When I was a freshman in college I had a professor that was very into Phillip K. Dick. We read a collection of his short stories and then watched Blade Runner. Strangely enough we didn’t read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? We watched the film over the course of three class periods on a small CRT monitor with crappy speakers. I could barely make out the dialog. I had no clue what was going on. My most vivid memory is of Pris acrobatically putting Deckard’s head into a scissor lock. At the time and in the proceeding years until now, I didn’t get what all of the hubbub was about. People hailed it as the classic science fiction film. It’s historic. But to me, it was just that film I watched in class and didn’t really understand.

With the release of the visually impressive first teaser for Blade Runner 2049, a sequel set 30 years later, I felt like the film deserved a second chance. Wow, am I glad I gave it one.

Note: there are a few light spoilers below.

The settings throughout the film feel so real. They’re gritty and industrial, not sterile and modern like so many futuristic depictions. In a lot of ways, the city of L.A. in the film feels like its own character. It’s the kind of world that I want to spend more time in.

The predicted technologies, while off in some ways, still feel futuristic today. Little touches like the apartment lights automatically turning on in Deckard’s apartment when he walked into a room had me wondering, Why don’t the lights in my apartment work like that? Speaking of lighting, it is done so well in Blade Runner. It sets the mood and completely fits with the visual design throughout the movie.

The contained story works really well. I think the scope of it leaves enough to the imagination and doesn’t squander itself. I loved the ambiguous ending. It’s abstract and mysterious enough to make one wonder what it all means. Those kinds of endings keep the mystery alive, which I think keeps something churning in one’s mind after it ends.

The “Tears in Rain” speech at the end is very well known, and I found it to be very impactful. It gave me goosebumps. It’s a great performance. I think all of the actors did a great job.

The only think I didn’t really care for was Deckard’s romance with Rachael. It was forced, literally and figuratively. It seemed there was a checkbox for “add romance scene.” Everything else with Rachael, the Voight-Kampff test and Deckard conversation with her about how she’s a replicant, made sense to me. But the way the romance progressed felt like a stretch.

One of, if not the, most lasting parts of the movie for me has been the music. It’s incredible. I bought the soundtrack and haven’t stopped listening. I really enjoy writing while listening to it. It really puts me in a certain place. A dark and dreamy futuristic place.

Since finishing the film, I wanted to enjoy some stories with a similar atmosphere, so I started reading the manga BLAME! It seemingly draws some inspiration from Blade Runner and other sci-fi, and I am enjoying it. The art style is pretty unique. Blade Runner also has me excited to watch Akira again. They both nail the atmosphere of the futuristic cities. The world needs some more grit and neon in it.

I would say, with little doubt in my mind, that Blade Runner is now one of my favorite films. I’m very much looking forward to watching it again soon.

Additional Notes

  • I watched The Final Cut version.
  • I bought the Blade Runner Trilogy soundtrack by Vangelis, which has two discs of music from the film and one of original music inspired by the film. I highly recommend it.
  • I watched Blade Runner on an iPad, although it seems like the kind of film that would be even better on the big screen in a theater. Fingers crossed I get the chance one day.