Blade Runner is a 1982 movie by director Ridley Scott. The movie was a follow up to his 1979 science fiction hit Alien. The movie is a blend of science fiction and detective noir genres. Blade Runner is one of the most significant science fiction movies that were made in the 1980s.
It has since grown in popularity. Initially, the film did not perform well financially. In addition, movie critics were divided with some giving it positive reviews while others castigated it. This dismal performance has been at times blamed on the fact that the movie’s release coincided with the premier of Spielberg’s monster hit E.T. This paper will discuss the film’s style, visual aspects, acting, music, and its accolades.
The film’s style is quite captivating. The film was futuristically set in 2019’s Los Angeles. This futuristic design was conceived by renowned artist Syd Mead. The design was inspired by other designs used in movies like the 1927 Metropolis and the 1968 Space Odyssey. Due to its stylistic success, the film has served as an inspiration for several other movies.
Other movies that have tried to copy its cyber punk, dystrophic look include the 1989 Batman, The Fifth Element of 1997, and the Matrix of1999. This style mostly features science fiction and detective genre combinations. In addition, there is the use of the alienated hero with a questionable morality. There is also the use of dark locations and high tech gadgets.
The film’s theme is mortality versus immortality. The main character is called from retirement to hunt down Android beings who have escaped from their planet. While the Androids possess great abilities, their lifespan is only four years. This is why it is feared that their mission on earth is to try and prolong their life.
The immortality theme was also expounded in the theatrical release poster that read, “Man has made his match, now it is his problem”. This was a popular theme in the 1980s when humanity was making tremendous progress in discovery. Other successful films of the time carried similar themes.
The acting in the Blade Runner is very satisfying mostly because the film’s narration does not dictate the actors. Unlike in most cases, even the police officers in the film are more relaxed. The tough acting that is synonymous with such characters was not used in this film. In addition, the android beings are not so obvious. They act more like human beings and they are less predictable.
The movie’s soundtrack consisted of songs, technological sounds, and short sentences. Due to the film’s dependence on visual imagery, the soundtrack did not carry much weight. The narration also absorbed most of the soundtrack’s purposes. However, even with its little significance the soundtrack does not disappoint.
One of the controversies surrounding the release of the Blade Runner was the fact that the initial director’s cut was ignored. The executive producers hijacked Ridley Scott’s project and changed most of his decisions. The executives added a narration, changed the soundtrack, altered some shots, and gave the film a happier ending. Recently the director’s version of the film was released and it had better reviews than the previous version. Overall, Scott’s film was much better than the executives’ version.
Blade runner was not very successful on the awards circuit. The film was nominated for only two Academy Awards. Moreover, it was overlooked for an Oscar nomination. Eventually, it won no major awards.