Blade Runner 1982
Blade Runner 1982
MacKenzie Peissel, Karl Kassawat, Chelsey Larson, Mathieu
Blade Runner was released in 1982 and the
running time of this film is 117 minutes. It is a science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott and
written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples.
The lead actors are Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer,
and Sean Young (“Blade Runner”).
Link to trailer: https://youtu.be/eogpIG53Cis
Plot
Summary
Blade
Runner is a science fiction film that takes place in 21st century
in Los Angeles when technology is so advanced that organic robots almost
identical to humans, called replicants, have been created. Deckard is assigned
by his former police chief boss to kill several replicants who were working in
colonies in outer space but rebelled, murdered their human owners and came back
to earth because they wanted to extend their life spans.
To determine if someone is a replicant
or not, they are put through a series of questions called the Voight-Kampff
test which measures their emotional responses. While Deckard is killing the
rebel replicants, he meets Rachael and is asked to give her the Voight-Kampff test
by her inventor, Tyrell. Even though she fails the test, Deckard’s finds that
she is very human-like and falls in love with her. This has him begin to
question whether humans are so different from replicants after all and perhaps
he himself is a replicant.
Eventually, Deckard succeeds in
killing all the replicants he was assigned to "retire" and flees Los
Angeles with Rachael.
Film
Techniques
Blade Runner is filmed almost entirely in low-key
lighting which creates a mysterious atmosphere and emphasizes the noir style of
this neo-noir film. The mysterious atmosphere is effective because throughout
the film there is always a mystery as to who is human and who is a replicant.
It also suggests that the future world is dystopian.
Shadows are used to create more suspicion, in this film,
because the replicants are extremely human like the shadows represent how
difficult it is to distinguish humans from replicants, and it helps the viewers
engaging in the questioning, For example. when Deckard finishes interrogating
Rachael and learns she is a replicant, he asks Tyrell how she cannot know what
she is. Deckard’s face is covered with shadows and when the camera is on Tyrell
shadows flicker on his face as well, thus suggesting that Deckard is a
replicant himself without knowing it (0:21:59).
Before Deckard begins the interview with Rachael her face
is lit with soft delicate lighting, revealing her femininity and her humanistic
characteristics effectively emphasizing how similar the replicants are to
humans (0:17:30).
Not only is the lighting dark in the
film, but much of it takes place during the night and the weather is always
gloomy and rainy. Against the dark lighting, the night and the rain, the sprawling
city, with its bright lights and advertisements, stand out in stark contrast.
(0:07:43). This emphasizes the dominance of corporate capitalism in this future
world.
The grimy look and overall feel of the
city allows this science fiction film to seem more grounded in reality and builds
atmosphere (0:37:16). The city is dark and misty which adds to the rainy and
grimy feel of the city. The amount of detail that are in the sets in this film
is outstanding and enhances the movie by making it more visually appealing and
draws the viewer's eyes to the film.
The costumes in Blade Runner are yet another
reason that this movie is so well done and engaging to the audience. The
costumes vary widely from one character to the next making the characters
easily distinguishable. One of the many amazing costumes in this film is that
of the eyeball scientist, Hannible Chew. His costume is extremely elaborate. He
is wearing many layers, furs and has these big goggles, and on the back of the
jumpsuit he is wearing there are tubes attached. All this makes it clear that
he is working in a cold environment with chemicals and that this future world
is aesthetically much different than ours in many ways (0:26:35).
In Sebastian’s apartment the “toys”
also have very detailed costumes that are extremely well done and make the film
more engaging (1:13:13). There is detail in everything from the makeup and the
hair to the clothing, these intricate costumes make the “toys” much more eye
catching. The “toys” look like big life like toys and the detail that is put in
to the costumes make the movie fun to watch.
Blade Runner has an amazing soundtrack
which is yet another aspect that draws the viewer in. A very memorable part is
when this twinkling dreamlike music is playing in the background, it sounds almost
mythical and is repeated throughout the movie (0:42:42). This is an important
aspect because Deckard’s reality is dream-like in the sense that when you are
in a dream it is difficult to tell whether or not you are dreaming, this is
like his reality because, by the end of the film, Deckard is no longer certain
of whether he is human or a replicant, his reality is questionable just like a
dream tends to be.
