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Blade Runner

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Blade Runner is an influential 1982 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott which depicts a dystopian Los Angeles in November 2019. The screenplay, written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples, is loosely based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick. The film features Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos and Daryl Hannah. The lead art designer was Syd Mead, and the soundtrack composer was Vangelis.

The film depicts a future in which genetically manufactured beings called replicants are used for dangerous and degrading work in Earth's "off-world colonies." Built to be 'more human than human', they appear physically identical to adult humans – although they have superior strength and agility – while lacking comparable "empathy", as they haven't the years of emotional experience humans take for granted. Replicants became illegal on Earth after a bloody mutiny. Specialist police units – blade runners – hunt down and "retire" (i.e. kill) escaped replicants on Earth. The plot primarily focuses on a particularly brutal and cunning group of replicants hiding in Los Angeles and a semi-retired blade runner, named Rick Deckard, who reluctantly agrees to take on one more assignment.

Blade Runner initially polarized critics; some were displeased that it hadn't the pacing expected of an action film while others appreciated its thematic complexity. The film performed poorly in North American theaters but achieved success overseas. Despite poor early ticket sales, it was embraced by fans and academics and became a cult classic. Blade Runner has been hailed for its production design, one said to depict a "retrofitted future" as it presents a world with familiar architecture and artifacts with technological enhancements in a damp gritty atmosphere. The film is credited with prefiguring important concerns of the 21st century, including climate change, globalization, transhumanism, genetic engineering and cloning. It remains a foremost exemplar of cyberpunk and neo-noir and observers continue to see its myriad influence on culture. Blade Runner brought author Philip K. Dick to the attention of Hollywood, and several films have since been made from his writings.

Six versions of the film have been released for various markets and as a result of controversial changes made by film executives. A rushed Director's Cut was done in 1992 after a strong response to workprint screenings. This in conjunction with its popularity as a video rental made it one of the first films to see a DVD release. Warner Bros. recently announced the upcoming 25th anniversary theatrical and DVD release of the long-awaited remastered definitive Final Cut by Scott.

Contents

Production

The screenplay by Hampton Fancher, which was initially titled Android, and then Dangerous Days, attracted producer Michael Deeley, who eventually convinced director Ridley Scott to create his first American film. Scott had previously passed on the project, but soon after, he bailed out of the slow production of Dune and wanted a faster project to take his mind off his older brother's recent death. With Scott onboard on February 21, 1980, the movie studios began lining up to finance the film. On April 9th, Filmways Pictures promised $13 million; but after a request by Scott it was bumped up to $15 million.

When Scott noted Deckard's line of work needed a new name, Fancher happened upon a copy of Bladerunner, A Movie, which was a cinema treatment by William S. Burroughs for Alan E. Nourse's novel The Bladerunner (1974). Scott liked it and Deeley obtained the rights to the titles, but Scott soon considered Blade Runner a working title for the film and wanted to find something more "commercial". (Note: Some editions of Nourse's novel use the two-word spacing Blade Runner.)

Scott became unhappy with the direction of the script and had David Peoples rewrite it. This infuriated Fancher, who quit on December 20, 1980 (he came back near the end to do some rewrites), because he believed a hack was hired to give Scott what he wanted. But after reading the Peoples script, he was surprised how well Scott's ideas were incorporated into the script, and in the end, Fancher and Peoples became good friends.

Then disaster struck when Filmways pulled their financial backing weeks away from principal photography and after investing over $2.5 million in pre-production. This forced Deeley to scramble for new financing and in ten days he managed to secure $21.5 million in financing through a three way deal between The Ladd Company (through Warner Bros.), the Hong Kong-based producer Sir Run Run Shaw, and Tandem Productions. This would later prove problematic as the release of the film's Special Edition (Final Cut) was delayed as a result of legal wrangling over distribution rights.

Just as things were coming together, Philip K. Dick became concerned that no one had informed him about the film's production, and it was a snub he didn't appreciate. After some heated phone calls and an article in the Los Angeles Select TV Guide critical of an early script, the studio became cooperative by sending Dick the Peoples rewrite — Dick was relieved to see how the script had evolved. Philip K. Dick died before the film's release, but he did manage to see a forty-minute special effects test reel, which converted him from a skeptic into a full supporter of the film, as it looked just as he had imagined it.

Edward Hopper's Nighthawks (1942, Art Institute of Chicago) is credited by Ridley Scott as an influence on the design of Blade Runner.
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Edward Hopper's Nighthawks (1942, Art Institute of Chicago) is credited by Ridley Scott as an influence on the design of Blade Runner.

