Blade Runner: The Final Cut

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11/11/07
by Scott Cupper

Rick Deckard…………………Harrison Ford
Roy Batty……………………..Rutger Hauer
Rachael……………………….Sean Young
Pris……………………………Daryl Hannah
J.F. Sebastian…………………William Sanderson
Zhora………………………….Joanna Cassidy
Bryant…………………………M. Emmet Walsh
Gaff…………………………...Edward James Olmos
Elden Tyrell…………………..Joe Turkel

Directed by Ridley Scott
Written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples
Based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick

Rated R
Runtime: 1 hr. 57 min.


My first viewing of Blade Runner took place in 2001 or 2002. A friend discovered I had never seen it and lent it to me. When I returned it and told him that I thought it was fine, he was a little surprised at my ho-hum response. I was too. I had expected to like it, but something about it left me cold. I refrained from writing it off, however, since so many people hold it in such high regard. I wanted to see it again before I cast judgment. So I was excited when the opportunity presented itself to revisit the movie on the big screen. I have to say, though, that I left the theater with the same, cold feeling.

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that few movies have had as great an impact on filmmaking. Blade Runner’s dystopian vision of the future, overrun with grime and pollution in all its forms, is still affecting movies more than 20 years after its first release in 1982. Any film set in the future pays homage whether it adheres to the template Blade Runner created or ignores it. This influence even stretches beyond sci-fi. A friend mentioned The Narrows, the island that houses Arkham Asylum, from Batman Begins. If you’ve seen the movie, I think you’d agree. But what about the other elements of Blade Runner?

I don’t want to leave anyone behind who may not have seen the movie, so let me catch you up. Blade Runner is set in Los Angeles in 2019. The story hinges on androids called replicants that resemble humans so closely, only a series of tests can determine whether they are human or not. Replicants were created by the Tyrell Corporation for slave labor on other planets that have been colonized (collectively known as Off-World). A group of replicants became unhappy with this arrangement and revolted, killing humans in the process. This resulted in the banishment of all replicants from earth. The Blade Runners of the title hunt replicants and retire (kill) any found on earth.

Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) is just such a Blade Runner. Here’s where I might describe some of his circumstances to give you an idea of him as a character, but there aren’t any. When we meet him, he’s being asked to return to the force. A group of rogue replicants has found their way to earth. No clue as to why he left or was asked to leave. It’s a testament to Harrison Ford that we care about Deckard at all and makes you wish he had challenged himself in his roles a bit more. Ford lends Deckard his “gee whiz” attitude with the cynical edge. The kind that makes Deckard drink a lot and alone, often at his piano that is covered with black and white photographs of people. His family? We don’t know.

The leader of the replicants Deckard is hunting are led by Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer). It’s a performance that made my friend question why he hasn’t gotten better parts. I concur. Roy Batty appears at first to be completely evil, but we learn his violence has a purpose. When replicants were created, their inventors correctly theorized that they would develop emotions, so all replicants were given a 4-year life span. Batty is looking for the fountain of youth. Or at least a life.

This makes Batty the more interesting character, or would if the movie weren’t slavishly devoted to its genre conventions. Batty spends so much of the movie being villainous that it never gets around to exploring his drive until it’s too late. The whole movie has this tendency to focus on the wrong part of a storyline. The noir elements are glazed over. Deckard’s search for the replicants lacks focus and urgency. The clues are not only weak but also convenient. But then it’s decided that a femme fatale is needed, so Rachael (Sean Young), a new version of replicant, is introduced. Which presents some interesting questions, or would if she stuck around after the movie asked them. The editing is similarly misguided, often cutting abruptly which creates a jarring experience.

I’ve been presented with various theories in an attempt to reconcile all of this (Deckard as a replicant; the editing as subjective, representing the sensory equivalent of how the young replicants view the world). While each is able to tie up some ends, some are always loose.

So I’ve pretty much bashed the movie for most of the review but given it three stars. Part of it is its influence, but honestly, it’s not a horrible movie. I’ll probably end up watching it again. It’s the movie’s potential for greatness that is so aggravating. It’s like director Ridley Scott got frustrated with a Rubik’s cube when a few more twists would have solved it.