A diegetic sound that is heard
throughout the film is the rain falling (1:28:01). This emphasizes the gloomy
atmosphere which contributes to the overall dark and mysterious feel of the
movie. This movie takes place in Los Angeles California, which is typically
sunny, hot and very rarely rains, however in this film it is constantly raining
which suggests that the climate has changed.
The use of props in Blade Runner were used
to convey important ideas. For example, an eye scanner is seen throughout the
entire film. It focuses on the eye of the subject being interrogated to help
determine whether they are a replicant or human and is an important part of the
interrogations (0:25:02). This prop is used in every interrogation scene in
order to differentiate replicants from humans.
Photographs are another important prop used
in this film because the characters remember events from the past when looking
at these pictures. The photographs represent the memories that Tyrell implanted
in them. (0:25:02).
Universal
Questions, Issues and Themes
Discrimination,
oppression and domination are universal themes appearing in Blade Runner. Even
though humans created replicants who are almost identical to them and who are
sentient, humans feel that the replicants are there to serve them, and they do
not allow the replicants to have certain basic rights. For much of the film the
human’s perspective on the replicants is very black and white (humans are good
and replicants are not) until Deckard challenges this idea while the replicants
themselves show more and more of their "humanity"
What
makes someone human? In this film replicants are similar to humans yet they are
not human. The film makes us think about what makes someone human, emphasizing
the role that emotions and a sense of morality may play. In some ways, Roy, for
example, shows a greater range of emotions and a greater capacity for
compassion and mercy than Deckard does, though he is not considered human, so
there must be more to it. This also raises the question, that maybe Deckard is
not human, and he too is a replicant. In this film, despite the vast
similarities between replicants and humans, replicants are not considered human.
This film causes the viewer to question what it is to be human, and how something
so human-like is not human.
A third universal theme which is present in Blade Runner, is the idea of
having a hierarchy. In the Blade Runner there is a hierarchal system in place
because the humans rank themselves as being better than the replicants, but
above all else there is corporate capitalism. Throughout the entire film, the
domination of corporate capitalism is shown through the various product
placements. It also indicates how easily the human mind can be manipulated and
dominated through advertisement. Corporate capitalism is at the top, and below
that, but above the replicants, are humans. In Blade Runner, humans view
themselves as being superior to the replicants.
Quality
of the Film
Blade Runner is an amazing film,
though it can be confusing at times. We really enjoyed it because it keeps you
thinking throughout the entire film. For example, when Rachael asked Deckard if
he ever took the test to know whether he is human or a replicant, it raises the
question that maybe Deckard is a replicant as well. This film not only has a
very elaborate plot, but the sets are impeccable. The sets have so much detail
which adds so much depth to them, and the way the lighting is used to create a
neo-noir style film is extremely well done. The costumes allow the viewer to
differentiate the characters easily and to convey the aesthetics of this world.
For example, Rachael always looks extremely put together and feminine, whereas
Sebastian’s “toys” have a playful feel to their costume.
Some scenes in Blade Runner could have
been eliminated. For example, several times Deckard is seen driving through the
tunnel listening to a recording of an interrogation. It feels like those scenes
could have been cut; however, it is possible that their repetition was
deliberate and significant.
The film Blade Runner is definitely a
must-see, in fact, we would go as far as to say that it is a movie that you
need to watch more than once because there are so many layers to it. Although
the film may seem confusing initially, it all comes together in the end, though
it may take watching the movie again to fully understand it.
Connections to Course Material
1) A course concept that can be connected to this film is the concept of
the uncanny valley. The concept of the uncanny valley suggests that; “humanoid objects which appear almost,
but not exactly, like real human beings elicit uncanny, or strangely familiar, feelings of eeriness and revulsion
in observers”. This is relates to Blade Runner because the replicants
are extremely human-like, though they are not humans. The concept of the
uncanny valley suggests that humans experience an unsettling sort of feeling
when they encounter one of these humanoid objects. In Blade Runner, humans fear
the replicants and typically do not feel at ease around the replicants. The
replicants are a perfect example of the uncanny valley because they have
experiences like those of humans, they show emotion, they have memories, though
these memories are implanted, they are still memories, all of this creates many
similarities between the replicants and the humans. The fact that in the film,
the humans fear the replicants explains the concept of the uncanny valley
perfectly.