Blade Runner owes much to Fritz Lang's Metropolis.Bukatman, Scott. (1997) Blade Runner: BFI Modern Classics. ISBN 0851706231 Ridley Scott credits Edward Hopper's painting Nighthawks and the proto-cyberpunk short story comic The Long Tomorrow (by Dan O'Bannon, art by Moebius) as stylistic mood sources. In addition, he drew on the industrial night time landscape of his hometown of Hartlepool.Scott, Ridley. (2003) [Daily Telegraph - Interview with Ridley Scott] Scott hired as his conceptual artist Syd Mead, who, like Scott, was influenced by the French science fiction comic magazine Métal Hurlant (Heavy Metal), to which Moebius contributed.Sammon, Paul. (1996) Future Noir: the Making of Blade Runner. ISBN 0061053147 Moebius was offered the opportunity to assist in the pre-production of Blade Runner, but he declined so that he could work on René Laloux's animated film Les Maîtres du temps -- a decision he later regretted.Giraud, Jean. (1988) The Long Tomorrow & Other SF Stories. ISBN 0871352818 Lawrence G. Paull (production designer) and David Snyder (art director) realised Scott's and Mead's sketches. Jim Burns briefly worked designing the Spinner hovercars; Douglas Trumbull and Richard Yuricich supervised the special effects for the film. Principal photography of Blade Runner began on March 9, 1981.

Prior to principal photography, Paul M. Sammon was commissioned by Cinefantastique magazine to do a special article on the making of Blade Runner. His detailed observations and research later became the book , which is commonly referred to as the "Blade Runner Bible" by many of the film's fans. The book outlines not only the evolution of Blade Runner but also the politics and difficulties on set. It focuses particularly on the British director's experiences with his first American crew. It also sheds light on Scott's directing style, which caused friction with the cast and likely contributed to Harrison Ford's subsequent reluctance to discuss the film.

Synopsis

Note: The following synopsis refers to the "Director's Cut" version of the film.
[Spoiler warningSpoiler warning]: Plot and/or ending details follow.
Tyrell dimming the sun
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Tyrell dimming the sun

In Los Angeles, November 2019, Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) is called out of retirement when a fellow Blade Runner — Holden (Morgan Paull) — is shot during a Voight-Kampff test by Leon (Brion James), an escaped replicant.

A reluctant Deckard is brought to his old boss Bryant (M. Emmet Walsh), who informs him that the recent escape of Nexus-6 replicants is the worst yet. Deckard declines getting involved but relents after Bryant threatens him enigmatically.

Bryant briefs Deckard on the replicants: Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer) is a commando, Leon a soldier and manual laborer, Zhora (Joanna Cassidy) a sex worker retrained as an assassin, and Pris (Daryl Hannah) a "basic pleasure model." Bryant also explains that the Nexus-6 model has a four-year lifespan as a failsafe against their developing unstable emotions. Deckard is teamed up with Gaff (Edward James Olmos) and sent to the Tyrell Corporation to ensure that the Voight-Kampff test works on Nexus-6 models. While there, Deckard discovers that Tyrell's (Joe Turkel) young secretary Rachael (Sean Young) is an experimental replicant (who believes she is a human) with implanted memories from Tyrell's niece, which provide a cushion for her emotions.

Deckard and Gaff search Leon's apartment as Roy and Leon force Chew (James Hong), an eye designer, to direct them to J.F. Sebastian (William Sanderson) who can lead them to Tyrell. Later, Rachael visits Deckard at his apartment to prove her humanity to him, but leaves in tears after Deckard recites several of her most secret memories and states they were not her memories at all, but were implanted. Pris meets up with Sebastian and takes advantage of his loneliness and kind nature to gain access to his apartment.

Clues from Leon's apartment lead Deckard to Taffy Lewis' (Hy Pyke) bar where the tattooed Zhora is performing with a snake. Zhora attacks Deckard and makes a desperate attempt to get away into the crowded streets; Deckard chases her down and "retires" her. After the shooting, Gaff and Bryant show up and inform Deckard that Rachael will also need to be "retired". Deckard conveniently spots Rachael in the distance, though as he follows her he is suddenly disarmed by Leon who then proceeds to beat him. Rachael kills Leon, saving Deckard's life, and they go back to Deckard's apartment where they discuss her options, and in a rough scene ending in musical intimacy they begin to fall in love.

