Blade Runner - a brief overview

Blade Runner consists of completely artificial, futuristic Los Angeles. The only remaining aspects of the natural world are the weather, "replicant" animals and human instinct, including the central focus of life and death, essential to humanity, explored throughout the text. The relationship between humanity and natural instinct is explored in various ways, as well as the almost complete detachment from the natural environment.

Rolling text appearing at the beginning of the movie informs the responder to a brief history of the creation of the "replicants", physically identical to humans, yet removed due to their lack of emotion and superiority "in strength and agility" Due to "bloody mutiny by a Nexus 6 combat team" the replicants were considered illegal on Earth and were systematically eradicated by "Blade Runner Units". This introduces the responder to the futuristic world, increasing the impact of the issues presented in the text.

Metallic, artificial, sparse and almost sinister music is used through the opening scenes of Blade Runner. The metallic tonality and sparseness of the soundtrack illustrates the lack of emotion and passion within the world, removing it from humanity and creating an unnatural, disturbing image. Despite this, music is rarely used through the text, focusing attention upon the plot and issues explored in the film. The soundtrack is only introduced during scenes of high tension and emotion, ranging the metallic, unnatural sounds used in scenes involving the replicants to romantic and emotional music in scenes of human beauty. This is most noticeable in the scene in which Deckard reminisces and gazes at the photos, a natural and emotional example of humanity and the natural mind.

Several shot types are used to communicate different emotions and ideas. Opening long shots of the city shrouded in fire and lightning creates a destructive and desolate image, absent of the natural world. As the shot hovers over the city, it provides a different perspective for the responder, further involving them within the text, and introducing them to the unnatural confines of the futuristic Los Angeles. Images of the Tyrell Corporation towers are filmed from a low angle, looking up at the towers, elevating them to a superior stature than the rest of the city. In contrast, images of the citizens are filmed at high angles, looking down on the people, withdrawing their individuality and importance. The dove released by Roy is filmed in a similar manner, expressing the importance and superiority of the natural world and emotion. Close ups are used during emotional peaks to convey the emotions of the characters, especially as the replicants learn individual emotional responses.

In Blade Runner, the Earth is divided into regulated sections, and is submerged in a squalid, overcrowded and depressing lifestyle. Everything within the world is perfectly controlled, suppressing the human instinct, though violence is common and accepted, most obvious as Deckard "retires" a replicant, and no one reacts with disgust or despair. The depression existent in 2019 Los Angeles suggests an unnatural and controlled life is depressing and unfulfilling, while the natural world, and human nature, is beautiful and satisfying. Multiculturalism has become dominant in the Blade Runner society, coinciding with the emergence of multiculturalism in the composer's historical context.

Asian culture, particularly Japanese culture, dominates Ridley Scott's Los Angeles. Japan was an economic world power at the time of composition, illustrating the consumption reliant, capitalist society of the western world, particularly the United States of America, and the possible consequences of the consumer driven society. Persistent advertisements for the off world colonies offer "The chance to begin again in a golden land of opportunity", removing the population from their natural environment, further detaching them from nature and the concept of "home". The promises in the advertisements are similar to the easy solutions offered by dictatorships, comparable to the controlling agencies of Blade Runner.

The only remaining traces of the natural world are synthetic, weather or humanity. Artificial animals are abundant in Blade Runner, like the flocking pigeons in JF Sebastians apartment, creating a false attachment to nature amongst the people. Many of the inhabitants are unaware of the existence or appearance of many animals, as Leon asks "Tortoise? Whats that?" Cruel, bitter images of the natural world such as Rachael's "memory" of baby spiders eating their mother are used throughout the text, communicating the detachment and resentment of the natural world by the citizens. Perpetual rain caused by pollution of the atmosphere enhances the fragile attachment to nature in Blade Runner, yet rain is often associated with negativity, perverting the image.

Replicants are programmed to live for four year periods, ensuring they do not discover their own emotional responses, guaranteeing the control of the replicant generations. To enhance the human control, false memories, essential to humanity, are programmed into the replicants. This suppression of emotion removes the humanity from the replicants, leaving them to live in an unnatural manner. The rebellion of the replicants and development of individual emotional responses, such as love for each other, increases their human instinct, making them "more human than human", and more attached nature than their creators.

Memories, both natural and unnatural are essential to the replicants, fueling the passion and desire to become human. Photographs are used throughout the film as a physical memory and symbol of humanity, deeply sentimental to the replicants, as well as the responder, escalating the replicant's relationship with the natural world, giving the replicants more natural qualities than the citizens of Earth.

Tyrell's chess figures represent citizens of the world, illustrating his manipulation of the world's population and their relationship with human instinct. Heavy symbolism of the emotional chase of Roy during the thunderstorm shows the explosive and erratic nature of humanity, similar to the erratic and occasionally violent cycles of the natural world. The traditional symbol of peace, the dove, is used as a symbol of freedom in Blade Runner. As Roy "retires" after he has saved Deckard, he releases the dove, explaining a life of fear is a life of slavery. The elevated shot of the dove flying to the sky represents the freedom of Roy's soul, which is no longer a slave to the unnatural suppression of his creators.

Origami is also used symbolically to describe Deckard's emotions throughout Blade Runner. As Deckard is being persuaded to rejoin the Los Angeles police, an origami chicken is captured, describing Deckard's reluctance and possible fear of his recruitment. The matchstick figure of the man with an erection appears as Deckard begins to fall in love with Rachael, illustrating the sexual tension and emotion between the two characters. The metallic unicorn pictured at the end of Blade Runner suggests Deckard is himself a replicant, as replicants are implanted with the false memory of a unicorn running through the forest.

The relationship between humanity and nature within Blade Runner is very limited. The replicants, who were manufactured in unnatural circumstances, became more attached to nature as they experienced life, eventually becoming more human and natural than their creators.

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