How Humans and Robots are Presented in Blade Runner

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How Humans and Robots are Presented in Blade Runner

"Blade Runner" is a science fiction film set in Los Angeles in the

year 2019. Nuclear war had just ended which caused large-scale

devastation such as dramatic climate change, genetic change and all

animals on earth becoming extinct apart from artificial ones. The

Tyrell Corporation developed the artificial animals, which also happen

to be the creators of Androids (Artificial beings) which the film is

based on. The film "Blade Runner" revolves around the Nexus 6 series

of Androids these androids were built to do the hard, tiresome jobs on

off-world colonies. Using androids was a big advantage for the humans

of this time because they never get tired so can work non-stop.

The problem with replicants is that they are super-humans, intelligent

and very omniscient and could over-power the humans at any time. After

an incident where many humans were killed on an off world colony by

Nexus 6 they were made illegal on Earth.

Rick Deckard the main character in the film prowls the steel and

microchip jungle of 21st century, LA. He is a Blade Runner stalking

genetically made criminal replicants. His assignment: Kill them. Their

crime: wanting to be human.

The story of "Blade Runner" is familiar to countless fans but few have

seen it like this because the version I was studying was the directors

cut so we see Ridley Scott's own interpretation of his sci-fi classic.

This version omits Deckard's voice-over and develops in greater detail

the romance between Deckard and Rachael and removes the uplifting

finale. The result is a heightened emotional impact. The new scene

(unicorn vision) sug...

... middle of paper ...

...at their

lifespan has been shortened. At this point we know they have feelings

and a love between two people is a strong force. Whatever they are a

being of such high potential is a terrible thing to waste.

Overall director Ridley Scott is suggesting that to be human you have

to have feelings and emotions (which the robots have) and to be able

to empathise with others. If you do not possess those qualities then

you are not a true human, Deckard, Tyrell and the two Policemen are

shown not to have feelings nor emotions when they "retire" a robot or

are they the "real" humans.

The qualities of human-ness are shown most shockingly by Roy Battye

when he saves Deckard instead of taking revenge. But Deckard's

character shows development in that he learns to empathise with the

replicants and falls in love with Rachael.

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