Meanwhile, Roy arrives at Sebastian's apartment and they convince Sebastian to bring Roy to meet Tyrell. Once in Tyrell's bedroom Roy demands an extension to his lifespan and requests absolution for his sins from the Godlike replicant creator; upon receiving neither he kills Tyrell and Sebastian.

Deckard is sent to Sebastian's apartment and is ambushed by Pris, though he manages to shoot her after a struggle. Roy returns moments later, trapping Deckard in the apartment and playfully hunts him throughout the dilapidated Bradbury Building, eventually forcing him to the roof. Deckard attempts a jump to another building and ends up desperately hanging from a beam. Roy easily makes the jump and stares down at Deckard — just as Deckard loses his grip Roy grabs his wrist and saves his life. Roy is deteriorating quickly (his 4-year lifespan is up) as he sits down in the rain and eloquently marvels at the highlights of his life and concludes, "All those moments... will be lost... in time... like tears... in rain. Time... to die." Roy quietly dies as Deckard looks on in silence. Gaff arrives in a spinner shortly afterward and, as he's leaving, cryptically shouts, "It's too bad she won't live. But then again, who does?"

Deckard returns to his apartment and cautiously enters when he sees the door is ajar. He finds Rachael alive and as they leave Deckard comes across an origami calling card left by Gaff; he has allowed them to escape, and they depart toward an uncertain future together.

Themes

Dark sprawl overlooked by the glimmering towers of LA 2019
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Dark sprawl overlooked by the glimmering towers of LA 2019

Despite the initial appearance of an action film, Blade Runner operates on an unusually rich number of dramatic levels. As with much of the cyberpunk genre, it owes a large debt to film noir, containing and exploring such conventions as the femme fatale, a Chandleresque first-person narration (removed in later versions), and the questionable moral outlook of the Hero — extended here to include even the humanity of the hero, as well as the usual dark and shadowy cinematography.

It is one of the most literate science fiction films, both thematically — enfolding the philosophy of religion and moral implications of the increasing human mastery of genetic engineering, within the context of classical Greek drama and its notions of hubrisJenkins, Mary. (1997) [The Dystopian World of Blade Runner: An Ecofeminist Perspective] — and linguistically, drawing on the poetry of William Blake and the Bible. Blade Runner also features a chess game based on the famous Immortal Game of 1851. (The king and queen are interposed on Tyrell's side, a position which a grandmaster would never attempt.)

Blade Runner delves into the future implications of technology on the environment and society by reaching into the past using literature, religious symbolism, classical dramatic themes and film noir. This tension between past, present and future is apparent in the retrofitted future of Blade Runner, which is high-tech and gleaming in places but elsewhere decayed and old.

A high level of paranoia is present throughout the film with the visual manifestation of corporate power, omnipresent police, probing lights; and in the power over the individual represented particularly by genetic programming of the replicants. Control over the environment is seen on a large scale but also with how animals are created as mere commodities. This oppressive backdrop clarifies why many people are going to the off-world colonies, which clearly parallels the migration to the Americas. The popular 1980s prediction of America being economically surpassed by Japan is reflected in the domination of Japanese culture and advertising in LA 2019. The film also makes extensive use of eyes and manipulated images to call into question reality and our ability to perceive it.

These thematic elements provide an atmosphere of uncertainty for Blade Runner's central theme of examining humanity. In order to discover replicants, an empathy test is used with a number of questions focused on the treatment of animals, thus making it the essential indicator of someone's "humanity". The replicants are juxtaposed with human characters who are unempathetic, while the replicants appear to show passion and concern for one another at the same time as the mass of humanity on the streets is cold and impersonal. The film goes so far as to put in doubt whether Deckard is a replicant, and forces the audience to reevaluate what it means to be human.Kerman, Judith. (1991) Retrofitting Blade Runner: Issues in Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner" and Philip K. Dick's "Do Android's Dream of Electric Sheep?" ISBN 0879725109

Is Deckard a replicant?

