Blade Runner Film Blog by: Mathieu Rheaume, Alec Mikaelian, Maxime Toguri-Laurin, and Christopher Kelly

Knowing the Inner Self, F17, Kelly McKinney: Final Project Assignment- Film Blog Draft:

Blade Runner

Link to trailer: https://youtu.be/eogpIG53Cis

Rating: 4 stars

Blade Runner was produced in 1982, directed by Ridley Scott. The screen-writers are Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. The lead actors are Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos. The film is an hour and fifty seven minutes long.

Synopsis:

In the year 2019 in Los Angeles, Rick Deckard is a “blade runner”, who’s job is to track down and kill replicants. Replicants made by Tyrell Corporation that were sent to other colonies for labour work, have come back to Earth. Both Deckard and Bryant, who is a former supervisor, watch a video of a blade runner testing “people” to distinguish if they are replicants or humans. Deckard is now asked to track down and kill Leon, who has shot the blade runner in the video and the other 3 replicants that have also come to Earth; Roy, Zhora, and Pris. He finds Zhora at the strip club where she works, and after a long chase, he ends up killing her. As Deckard finds and tries to shoot Rachael, another replicant, Leon hits the pistol out of his hands, Rachael then picks up the pistol and shoots Leon. Roy tells Pris that the other replicants are dead, and Roy kills Tyrell after asking for more life. Deckard ends up killing Pris and Roy chases Deckard until he was left hanging on the building, where Roy saves him and Roy dies.

Analysis:

To begin, framing was a cinematic technique used in the film. Close ups were used often in the film to show the importance of what is close up. For example, the close up to the origami on the floor in the final scene was a sign of foreshadowing. Long shots were used in the film as an effect to show the whole of what's happening. For example, when Deckard was being chased by Roy, the long shot showed the whole room and the distance between Deckard and Roy. Medium shots were used to have your attention to the characters and not the backgrounds/surroundings as a mean to focus on their actions.

Lighting is another important cinematic technique used throughout the film. Low-key lighting was used in parts of film with a darker atmosphere to give the feeling of something unexpected happening. For example, when Roy was getting closer to Deckard during the chase at the end of the film. High-key lighting was used in some parts of the film with a brighter atmosphere to give off a feeling of relief. For example, the last part where Deckard finds the origami on the floor of the apartment shows relief because it was the last of the series of origami figures that Gaff used to taunt him. Shadow/lights were used in the film in scenes where light would point at a certain person to show their importance.

Sets and props were a major importance in the film. The strip club set was where Deckard found Zhora, where she worked as a stripper. The test room set was a very empty room with a table and the eye examination equipment, and was used to test “people” to distinguish if they are replicants or humans. The eye examiner was used as a prop in the film to obtain information from the individuals taking the test to distinguish whether they are replicants or humans.

Different sounds were used as cinematic techniques during the film. Diegetic sounds were used to give off a more realistic feeling of sound that was being produced in the filming of the movie; like the sounds of the gunshots. Non-diegetic sounds were used in the film to enhance the power of certain sounds and sounds that have been added to the film. For example, the cracking sounds of the fingers of Deckard when Roy broke them were added in the film. Rapid soundtracks were used in the film to give the scenes a more interesting and exciting feeling. For example, when Deckard was chasing Zhora or when Deckard was being chased by Roy at the end of the film.

The last cinematic technique used in the film was the use of costumes. Zhora wore very little clothes in the film as she was a stripper and it’s what we see strippers wearing on their jobs. Deckard wore a long beige coat to identify himself as a blade runner. Makeup and doll costumes were used on Pris in some scenes of the film to blend her into the doll scenery.

During the film, a question raised is if Deckard is a replicant or not? Many would think he would be a human, but in the scene in the end, he finds the unicorn origami that was left by Gaff and in the film he had a daydream about a unicorn running through the forest. So if he was a replicant, Gaff would have been able to access his dreams. Another question that can be raised is if Rachael is really a replicant? Unlike the other replicants, Rachael seems to have a higher moral value than just with replicants, she has moral values with humans. She shot Leon (a replicant) with a gun to save Deckard from more harm.

Word Count: 862 words

Review:

Given the time period in which the movie was produced, the quality of the film is quite advanced and intriguing as it ponders the thought of artificial intelligence in a futuristic society. The strengths seen in the movie are obviously the cinematic effects, mainly the special effects as they bring the movie to life and immerse the viewer in what is part of the science fictional canon. The movie also is set in the (then far) future, however maintained a sense of relatability and reality, which helped raise questions and emphasized themes regarding the role of A.I. in everyday life and the consequences involved in exploring the subject too far. While there were many strengths seen within the film, there were also weaknesses. The acting was the most noticeable instance, as it was bland and repulsive to be quite honest, which made the dialogue between characters and fight scenes boring and hard to follow. While one may argue that this is the way that people in that society would talk or behave, it became detrimental to the overall quality of the movie.

Connections:

In addition to the cinematic significance the movie holds, there are also connections found between itself and the course material. For example, the use of robots and their roles in society are questioned. The Nexus 6 robots sent to the new colony are used as slave to build and serve humans on their fresh start at life on Mars, which can relate to how robots today are being used to manufacture goods or how social robots integrate themselves in society (e.g. helping the elderly). Furthermore, the uncanny valley is explored, as robots in Blade Runner are so advanced in terms of physicality, intelligence and consciousness, that they are indistinguishable from humans unless given the Voight-Kampff test (which questions their empathy and is the loophole in their programming along with their short life spans). In today’s society, the uncanny valley has not been resolved yet, since the technology used to create robots is not advanced enough, thus the robots are distinguishable despite their resemblance to humans. Finally, a self-aware self can represent itself. It is the subject of experience but can also be the object of its experience. It can reflect. It can introspect. It knows it exists. It is an “I” with symbols of an “I”. Basically, it can represent its own consciousness and is discussed often when questioning non-human animals, such as dolphins, for example. The same question is raised and demonstrated by the A.I. throughout Blade Runner. The robots who returned from Mars show that they are self-aware as they recognize their own identities and existence, and are on the same level of humans in terms of sentience, consciousness and self-awareness. For instance, Roy returns to Earth with the other A.I. to learn how to extend his lifespan, which demonstrates that he is aware of his own physical limits of being a Nexus 6 model.

Questions:

1.Imagine if these replicants can replicate/reproduce with other replicants and/or humans, what would be the impact on society?

2. In the absence of ethical scientific research, who’s role is to put guidelines to direct scientific innovation?

3. If you were a scientist, would you as the audience consider creating a self programmed non-human or something else that you don't have control over?

Links in relation to Blade Runner:

1. https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/ai-personhood-ethics-questions/

Should we grant a robot the status of personhood?

This website has covered a robot that has been able to think for itself to an extent but is on the way to being completely self-aware. Personhood is a tricky subject, on one hand there are people who are all for granting robots personhood and on the other there are people who think of them solely as machines and will never think of them in any other way. In the Blade Runner movie, the replicants are in search for more life and to live among society.

2. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/jan/12/give-robots-personhood-status-eu-committee-argues

Should we be developing A.I. that might become self-aware and can think for itself? This website will cover The European Union is even discussing whether or not robots should be granted rights and personhood.

Total Word Count: 1562 words

Works Cited

Scott, Ridley, director. Blade Runner. Warner Bros., 1982.