Some questions on Blade Runner to replace those in the Critical Reader for Weeks 6-7!!

1. How has Blade Runner been received critically since its 1982 release?

2. How many versions of the film are there, when, and what are the differences?

3. Blade Runner is a highly complex movie has been described as a 'palimpsest' of clues and layers that rewards repeated viewing.

In particular, it is full of visual and written clues and references (often ironic) that help us in 'reading' it, but they are easy to miss. Here are some references that you can Google. Follow the clues:

- Zhora (snake dancing replicant) and Leon are staying a hotel called the Yukon at 1187 Hunterwasser St. What significance does the name Yukon have? (clue: frontier. colony). What is the significance of the name Hundertwasser? (clue: architecture, irony, dystopia)

- When Deckard goes to the Snake Pit nightclub in Chintown, Zhora (unseen) performs a dance called 'Miss Salome and the Snake.' What does this reference? (clue: Bible, John the Baptist).

- Not long after Roy arrives at Sebastian's apartment (after he kisses Priss and before he plays chess), he toys with the broken-half of a Barbie doll. In what way might this be allegorical?

- In the climactic scene in which Roy (uncomfortably for many viewers) kisses his 'father', Tyrell, what does the kiss represent? (clue: New Testament, Judas)

- Sebastian's apartment is located in the Bradbury building. How is this significant (clue: SF author Something Wicked this Way Comes).

- Much of the film is set in 21st century LA's Chinatown. How is this iconic? (clue: film noir, Polanski, femme fatale).

4. What did you think of the film? Does following these kinds of clues affect your appreciation of the movie?

Hello Rachel and Saja ‘-‘

I just want to comment shortly.
I didn’t know that Blade Runner is a really old movie when I was watching this last week (because I was late).It is directed by Ridley Scott in 1982 (It’s older than me Lol) At fist, I felt it was really boring as the story flows slow, Blade Runner, his character is DRAB and DULL. What I got is a film so deep that it is difficult to grasp the 1st time. I couldn’t recognise its theme as well!! But according my studying scientists voted it better than 2001: A Space Odyssey that we’ve seen in the literature class. I think I have to re-watch it someday.

In relation to question 2, I’ve got some information from Wikipedia. “Seven versions of the film have been created, for various markets, and as a result of controversial changes made by film executives. A rushed Director's Cut was released in 1992 after a strong response to workprint screenings. This, in conjunction with its popularity as a video rental, made it one of the first films released on DVD, resulting in a basic disc with mediocre video and audio quality. In late 2007 Warner Bros. released in theater and DVD, HD DVD, Blu-ray the 25th anniversary long-awaited digitally remastered definitive Final Cut by Scott.” (Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blade_Runner)

I guess i have to study deeply to discuss =)

Well like Binna i also think it is a film that merits repeat viewing to get a greater understanding and also i think this is relevant because we are so use to going to the movies to be entertained, that the thought doesn't enter our minds that we have to work at uncovering the 'meat'. However i think that great movies are those which everytime you see them you get something new out of it.
As for the visual clues well i guess i will go with what i know, the biblical references. The dance called Miss Salome and the snake is a reference to Salome who was the daughter of Herodias (the wife of Philip, Herods brother whom Herod took to wife committing adultery). Salome danced before Herod and Herod replied "Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and i will give it thee" (ST. Mark 6:22) After talking with her Mum she returned asking for the head of John the Baptist on a silver platter. Herod doesn't want to, but succumbs to her wish and this is how John the baptist dies.
I am totally taking a stab in the dark but i think the symbolism is in Salome and Zhora were both dancing with ulterior motives, both were acting on others instruction. I think i need to research further symbolism though.

As for when Roy Kisses his father tyrell this is symbolic of when Judas kissed Jesus Christ. Judas approached the chief priests and asked what they would give him for delievering Jesus Christ "and they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver" (Matt 25:15). Then Judas lead them to Jesus after he had been in the garden of Gethsemene where he kissed Jesus "Judas betrayest thou the son of man with a kiss?" (Luke 22:48). This act ultimately led to the cruxifixion of Jesus.Some Christian churches believe that God the Father and God the son are one and the same, therefore Judas was betraying his father. Symbolically Judas was one of the twelve dicsicples, one of Jesus's closest kin however of all the disciples he was the only one who was not from Galilee, therefore slightly different also he was a wolf in sheeps clothing. This act of betrayal is one of the most widely recognised betrayal acts in history. When Roy kisses Tyrell, he was kissing his maker, therefore a kind of father, however because he was a machine technically he was different, the kiss preceeded a pre mediated act that would succumb in Tyrell's demise.