2) A second
course concept that can be connected to Blade Runner is the concept of the self-aware
self. The self-aware self is the subject of its own experience but can also be
the object of their experience. The replicants in Blade Runner can be connected
to this concept, because one might say that they do not have a self-aware self,
but I disagree with that. On one hand I would agree and say that no, replicants
do not have a self-aware self because although many replicants, such as Roy, know
they exist and that they are replicants, Racheal does not know that she is a
replicant. This would indicate that Racheal does not have a self-aware self
because she is not certain of how she exists, as in she does not know whether
or not she is a replicant or a human.
On the other
hand, I would say that I think that they do have a self-aware self in a way
that may be different than the way humans are self-aware. Replicants in do not
think of the world around them in the same way that humans do, and it is likely
that their experience is different, however they do reflect, and they show
emotions, and they are aware of what they are feeling. On of the reasons I would
say this is because Racheal was able to reflect on who she is to question
whether or not she is a replicant, and this shows that she has a self-aware self
because she is able to reflect on the situation in order to discover herself. Although
Rachael did not figure it out on her own, she was still the one who began questioning
it, meaning she was able to reflect on her experiences. Another reason I would
say that they do have a self-aware self is because they show emotions and emotions
are a clear indication of reflecting on a situation. Certain situations provoke
certain emotions and the replicants can express their feelings.
3) A third connection would be the effects that result from having
robots or replicants invade our lives. For example, in class, we talked how the
biggest concern when it comes to inviting "Social Robots" into our
lives is the fear of having human dysconnectivity. In fact, we see this when we
are introduced to Sebastian’s lifestyle. He not only lives in an isolated area
on a top floor, but he is disconnected from other humans. However, he says that
he doesn’t feel alone because of his " little friends "--all the toys
and robots he has created to keep him company. Is this preventing him having
real relationships with other humans? This type of lifestyle is what we fear
with the addition of more social robots. As seen in class, social robots are slowly
developing similar qualities to humans and are already causing human robotic
relationships to occur.
Questions
Question 1: When
Deckard got aggressive with Rachael when they were making out, can you consider
that being abusive even after knowing that Rachael is a replicant?
Question 2: What
makes sentient AI and humans different, or are they not? Should they be treated
equally?
Question 3:
Should sentient AI be more physically advanced or less than humans so
that we can easily control them?
Outside
Sources
This article discusses what it really
means to be human not only biologically but also what it is to be human outside
of what science tells us. It discusses what it is to be human from a
philosophical standpoint and by marking the criteria required to be human. This
article also speaks about the idea that you do not need to be a person in order
to be considered human, and there are cases where humans are not considered
persons.
This article discusses what it means
for something to be real and how we can know what is real versus what is not
real from a scientific perspective. To prove whether or not something is real
scientists must prove many theories in order to determine this. This article is
from a scientific standpoint, saying that to be real there needs to be a way to
prove it and evidence to support theories.
Sources
Amazon, Amazon, www.amazon.com/Blade-Runner-Harrison-Ford/dp/B000SW4DLM.
“Blade
Runner.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 31 Mar. 2019,
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Chopra,
Deepak, and Deepak Chopra. “Do We Really Know What's Real? The Most Optimistic
Answer Is Maybe.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 3 Aug. 2016,
www.huffpost.com/entry/do-we-really-know-whats-r_b_7926894.
“What
Does It Mean to Be Human?” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers,
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/philosophy-dispatches/201205/what-does-it-mean-be-human.
YouTube, 27 Jan. 2014, youtu.be/eogpIG53Cis.
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Google, www.google.com/search?safe=active&rlz=1C1CHBF_enCA709CA709&biw=1422&bih=826&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=prnHXNmxN878tAWLw5e4Cw&q=rachael
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B)
ReplyDelete1- The blog has a great way of demonstrating a futuristic fantasy world, de-humanist environment as well as the repercussions caused by capitalist corporations on the world. The presentation of the film techniques makes me imagine a world filled of darkness and paranoia.
2- While reading this blog, it made me make connections with a movie I saw last semester about robots invading earth. As soon as they invaded, the entire world was on their guards and had only one thing in mind, to make them go away and annihilate them, in the fear of being overthrown by them. Turns out that one person, I specialist in language found a way to communicate with them. They came on earth to pass on their knowledge which consisted of developing the capacity to read the future. Meanwhile, all of the rest of humanity wasn’t looking to make contact with them and were ready to send bombs in order to destroy them. There is a huge resemblance in both movies whereas one person tries to discover more instead of being frightened by what new encounters could have to offer to the development of the society.
