|
 Based
on the novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" by noted sci-fi author Philip
K Dick, Harrison Ford plays a former police officer in 2019 Los Angeles, who is pressed
back into service to help catch a group of fugitive androids, known as replicants.
Designed to look and behave like humans for use as slave
labour in off-world colonies, replicants are considered too dangerous for use on
Earth as the authorities fear they may be coming self aware, so its down to special police officers, known as Blade Runners, to seek
out and destroy any that get past Earth security. But this particular group, lead by
a highly intelligent replicant named Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer) are not just your
standard bunch of robots on the run.
Seems they're on Earth because they're after something at the production plant they
were designed in, but why would robots be interested in technical specs and why
give a robot a mere three year lifespan? Directed by Ridley Scott (Alien),
this was one of the first sci-fi films to really portray the future as anything
but bright and cheerful, with the futuristic city of Los Angeles resembling a
giant industrial complex, with overcrowded streets and the air choked with
pollution.
Harrison Ford is aptly cast as troubled cop Rick Deckard, in a much darker and
very different role to that of Han Solo from Star Wars, which he'd only played a
couple of years previous, and Rutger Hauer is excellent as the fearsome, yet
enigmatic, android leader Roy.
Co-starring Brion James, Joanna Cassidy, Sean Young and,
in one of her first major starring roles, Daryll Hannah, Blade
Runner is an extremely dark, gritty sci-fi action/thriller, which sci-fi fans
should thoroughly enjoy. If you read Philip Dick's original novel and haven't
seen this yet you should do so at once.
Overall Marks : 6/10.
|
Other Information.
Although based on
the Philip K Dick novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" the
film actually takes its title from a novel by Alan Nourse.
An alternate intro
is rumoured to exist showing Deckard arriving at a farmhouse and
waiting for the occupant to arrive home. When he does, Deckard
shoots him then breaks off the persons lower jaw, which reveals the
logo "Property of the Tyrell Corporation", showing the
person was in fact a replicant. Storyboards of this are shown on the
5 disc special edition released in 2007, however there is no mention
of any of this actually being filmed.
The crew often
referred to the film as "Blood Runner" as they were so strained by
the director's shooting schedule. In fact several cast and crew
members wore T-shirts saying "Will Rogers never met Ridley Scott" (a
reference to actor Will Roger's famous statement that he never met
anyone he didn't like).
There are many
differences between the original novel and the film. Some of the
more notable being the original novel was set in 1992 (which was
changed to 2021 in later reprints), whereas the film takes place in
2019. The term "replicant" was not used in the original novel,
instead they were reffered to as "Andy's" which was short for
android and the Tyrell corporation was the Rosen corporation, and
Rachael (who is a company exec in this) was part of the Rosen
family.
The original
theatrical version had voiceovers by Deckard (Harrison Ford) during
certain scenes, which were added after test audiences said they
didn't understand what was happening. These were removed again from
the directors cut version that came out during the early 90's, which
also added a scene showing him dreaming about a unicorn and removed
the final scene showing him and Rachael driving off together.
Dustin Hoffman was
apparently originally asked to play Deckard.
In the scene where
Deckard is fighting with Pris in Sebastian's apartment, a male stunt
double was used for several shots as they rehearsed the scene so
many times the original female stunt double was worn out when it
came to shooting.
Some early drafts of
the script ended with Deckard shooting Sean Young's character,
Rachael, as they knew that other Blade Runner's would come for her
and she'd rather be killed by someone she knew.
The pet snake Joanna
Cassidy's character has was the actresses pet in real life.
Several buildings
used in the scene where Gaff takes Deckard to the police
headquarters in the spinner car where actually spaceship models from
other sci-fi films. Most notable "Close Encounters of the Third
Kind", "Dark Star" and even the Millennium Falcon from "Star Wars".
Singer Debbie Harry
was apparently the original choice to play Pris.
In the original
released version, Deckard is presumed to be human, even though people
suspect him of being a replicant. In the directors cut version they
infer that he is actually a replicant, although this has been a case
of much dispute between the actor and director. Ford claimed that in
the original script his character was always human, whereas the
director said in an interview that he was actually a replicant.
Certain scenes were
trimmed for an R-rating in the US, these included a bloodier take of
Batty gouging Tyrell's eyes, Pris lifting Deckard up by his nostrils
when she beats him up. Deckard shooting Pris a third time with
a longer shot of her lurching around the floor screaming, and
actually seeing Roy pushing the nail right into his hand. The
director also shortened the end scene of Deckard and Rachael driving
off into the sunset. These scenes were re-instated for an unrated
video release in the US and many European theatrical versions were
of the unrated print.
The UK theatrical
version was of the unrated international print, as was the original
video release. However, following the introduction Video Recordings
Act in 1984, Warner replaced it with the cut R-rated version.
The directors cut
version released in the 90's used the scenes from the cut down
R-rated version, rather than the gorier unrated print.
There was an
additional scene filmed, but ultimately not used, showing Deckard
visiting Holden (the detective shot by Leon at the beginning) in
hospital, where Holden tells him "It's all over, it's a wipe-out,
they're almost us". This was shown on a UK documentary about the
film on Channel 4 and is included on the 2007 5-disc DVD set.
The director
released an Ultimate Final Cut on DVD in 2007, this was essentially
the directors cut but with the extra violence from the uncut
international unrated print and some new scenes and extra dialogue
that had only previously been seen in a workprint version, that had
been doing the rounds at film festivals.
|
Extra Info. Cast
& Crew.
|
