Last September I finally watched Blade Runner. I’ll be
honest, I have yet to read the Phillip K Dick novel that inspired the movie and
having for years heard about what a unique and special movie it is, I have to
say my expectations were hostile. Sometimes the hype is never met!
On this occasion not only was I mesmerised by the movie, but surprisingly I was actually scared by it.
There’s something about the dystopian genre that really unnerves me. The societies within The Handmaid’s Tale and Nineteen Eighty-Four are controlled by radical thinking and human brainwashing. However, I believe Blade Runner goes down a more disturbing route as it demonstrates what might happen to our society as a result of our own actions. Nature is replaced with tall buildings in big cities and acid rain is ever present due to pollution. The class system becomes strictly divided with the poor living on Earth in genuine squalor and the rich immigrating to other space colonies. However, the wealthy Tyrell Corporation (who produce the replicants) remain on Earth and their presence is noted by the Pyramid building in the middle of the derelict city.
For me as a young 2014 audience member, while the events in the movie are only five years away and will clearly not happen, I could recognise aspects and themes that link to our society. The social class debate remains omnipresent and while we hold the view that there are different levels of the class system, Blade Runner demonstrates a society that is completely divided into two clear categories. Who’s not to say that this division may not become more obvious in the years to come? Also, pollution is a major problem in our society, with some places in the world having already experienced acid rain. The increasing power of corporations and corporate person hood may only increase these problems.
While the fantastical elements of the movie such as the replicants and the motif of the ‘eye’ demonstrating what is and not reality are entertaining, I believe Ridley Scott has cleverly directed a cautionary tale that resonates as much with contemporary audiences as it did with those from 1982. Therefore, we must learn the message of the film which is to take care of our society.
Out of all the dystopian novels or movies I’ve ever come across, Blade Runner is the one that made me feel the most uneasy. With a combination of Dick’s imaginative ideas and Scott’s clear vision (which eventually came to fruition in the 2007 Final Cut) maybe contemporary audiences will now take note of its message and begin to take better care of our Earth.
On this occasion not only was I mesmerised by the movie, but surprisingly I was actually scared by it.
There’s something about the dystopian genre that really unnerves me. The societies within The Handmaid’s Tale and Nineteen Eighty-Four are controlled by radical thinking and human brainwashing. However, I believe Blade Runner goes down a more disturbing route as it demonstrates what might happen to our society as a result of our own actions. Nature is replaced with tall buildings in big cities and acid rain is ever present due to pollution. The class system becomes strictly divided with the poor living on Earth in genuine squalor and the rich immigrating to other space colonies. However, the wealthy Tyrell Corporation (who produce the replicants) remain on Earth and their presence is noted by the Pyramid building in the middle of the derelict city.
For me as a young 2014 audience member, while the events in the movie are only five years away and will clearly not happen, I could recognise aspects and themes that link to our society. The social class debate remains omnipresent and while we hold the view that there are different levels of the class system, Blade Runner demonstrates a society that is completely divided into two clear categories. Who’s not to say that this division may not become more obvious in the years to come? Also, pollution is a major problem in our society, with some places in the world having already experienced acid rain. The increasing power of corporations and corporate person hood may only increase these problems.
While the fantastical elements of the movie such as the replicants and the motif of the ‘eye’ demonstrating what is and not reality are entertaining, I believe Ridley Scott has cleverly directed a cautionary tale that resonates as much with contemporary audiences as it did with those from 1982. Therefore, we must learn the message of the film which is to take care of our society.
Out of all the dystopian novels or movies I’ve ever come across, Blade Runner is the one that made me feel the most uneasy. With a combination of Dick’s imaginative ideas and Scott’s clear vision (which eventually came to fruition in the 2007 Final Cut) maybe contemporary audiences will now take note of its message and begin to take better care of our Earth.
No comments:
Post a Comment