Main article:
The question of whether Deckard is intended to be a human or a replicant has been an ongoing controversy since the film's release. Ridley Scott, after remaining coy on the subject for twenty years, stated in 2002 that Deckard is a replicant. Hampton Fancher and Harrison Ford, however, have both stated that Deckard is human. The rough consensus of the dialogue is that in the original version of the film Deckard is probably human, whereas the Director's Cut is more ambigious, deliberately hinting that he may be another replicant. Specifically, the Director's Cut adds a major sequence of Deckard dreaming about a unicorn. The dream is in coversation with the origami unicorn Gaff leaves Deckard at the end of the film. This suggests Gaff knows about Deckard's dream in the same manner that Deckard knows about Rachael's implanted memories. A specific answer to whether or not Deckard is human or replicant is not found in the film -- the purpose of raising the question is not to provide a definitive answer, but to add additional layers of ambiguity to the film's questions about humanity and reality.

Cast

With the exception of Harrison Ford, Blade Runner had a significant number of then-unknown actors in its cast:
:"Blade Runner needs no explanation. It just IZZ. All of the best. There is nothing like it. To be part of a real MASTERPIECE which changed the world's thinking. It's awesome." [BRMovie.com – Rutger Hauer]
Supporting roles:

Music

The Blade Runner soundtrack by Vangelis is a dark melodic combination of classic composition and futuristic synthesizers which mirrors the film-noir retro-future envisioned by Ridley Scott. Vangelis, fresh off of his Academy Award winning score from Chariots of Fire, composed and performed the music on his synthesizers. The musicscape of the 2019 was created in Vangelis' "space" mode of new age music, as heard on such albums of his as Heaven and Hell. He also made use of various chimes and the vocals of collaborator Demis Roussos. Ridley Scott also used "Memories of Green" from Vangelis' album See You Later (an orchestral version of which Scott would later use in his film Someone To Watch Over Me).

"Both emotional and unsettling, the Blade Runner score plays off conflict (discord versus harmony, light against dark) for a rich, textured tapestry of sound." – [musicoutfitter.com]
Despite being well received by fans and critically acclaimed — nominated in 1983 for a BAFTA and Golden Globe as best original score — and the promise of a soundtrack album from Polydor Records in the end titles of the film, the release of the original soundtrack recording was delayed for over a decade. There are two official releases of the music from Blade Runner. In light of the lack of a release of an album, The New American Orchestra recorded an orchestral adaptation in 1982 which bore little resemblance to the original. Some of the film tracks would in 1989 surface on the compilation Themes, but it wasn't until the 1992 release of the Director's Cut version would a substantial amount of the film's score see the light of day. However, while most of the tracks on the album are from the film, there were a few that Vangelis composed but were ultimately not used and some new pieces. Many do not consider this to be a satisfying representation of the score.

These delays and poor reproductions led to the production of many bootleg recordings over the years. A bootleg tape surfaced in 1982 at science fiction conventions and became popular given the delay of an official release of the original recordings, and in 1993 "Off World Music, Ltd." created a bootleg CD that would prove more comprehensive than Vangelis' official CD in 1994. A disc from "Gongo Records" features most of the same material, but with slightly better sound quality. In 2003, two other bootlegs surfaced, the "Esper Edition," closely preceded by "Los Angeles - November 2019." The double disc "Esper Edition" combined tracks from the official release, the Gongo boot and the film itself. Finally "2019" provided a single disc compilation almost wholly consisting of ambient sound from the film, padded out with some sounds from the Westwood game Blade Runner. The Gongo release is considered the best presentation of the music, while Los Angeles - November 2019 and the Esper Edition are excellent mementos of the film.

"Dreamy, evocative, beautiful and essential." – [moviegrooves.com]

Reception

Blade Runner was released in 1,290 theaters on June 25 1982. That date was chosen by producer Alan Ladd, Jr. because his previous highest-grossing films ( and Alien) had a similar opening date (May 25) in 1977 and 1979, making the date his "lucky day."Sammon, Paul. (1996) However, the gross for the opening weekend was a disappointing $6.15 million. A significant factor in the film's rather poor box office performance was that its release coincided with another science fiction film, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, which was released in the U.S. on June 11, 1982, and dominated box office revenues at the time.

Film critics were polarized as some felt the story had taken a back seat to special effects and that it was not the action/adventure the studio had advertised. Others acclaimed its complexity and predicted it would stand the test of time.Sammon, Paul. (1996)

A general criticism was its slow pacing that detracts from other strengths;Hicks, Chris. (1992) [DeseretNews.com – Review of Blade Runner] one film critic went so far as to call it "Blade Crawler."Flynn, John. (2003) [Towson.edu – Blade Runner Retrospective] Roger Ebert praised Blade Runner's visuals, but found the human story a little thin. Ebert thought Tyrell's character unconvincing and the apparent lack of security measures allowing Roy to murder him problematic. Also he believed the relationship between Deckard and Rachael seemed "to exist more for the plot than for them."Ebert, Roger. (1992)

Other critics have countered that the strong visuals serve to create a dehumanized world where human elements stand out. Furthermore the relationship between Deckard and Rachael could be essential in reaffirming their respective humanity.Rutledge, Sean M. (2000) [CandidCritic.com – Review of Blade Runner] In a later episode of their show, Ebert and Gene Siskel admit they were wrong about their early negative reviews and that they consider the film to be a modern classic.

