across, that are in the middle ground.

[@dwaynecarroll6098]

Don’t overthink it. Just enjoy it! It looks and sounds beautiful!

[@Milton2k]

For sure one of my favorite Sci Fi flicks, 2049 was also quite great. A vid on that one will be interesting. .

[@marcgoulding5230]

Really love this interpretation - thank you.

[@MatteoPrezioso]

One of the greatest movies ever made. Which is exactly why it was not well received when it came out, way ahead of its time. And yes, Deckard is obviously a replicant.

[@austincarlson9270]

The cut to a Seth Rogan laugh after Ridley Scott saying he's a replicant.