Movie: Blade Runner (SF)

Blade Runner is my favorite movie. Ever.

I confess I've only seen the Director's Cut. Apparently, some folks don't like this version as much as the original with the Harrison Ford voiceover (which he supposedly didn't think was necessary and therefore didn't give his best effort). I can't evaluate what I haven't seen, but I'll be glad to tell you what I love about this film.

First, the atmosphere. This film is grim and gritty and dark. I can't remember a single scene that takes place in the daylight. A mist hovers like a constant depressive state.

A feel-good movie it ain't.

Second, the dilemma. Harrison Ford plays a blade runner, a hard-boiled cop whose job is to hunt and destroy rogue androids (described in the film’s opening crawl as “virtually identical to a human”) who dare to step outside of society's plans for them. This job has never been a problem for him, and he's the best at what he does.

However, as he pursues this particular group of mutinous androids and falls in love with a female android (gynoid?), he begins to realize the "replicants" regard themselves as human. Killing beings who look and act and believe they ARE human begins to feel like murder.

Third, the themes. What makes us human? Is science subject to a moral law? Who decides who lives and who dies? The film explores these themes without providing easy answers. I encourage you to watch--and decide--for yourself. Grade: A+

The film is based on Philip K. Dick's novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?