Awards and nominations

Blade Runner has both won, and been nominated for, many awards.

It has won the following accolades:

Year Award Category - Recipient(s)
1982 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award Best Cinematography - Jordan Cronenweth
1983 BAFTA Film Award Best Cinematography - Jordan Cronenweth
Best Costume Design - Charles Knode, Michael Kaplan
Best Production Design/Art Direction - Lawrence G. Paull
1983 Hugo Award Best Dramatic Presentation
1983 London Critics Circle Film Awards - Special Achievement Award Lawrence G. Paull, Douglas Trumbull, Syd Mead - For their visual concept (technical prize).

It was nominated for the following awards:

Influence

A police spinner flies alongside an advertising-laden skyscraper in LA.
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A police spinner flies alongside an advertising-laden skyscraper in LA.

Initially avoided by North American audiences, Blade Runner was popular internationally and has become a cult classic. The film's enduring popularity and cult status has made it popular to reference in other media. The television show Futurama has made multiple references to Blade Runner, and the shows Cutting It, Stargate SG-1, and Battlestar Galactica have used quotes from the film. Actor William Sanderson, who played Sebastian, voiced a similar character in the cartoon series . In the action film The 6th Day, a virtual psychologist says, "You seem to be avoiding talking about your parents. Imagine, two turtles are walking through the desert...", and one of the villains, (played by Édouard Montoute) in "Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra" is called Nexusis in reference to the replicants' model.

It is also notable that Blade Runner's opening frames feature a tight close-up on a human eye; Strange Days, Minority Report, and certain episodes of the 2004 television series LOST start with similar shots. Blade Runner cannot, however, be entirely credited as the inspiration for this characteristic shot, since Alfred Hitchcock's film Vertigo, released over two decades earlier, begins with a similar close-up. Rather, Blade Runner fits into a wider tradition, tapping into Vertigo's power and linking on multiple levels with its plot.

Blade Runner's dark cyberpunk style and futuristic design have served as a benchmark and inspired many subsequent science fiction films and television programs, including Max Headroom, Batman, RoboCop, The Fifth Element, Brazil, Dark Angel, Firefly, and The Matrix. It has also influenced anime, including Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Armitage III, Silent Möbius, Cowboy Bebop, Bubblegum Crisis, AD Police Files, Parasite Dolls, and Ergo Proxy. Before shooting began on Batman Begins, director Christopher Nolan reportedly screened Blade Runner to the film's crew and told them, "This is how we're going to make Batman." Even the Star Wars prequels have paid homage to Blade Runner in their special effects sequences.Brinkley, Aaron. Gunn, R. (2002) [The Blade Runner / Star Wars References] The Bradbury scene influenced the 1986 music video of Tonight, Tonight, Tonight by Genesis, where similar photography was used as Collins walks through the Bradbury.

"Blade Runner is a unique film, incredible on every level. It is a prophetic and emotional tale that stands as one of the most original and intelligent science fiction films ever made." – [Alex Ioshpe]
The film is often thought to have inspired William Gibson's Neuromancer.Mariman, Lukas. (2000) [BR FAQ: Influence] Gibson has said in interviews that he was already writing Neuromancer when Blade Runner was released, and was actually inspired by the implied background of the film Alien. The film arguably marks the introduction of the cyberpunk genre into popular culture. Blade Runner continues to reflect modern trends and concerns, and an increasing number consider it one of the greatest science fiction films of all time.Jha, Alok. Rogers, S. Rutherford, A. (2004) [Guardian.co.uk – Our expert panel votes for the top 10 sci-fi films]Netrunner. (2005) [BRmovie.com – Top 100s and Reviews] The film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 1993 and is frequently used in university courses. Its memorable quotations and soundtrack have made it the most musically sampled film of the 20th century.Cigéhn, Peter. (2004) [Sloth.org – The Top 1118 Sample Sources]