Quick reply as you're the first blog to comment so far. ^-^

Yeah, slow and maybe to a contemporary audience at times a bit painful...

Cool, Rachel, for nailing the biblical references. It's a dark theme but I think Zhora and Salome are also linked by a kind of bloodlust, both being accomplices to murder. Roy is kinda like Judas and Christ-betrayed all-in-one (he even puts a nail in his own hand). Not much humour in this one, for sure, but then it is SF!

Interested you didn't realise at first Binna it was an 80s movie. As some critics comment, it still looks like the future which many 80s movies - some of the worst ever made - don't (Back to the Future with Michael J Fox, anyone? ;)

Guys, just watch all seven versions of BR and then comment (lol).

If we get into mecha anime or other sf genres you get to see the massive influence it has had. Bit like Miyazaki Sen based Nausicaa partly on Earthsea, JKR HP on AWoE, too.

Till class -

So good......

Hi Dr. Paul, Rachel and Binna

I’m sorry to be late. However I spent my weekend preparing anime questions. Although I have read the Bible few times, I’m not good to debate Rachel about her opinion. For me one strong feeling has owned me while I was watching the movie and I was expecting the end of the movie will declare it is that the Runner or the policeman “Deckard” he himself is a replicant. There are many references to what I say. For example, in the beginning of the film they say that “There was an escape from the off-world colonies two weeks ago. Six replicants: three male, three female." Deckard killed three and Rachel one, so only four who are killed; Pris, Roy Batty, Leon, and Zhora. Where the other two, that why I thought Deckard and Rachel the other two. One more reference why he didn’t kill Rachel and why at the end of his duty his boss “Gaff” says to Deckard, "You've done a man's job"? If he originally man there is no need to say that, so it may refers that Gaff knows that he is not human and he is a replicant.

Hi Saja,
just a quick note, yeah i got the feeling that Deckard was a replicant. And just in answer to your question as to why he diddn't Rachel, well firstly she is a Rachel, she must be wonderful (lol, just joking) but it comes down to love or maybe lust he was attracted to her and as the film was open ended, the viewer assumes that they are now free to live out their life.
ps. Paul i will watch all 7 when i am free for a couple of years with nothing else to do.

As for what Paul said about 80's films and how it still looks like the future. I think that it is interesting how many of these SF films portray the future, it is always dark and dreary Blade Runner being the perfect example of this not to mention all the rain. Are they trying to say subconsciously that there is no hope for the future?
Also the 80's films neuromancer, blade Runner and even the star wars 5 & 6 when you think about it weren't all that long ago, however now the technology looks so old, it is amazing how quickly technology has progressed.

Hi Rachel and Binna
I wish you enjoy the break
In relation to this question, “What significance does the name Yukon have?” Here is what I’ve got. Throughout American history, the expansion of settlement was largely from the east to the west, and thus the frontier is often identified with "the west". Yukon region -which is at present the smallest Canadian Region and located in the northwest of North America and was home to many native American peoples such as the Dene, the Inland Tlingit, the Gwitch'in, the Han, the Kaska, the Tagish, and Tutchone- represents “Frontier”, which means the borderland according to the European settlements’ concept before nineteenth century. But before nineteenth century the borderland and especially west North America borderland was always aim of the European settlement to be a part of their colonization. And what was happening at the colonization process, the native people were killed and their land was taken. So I think in Blade Runner Deckard refers to the European settlement who have huge desire about the others’ land, so he kills them without any mercy or sympathy for no reason only to take their possessions. I might be wrong, what do you think?

Hi everyone,

According to Wikipedia Hundertwasser (December 15, 1928 – February 19, 2000) was an Austrian painter, architect and sculptor. He is widely renowned today for his revolutionary architectural designs, which incorporate natural features of the landscape, and use of irregular forms in his building design. One of his works is Hundertwasserhaus, a low-income apartment block in Vienna, features undulating floors, a roof covered with earth and grass, and large trees growing from inside the rooms, with limbs extending from windows. He said in one of his speech "A person in a rented apartment must be able to lean out of his window and scrape off the masonry within arm's reach. And he must be allowed to take a long brush and paint everything outside within arm's reach. So that it will be visible from afar to everyone in the street that someone lives there who is different from the imprisoned, enslaved, standardised man who lives next door". So I think the use of name Hundertwasser in Blade Runner to call the street that in it locates the hotel, which Zhora and Leon are staying in is to refer to the society that has irregular buildings where the conditions of life are miserable, characterized by human misery, poverty, oppression, violence, disease, and/or pollution. Or to refer to a society that frequently isolates the characters from all contact with the natural world, which is called dystopia society. According to Wikipedia the Blade Runner film depicts a dystopian Los Angeles in November 2019. That what I've got from my research