Apr
29
Blade Runner has been called one of the most influential sci-fi movies ever, and with good reason. Directed by Ridley Scott (Alien, Legend) and adapted from Philip K. Dick’s, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, the movie goes straight to the heart of what most good science fiction is about: What defines the term “Human”?
The initial release in 1982 showcased Harrison Ford in a completely different role, which contributed dramatically to his leading-man status. Ford plays Deckard, a retired police detective/specialist who is dragged back into service to hunt down and “retire” a group of Replicants who have illegally made their way to Earth, genetically manufactured slaves who serve the off-world colonies. Rutger Hauer gives an Oscar-worthy performance as the leader of the escaped replicants, with strong supporting roles including Darryl Hannah, Joanna Cassidy, and Brion James. Ridley Scott has a knack for bringing out the best of his actors, and aptly demonstrates that a gesture or expression can speak volumes more than any dialogue could.
The original theatrical release met with moderate box-office success, because Scott was forced by the “suits” to add an overlay of narration and a happy ending. His original vision was thought to be too “brainy” and “dark” to be a box-office success. The film as it was released was not the smash hit that was hoped for, but the movie gained a huge cult following that still persists today. The question of what pinnacle the movie might have reached, had it been released as Scott intended, would not be realized until 1992, when the Director’s Cut was released, and fans were able to see how much stronger and more dramatic the film truly was sans the narration and happy ending. The re-released version brought Ridley’s vision into crystal clear focus, and the results were sparkling.
And now, with the 25th Anniversary Collectors Edition, a NEW Director’s Cut has been released, and I have to give it an enthusiastic recommendation, both for what Ridley Scott did, and for what he could have but didn’t do.
One of the most striking visual aspects of Blade Runner was the art direction and cinematography. The contrasts between the settings and the look are remarkable in that the movie has the visual feel of a 1940’s Bogart-like detective film, but is encrusted with technological marvels. An old Chinese street vendor is just as likely to have an electron microscope (to check the serial number of an artificially grown animal scale) as she is to have napkins to hand out with the food she’s hawking. Earth has become a run-down hovel with pockets of manufacturing districts as the general populace has abandoned the planet for a better life on the off-world colonies, like people move from the big city to new condominium developments in the suburbs. It’s not out of the ordinary to find one individual occupying an entire grand hotel that has fallen into disrepair. Earth has basically devolved into the armpit of society to the point where the common language is “City-Speak”, a mixture of German, Spanish, Japanese, and English. It’s not pretty, yet it is visually stunning, and many of the concepts introduced in Blade Runner remain just as jaw dropping today as they did 25 years ago, and Ridley Scott’s ultimate final cut has taken all of that and polished it to a gleam.
It would have been easy to visually update the film ala George Lucas with computer generated enhancements. For example, many of the devices in the movie utilize cathode ray tube screens instead of the LCD screens we now accept as bulky televisions and computer monitors go the way of vinyl records. It would have been tempting to remedy this, but thankfully, Scott maintains his original vision and instead uses computer enhancement to add subtle detail that enhances the reality in ways that just weren’t possible when the original was made. Fans of Blade Runner will notice these things and appreciate them for what they are and what they do. The other primary difference is a very slight remixing of certain scenes, as well as some lingering moments of unspoken dialogue which serve to portray the message, mood, or moment more clearly. The best way to describe the difference in the three versions would be to portray the original as a Hollywood commercial release for the masses, the second as a tribute to the legions of worldwide fans that still to this day debate many of the questions and analyses raised by the original, and the third as a legacy that completely stands upon its own for new generations of fans to love and appreciate. If you haven’t seen Blade Runner before, the Final Director’s Cut is the version to see. It is hands down still superior to 99% of the movies being made with today’s technology. The Four Disc Set includes 9 hours of bonus commentary, outtakes, deleted scenes, plus the original 1982 U.S. theatrical release, the 1982 Foreign release, the 1992 Director’s Cut, and the piece de resistance, tour de force of the Final Director’s Cut.
With a remastered soundtrack in digital 5.1 surround taken from the original 6 track soundtrack, a remastered, digitally enhanced picture taken from the master reel, the amazing music score by Vangelis, and the visual art of Mobius (probably the most celebrated Heavy Metal artist ever), the Blade Runner Collector’s Edition is not an exaggeration… it truly is worthy of being in your collection.