|
|
 | |
|
Blade Runner
United States, 1982
Cast: Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Darryl Hannah, Brion James, Joanna Cassidy, Joe Turkel, William Sanderson, Morgan Paull There are some films you forget almost as soon as the closing credits roll. Then there are others you couldn't erase if your life depended on it. Such is the case with Blade Runner, a sci-fi thriller that spawned a thousand clones but remains unmissable. Back in the Autumn of 1982, Gladiator director Ridley Scott released what many belive to be his masterpiece. Based on Philip K Dick's haunting novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, the Geordie director cast Harrison Ford as Roy Deckard, a retired bounty hunter called into service to track down a band of super robots. While Dick's novel centred on Androids or 'Andys', the film version would focus on The Nexus Six - a band of artifical humans so perfect, no-one could tell them from their human counterparts. Declared illegal on earth under penalty of death, they return to Terra Firma in the hope of a finding a way of surviving past their four year lifespan. Leader of the bad guys is Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer), a hyper intelligent model who proves more than a match for Deckard. However, Leon (the late Brion James), Zhora (Joanna Cassidy) and Pris (Daryl Hannah) are far from harmless either. If that's four of the Nexus Six, what about the rest? Well, according to the movie, 'one of them got fried running through an electrical field,'. The one in question was Mary (Stacy Nelkin) but her role ended up on the cutting room floor. As for the sixth member, many believe it to be the Blade Runner himself. Look closely and you can see his eyes glowing during some scenes - a recurring theme among Replicants. As you would expect from Ridley Scott, the movie looks breathtaking, thanks to some fine photography by Jordan Cronenweth, special effects by Douglas Trumbull and production design by Lawrence G Paull. The audio isn't bad either. Vangelis' score remains one of the best of the Eighties and the haunting sound effects - from the cat wails of the city to the ever present advertising blimp - get under your skin, supplying a permanent sense of unease. Making the movie was a far from happy experience for cast and crew. It was Scott's first film shot outside his native England and he faced a lot of flak from his American staff not too keen on his meticulous approach. They expressed their disapproval by wearing Tee shirts bearing the legend 'Yes Guvnor: My ass!' The reason for some of this animosity was the fact that Ridley would arrive on set after the construction crew had been working all night and remark: "It's a good start. Now turn those columns upside down." The fact that every part of the cityscape was designed, from the giant Tyrell pyramid right down to the specially printed newspapers tested the crew to their limit. Although a flop on its original outing, Blade Runner eventually made its money back. A 1992 re-release - minus the irritating voice over and the happy ending - made it an altogether more sombre experience for a new generation of fans. There was also an extra dream sequence involving a unicorn, the strongest suggestion that Deckard may be little more than a glorified android. As with Scott's previous movie, Alien, the look of the film went on to inspire a generation of film-makers. The sprawling metropolis of Los Angeles, circa 2019, remains a breath-taking sight even though many of the companies featured in the billboards - such as Pan Am and Atari - have gone under - a trait known in the industry as the Blade Runner curse. As for the cast? Well Harrison Ford may not have liked it but he gives a stunning performance as the world weary plod who bites off more than he can chew. Co-stars Rutger Hauer, Daryl Hannah and Sean Young have never been better - a fact which almost atones for their sins in that string of bad movies that pop up most nights on Channel 5. Philip K Dick died prior to the movie's release but did get to see footage before it hit cinemas. "This is not like anything we have ever seen," he remarked. "It isn't like anything that has ever been done." A statement as true in 1982 as it is today.
© 2001 Roger Crow
TM and © 2001 Immolater multimedia |
