If I were to say the words “Sci Fi”, “Classic” and “Harrison
Ford”, what’s the first movie that comes to mind? All my life (and I as someone
brought up on crappy sci-fi movies I do
mean all my life) I would have fired
back, “Star Wars”. While I would never doubt the sanctity of the holy original
trilogy, I am starting to wrap my head around the fact that Blade Runner might
just be the better choice for a “Harrison Ford Sci Fi Flick”
The primary
reason I say this, is the incredible attention to detail in the Blade Runner,
particularly in aesthetic. I absolutely loath sloppily done sci-fi aesthetics,
where all the art direction team has essentially done is recreate an exaggerated
version of Times Square and thrown in some flying cars. The Earth one sees in
Blade Runner however, is probably one of the most realistic depiction of
futuristic cities I’ve seen. In 2016, with pollution, population and cultural
mixing at the stage they are now, it’s only logical in my mind that cities a
few decades from now, will end up looking like the one depicted in Blade
Runner. I loved how overwhelmingly overcrowded it was, how undeniably filthy
and I especially loved the aesthetic influence from more than just American
Culture.
The reality that
Ridley Scott managed to construct through Blade Runner, is deliciously complex
and far more sophisticated than that constructed in most other SF films or even
books. Blade Runner gives us more insight into the actual society of the
created world than I remember having been given in any other SF movie. We’re
told the story from the point of view of a cop-like figure called a Blade Runner
who has long abandoned his post in the force and lives amongst low lifes and
societal trash. The all too familiar scenario of technology having a little too
much hold over humanity, and the seemingly archaic presence of almost
neo-art-deco style structures and interiors makes the depiction of a future all
the more believable since the audience has the hint past to look to for
reference. In the film one has to deal with characters ranging from Blade
Runners and corporate big wigs to prostitutes and the homeless. Scott presents
us with the idea that technology, progress and change aren’t always spread evenly
in society. While some scenarios may seem glamorously futuristic, some, like
the scene where Pris is seen to have been sleeping in trash, or Deckard is
trying to order Chinese food are archaic only because of their familiarity. A sense of fear and paranoia overwhelm the
viewer within the first few scenes itself. Sirens, flashing lights, towering
structures that would put our skyscrapers to shame, omnipresent police in
flying cars and a dangerous, unforgiving underbelly of a city where one is
thoroughly assaulted by propaganda, advertisements and announcement. The
opening sequence ends with the camera slowly approaching a bored looking
Deckard amongst all this anarchy.
Harrison Ford’s Deckard is another reason to
love this movie. He’s the swashbuckling wise-ass in the way that Han Solo was,
but unlike Solo, Deckard’s heart Is probably lead or coal. He’s a million
shades of grey and that’s what makes him all the more unpredictable, all the
more exciting. The rest of the characters would be familiar figures to those of
you who are from overcrowded metropolitans, too busy for empathy and goal
oriented to a fault. Everybody has a motive, everybody wants fulfilment and the
framework of connections, motives, alliances and worlds is what weaves Blade
Runner into a rich tale of a race that did almost everything wrong.
Whether you’re a
die hard SF fan or just someone who appreciates a good aesthetic, Blade Runner
is a surprisingly well put together movie that transcends the status of “sci fi
flick” and shoots straight into “cult classic” territory.
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