3- The portrait demonstrated by Ridley Scott’s movie about the terrifying future and how we live in a dystopia is making me think about the worries that I now have for the future of this planet, but not surrounding the same subjects. Nowadays, I’m way more worried about the environmental problems that were encountering, and that we will have to deal rather sooner than later. While reading the blog, this relation kind of hit me hard since it shows the problematic that a capitalist driven world has passed onto the people and how we have to find a way to now cope with this reality and hopefully make a difference.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteA) I would not consider Deckards actions towards Rachel as being abusive. In my opinion, the Replicants do not experience emotion. For example, when Rachel discovers her memories aren’t even hers, she shows that she is sad, an emotion any human would show. However, being sad is something you feel, you can pretend to be sad. But if you are not sad you cannot embody the emotion for no reason. Therefore, Rachel not being able to experience the emotion suggests she was programmed to learn the emotion. She can learn to mimic what sadness looks like so when it is necessary, she can replicate the actions to appear sad. In conclusion, Ricks actions toward Rachel are not abusive because she does not experience emotion the same way humans do
ReplyDeleteQuestion 2: I believe that the difference between a human and Artificial intelligence is just what there made of because creating an A.I. is just like any birth you create life. This means that A.I. should be treated as equals because they are just as intelligent and can be a functioning member of society as humans are. The Replicas could fill in the gaps for what missing components of society there are because of the very low population assuming that these A.I.'s are not killers then there is no reason to make them slaves or kill them on site. They both contain they're own kind of "soul" that makes them who they are whether it is blood or oil flowing through them.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 3:
ReplyDeleteAI already has an advantage on humans and that is that they are much more intelligent than us. If you believe in the end of the world will be caused by AI then you would have a valid reason to be concerned if they are more physically advanced than us. However, to counter that statement, that would be determined by how well we control them. I see them as a benefit to us in so many different ways imaginable. I think that to say that it would be a bad idea for AI to be more physically advanced than us would be a ridiculous argument to make. If we are able to control AI well enough and maintain them properly, then we would have no reason to fear them because they would then become a sole benefit to our society. Who's to say, they may be what helps us with climate change and may aid us to discover what actions must be took so that we can save the planet. In the end, I truly believe that it would be a good thing if they were more physically advanced than us IF we are able to control them and make sure they will not turn on us such as in Blade Runner.
Q2)
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, in terms of psychological differences, there are none between humans and sentient AI. The only differences between these beings is what is inside of them. If a robot is programmed and built to be and think exactly as a human would, there is no difference between them. For this reason humans and sentient AI should absolutely be treated equally. When two beings have equal levels of intelligence and cognition, just because something is created through machinery doesn’t them any different than someone who was conceived normally. In the film the replicants have the right to their behavior, they are just like us yet are keep as slaves and treated as lesser beings.
-Jason Moors
1) I think that the film techniques and issues raised sections are very well-written, because they clearly outline the style of the movie to help the readers picture it better. Additionally, your presentation of universal themes eloquently expressed the dilemmas that characters face in the film, and how they relate to our current world.
ReplyDelete2) I believe that the biggest difference between robots and humans is how they are perceived by humans, especially in Western culture. I don't think that we will ever be able to perceive them as equal to humans, because of the fact that they were built by our species and their feelings and perceptions are therefore considered to be artificial. The article "Why Westerners Fear Robots and the Japanese do Not" by Joi Ito describes this disdain for robots very clearly. He explains that this negative attitude comes from the Judeo-Christian fears that the oppressed could revolt and take control of society, a tradition that is evident in events like the Slave trade. "Lots of powerful people (in other words, mostly white men) in the West are publicly expressing their fears about the potential power of robots to rule humans, driving the public narrative" (Ito 2018), he says when describing the similarities to other instances of domination. Furthermore, I believe that robots and humans will never be on equal ground in terms of perception because of the natural imbalance in power. A robot is owned by a human, and as of now cannot simply go out into the world without any assistance. It therefore seems unlikely that people will ever be able to treat robots the same way as humans because they will always have some sort of power over them, and any inequality in power has a profound effect on the interactions between the two beings.