Notably, the character Roy Batty served as the apparent inspiration of several rock songs. In the song "Show Me How to Live" by Audioslave, the lyrics include "Nail in my hand / from my creator / you gave me life / now show me how to live." During the final fight scene between Batty and Deckard, Batty sticks a nail through his hand to prevent it from closing up. The song also includes references to science fiction themes; "And in the aching night under satellites / I was not received / Built with stolen parts / A telephone in my heart." The song "More Human Than Human" by White Zombie named after Tyrell Corp. motto "More human than human", has the lyrics "I am the Nexus One / I want more life / Fucker, I ain't done." This is in reference to Batty's famous line "I want more life, fucker!". Gary Numan's ballad "Time To Die" puts Batty's dying monologue to suitably emotional music. A great fan of the film, Numan also used extracts lifted directly from the soundtrack on his 1985 album "The Fury". Pop Will Eat Itself also had a 1989 track titled "Wake up, time to die...".

"Ridley Scott's film remains the defining vision of futuristic science fiction." – [Steve Biodrowski]
Blade Runner also served to influence the cyberpunk adventure game Snatcher, the role-playing game Shadowrun, the seminal computer game System Shock and the Syndicate games. The fictional language Cityspeak spoken on the overcrowded and multi-lingual streets of Los Angeles, 2019; is described by Deckard as a "mishmash of Japanese, Spanish, German, what have you." It has been used in many cyberpunk genre role-playing games.

Versions

Seven versions of the film exist, but only the Director's Cut and International Cut are widely known and seen:

Theatrical versions

The 1982 American and European theatrical versions released by the studio included a "happy ending" (using stock footage from Stanley Kubrick's The Shining) and a voice-over added at the request of studio executives during post-production after test audience members indicated difficulty understanding the film. Although several different versions of the script had included a voice-over of some sort, both Ridley Scott and Harrison Ford disliked the studio V.O. and resisted having it added to the film. It's been rumored Ford intentionally did the voice-over poorly in the hope it wouldn't be used,Sammon, Paul. (1996) Page 298 but recent interviews indicate otherwise.IMDB. (2005) [Trivia for Blade Runner]

Director's Cut

Deckard's daydream in the 1992 Director's Cut
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Deckard's daydream in the 1992 Director's Cut

In 1990, Warner Bros briefly allowed theatrical screenings of a 70 mm copy of the workprint version of the film, advertising it as a Director's Cut. However, Ridley Scott publicly disowned the workprint version of the film as his definitive Director's Cut, citing that it was roughly edited and lacked the score composed for the film by Vangelis. In response to Scott's dissatisfaction (and in part because of the film's resurgent cult popularity in the early 90s) Warner Brothers decided to assemble a definitive Director's Cut of the film with direction from Scott to be released in 1992.

They hired film-restorationist Michael Arick, who had been the one that rediscovered the workprint of Blade Runner and who was already doing consultation work for them, to head up the project with Scott. He started by spending several months in London with Les Healey, who had been the assistant editor on Blade Runner, attempting to compile a list of the changes that Scott wanted made to the film. He also got a number of suggestions/directions directly from the director himself. Arick made several changes to the film, most of them fairly minor editing changes, including the reinsertion of Deckard finding Gaff's origami unicorn in the hallway near his apartment at the film's closing. However, three major changes were made to the film which most would agree significantly changed the feel of the film: the removal of Deckard's explanatory voice-over, the re-insertion of a dream sequence of a unicorn running through a forest, and the removal of the studio imposed "happy-ending", including some associated visuals which had originally run under the film's end-credits.

Scott has since complained that time and money constraints and his obligation to Thelma and Louise kept him from retooling the film in a completely satisfactory manner, and that while he's happier than before with the 1992 release of the film, he's never felt entirely comfortable with it as his definitive Director's Cut.

Special Edition

Partly as the result of those complaints, Scott was invited back in mid-2000 to help put together a final and definitive version of the film, which was completed in mid-2001. During the process, a new digital print of the film was created from the original negatives, special effects were updated and cleaned, and the sound was remastered in 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound. Unlike the rushed 1992 Director's Cut, Scott personally oversaw the new cut as it was being made. The Special Edition DVD was slated for a Christmas time 2001 release, and was originally rumored to be a three-disc set including the full international theatrical cut, the 1992 director's cut and the newly enhanced version in addition to deleted scenes, extensive cast and crew interviews, and the documentary "On the Edge of Blade Runner". But Warner Bros indefinitely delayed the "Special Edition" release after legal disputes began with the film's original completion bond guarantors (specifically Jerry Perenchio), who were ceded ownership of the film when the shooting ran over budget from $21.5 to $28 million.

