Blade Runner
Category
Science Fiction / Adventure/ Fantasy
Director
Ridley Scott
Cast
- Harrison Ford
- Rutger Hauer
- Sean Young
- Edward James Olmos
- Daryl Hannah
Release Date
25 June 1982
Synopsis
A thrilling sci-fi flick that became a touchstone for many subsequent films belonging to the same genre, "Blade Runner" is a spectacular cinematic experience set against a futuristic backdrop. Considered as a Hollywood pioneer in the cyberpunk genre, Blade Runner tells the tale of renegade replicants -- identical sub-types of human beings biogenetically engineered to perform "skin jobs" or dirty labor at "off-world" locations. Ford portrayed the character of Rick Deckard, a highly-trained "Blade Runner" whose task is to "retire" or eliminate the replicants who have become fugitives on earth.
Unfortunately, Deckard (Harrison Ford) has involved himself in a complicated situation with the help of Rachel (Sean Young). As the plot continues, Ford has to decide whether to follow his instincts or obey the protocol that favors the tyrannic Tyrell Corporation, the leading corporate slave driver of replicants.
This cinematic sci-fi thriller wasn't a box office hit in the US but it was recognized as the ultimate cinematic representation of a fictional world where elite corporations rule over genetically-engineered human beings and a decrepit society is home to cyberthugs and alienated individuals. The oppressive and dark setting of this movie combined with the downfall of a once moral human society is what makes Blade Runner a truly cyberpunk flick.
The cinematic effects and cosmetic props used to create the dark and dirty world depicted in the movie was recognized by several award-giving bodies. The aftereffects of advanced technology used immorally by the human society was also highlighted in the movie along with religious and moral issues interwoven with technology and an oppressive ruling body.
The theme of "Blade Runner" which mainly revolves around the deteriorating morality of the human society and the corporate world set against the ironically compassionate aura of the replicants, fires a question against the essence of a human being. This theme was actually borrowed from a book "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" which was authored by Philip K. Dick. As a consequence of the success of this movie, Blade Runner became an instant classic and catapulted Dick's other writings into the spotlight.