After several years of waiting through fears that the legal disputes would never end, fans have been rewarded with a tenative announcement by Warner Brothers. According to Total Film magazine and The Digital Bits, Warner Bros. is putting the final touches on several versions of the film that will be made available starting in late 2006. Sources disagree somewhat on how the releases will be scheduled, but the most current information indicates that a restored version of the 1992 Director's Cut will be released first in its own two-disc set, and that it will be available only between September and December of 2006. Following the release of the 2-disc 1992 DC, The Digital Bits is reporting that Warner Brothers will release Ridley Scott's new Director's Cut of the film into theatres sometime in early 2007 to be followed by a multi-disc set containing both previously mentioned versions of the film plus both the American and European theatrical versions.

The 2-disc will be released in the UK on October 9th.

Documentaries

From the Edge documentary, featuring Blade Runner screenwriters Fancher (left) and Peoples, now friends
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From the Edge documentary, featuring Blade Runner screenwriters Fancher (left) and Peoples, now friends

On the Edge of Blade Runner (55 minutes), produced in 2000 by Nobles Gate Ltd. (for Channel 4), was directed by Andrew Abbott and hosted/written by Mark Kermode, and will be included in the Special Edition. Interviews with production staff, including Ridley give details into the creative process and turmoil during preproduction. Stories from Paul M. Sammon and Fancher provide insight into Philip K. Dick and the origins of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Interweaved are cast interviews with the notable exceptions of Harrison Ford and Sean Young. Through these interviews we get a sense of how difficult and frustrating the film was to make as a result of an exacting director without allies and hot, wet, smoggy conditions; which added to the high pressure atmosphere everyone increasingly felt as the film went over budget. There is also a tour of some locations, most notably the Bradbury Building and the Warner Brothers backlot that was the LA 2019 streets, which look very different from Ridley's dark version.

The documentary then details the test screenings postproduction editing/changes (voice over and happy ending, deleted Holden hospital scene), special effects, soundtrack by Vangelis, and the unhappy relationship between the filmmakers and the investors; which culminated in Deeley and Ridley being fired but still working on the film. The question of whether or not is a replicant surfaces. After being a "disaster" in the box office (a financial loss initially) Blade Runner was reborn in the video rental market, and a great reception of a chance screening of Ridley's workprint at the Fairfax Theater, Los Angeles, in May 1990 led to Warner Bros. having the "Director's Cut" done by film archivist Michael Arick.

Future Shocks (27 minutes), a more recent documentary from 2003 by TVOntario (as part of their Film 101 series), has interviews with executive producer Bud Yorkin, Syd Mead, and the cast along with Sean Young, but again without Harrison Ford. There is extensive commentary by science fiction author Robert J. Sawyer and film critics as the documentary focuses on the themes, visual impact and influence of the film. Olmos goes into Ford's participation and personal experiences during filming are related by Young, Walsh, Cassidy and Sanderson. They also relate a story where crew members created t-shirts which took pot shots at Ridley. The versions of the film are critiqued and how closely Blade Runner predicted the future is discussed.

Novel

See also: Differences Between the Novel and Film
The original screenplay by Hampton Fancher was based loosely on Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, which he optioned in 1980 after an unsuccessful previous attempt. However, Fancher's script focused more on environmental issues and less on issues of humanity and faith, which weighed heavily in the novel. When Ridley Scott became involved with the film, he wanted changes to the script made, and eventually hired David Peoples to perform the re-writes after Fancher refused. The film's title also changed several times during the writing process, it was to be called Dangerous Days in Fancher's last draft before eventually taking the name Blade Runner, actually borrowed (with permission) from a William S. Burroughs treatment of Alan E. Nourse's science fiction novel The Bladerunner (1974).

As a result of Fancher's divergence from the novel, numerous re-writes before and throughout shooting the film, and the fact that Ridley Scott never entirely read the novel it was based on, the film diverged significantly from its original inspiration. The changes have led many critics and fans to consider them as independent works of fiction, despite the fact that the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? was reprinted for a time with the title Blade Runner with the intention of promoting sales. Some of the themes in the novel that were minimized or entirely removed include: fertility/sterility of the population, religion, mass media, Deckard's uncertainty that he is human, and real versus synthetic pets and emotions.

The producers of the film arranged for a screening of some rough cuts for Philip K. Dick shortly before he died in early 1982. Despite the fact that the movie deviated significantly from his book and his well known skepticism of Hollywood in principle, he became quite enthusiatic about the film. He predicted that: "This will change the way we look at movies."

Sequels

Three official and authorized Blade Runner novels have been written by Philip K. Dick's friend K. W. Jeter that continue the story of Rick Deckard and attempt to resolve many of the differences between Blade Runner and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. David Peoples, who co-wrote Blade Runner and wrote the 1998 film Soldier, has said that Soldier is intended to be what he calls a "sidequel" to Blade Runner. Soldier takes place in the same fictional universe, and the spinners used in Blade Runner are also used in Soldier. However, Soldier is an informal sequel as it was never formally approved by the Blade Runner partnership, which owns the rights to the Blade Runner universe.

Though not an official sequel to Blade Runner, many fans have noted similarities between the 1999 television series Total Recall 2070 and the Blade Runner universe. Total Recall 2070 was based on two works by Phillip K. Dick: "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale" (the basis for Total Recall), and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (the basis for Blade Runner), so many consider the series a sequel to (or at least a spin-off of) Blade Runner.

Games and comics

There are two computer games based on the film, one for Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC 6128 by CRL Group PLC (1985) based on the music by Vangelis (due to licensing issues), and another action adventure PC game by Westwood Studios (1997). The latter game featured new characters and branching storylines based on the Blade Runner world, coupled with voice work from some of the original cast from the film and some recurring locations from the film. It is noteworthy that the events portrayed in the 1997 game occur not after, but in parallel to those in the film - the player assumes the role of another replicant-hunter working at the same time as Deckard, though of course they never meet, so as to remain consistent with the film. The game was highly advanced for its time, featuring a non linear plot, and advanced non player characters that each ran in their own independent AI. Unfortunately, the game was hobbled by an unusual 3D engine that was credible when the game went into production, but outclassed by the time the game was finally released.

A prototype board game was also created in California (1982) that had game play similar to Scotland Yard.

The cult computer game Snatcher was heavily influenced by Blade Runner, so much so that websites exist detailing the numerous similarities between the two.KoKee. (2001) [Blade Runner & Snatcher]

Archie Goodwin scripted the comic book adaptation, A Marvel Comics Super Special: Blade Runner, published September, 1982. The Jim Steranko cover leads into a 45-page adaptation illustrated by the team of Al Williamson, Carlos Garzon, Dan Green and Ralph Reese. This adaptation was poorly received and widely ridiculed because of poor writing and misquoted dialogue taken from the film. (This adaptation includes one possible explanation of the title's significance in story context: the narrative line, "Blade runner. You're always movin' on the edge.") Also there was a parody comic of Blade Runner called Blade Bummer by Crazy comics.Kupperberg, Paul & Camp, Bob. (1982) [BladeZone.com – Crazy: Blade Runner Parody]

Steve Gallacci wrote and illustrated an anthropomorphic parody of the film as Bad Rubber in the prototype issue (Number 0) of his comic book title Albedo Anthropomorphics. The character based on Rick Deckard was a duck named "Rick Duckard".

Curse

Among the folklore that has grown up around the film over the years has been the belief that the film was a curse[Curse] at the Blade Runner FAQ. to the companies whose logos were displayed prominently in some scenes. While they were market leaders at the time, many of them experienced disastrous setbacks over the next decade and hardly exist today: Coca-Cola almost joined this list in the wake of its failed introduction of New Coke three years later, but has since experienced a thirty-fold increase in share price.

References

See also

External links

Reviews Fan sites Scripts
The Blade Runner series
Characters Rick Deckard | Eldon Tyrell | Gaff | Rachael | Roy Batty | Leon Kowalski | Pris | Zhora | J.F. Sebastian
Locations Tyrell Corporation | Bradbury Building | Tannhauser Gate
Cast Harrison Ford | Rutger Hauer | Sean Young | Edward James Olmos | Daryl Hannah
Crew Ridley Scott | Hampton Fancher | Michael Deeley | David Peoples
Novels Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? | ' | ' |
Games and comics The Blade Runner Videogame | | Blade Bummer
Making ofs | On the Edge of Blade Runner | Future Shocks
Other topics Philip K. Dick | Vangelis | Soundtrack | Themes | Replicants | Voight-Kampff machine | Spinner
Related articles Postmodernism | Cyberpunk | Cult film | Soldier

 

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