Last night I was laying in bed listening to my wife sleep while flipping through the channels when I came across Blade Runner(1982). Let me begin by saying that Blade Runner has always been one of my favorite films for a multitude of reasons, but for some reason I seem to forget what those reasons are until I am actually watching it. I always recall that it is “cool” and “badass” and “one hell of a sci fi flick” but I can never seem to recall the specifics of why. So that I may remember these reasons I will lock them in time here as well as show you a clip from the film that is masterpiece work.

Simply put Blade Runner is a Nostradamus-ian look into our proposed future. One can guffaw at my statement all they like, but unless you are ridiculously well read about all new technologies and politics of our times, then you really don’t have a leg to stand on. Don’t misunderstand, I am not saying that I am right and you are wrong, just that perhaps you should really dig into the robotic and cybergenetic advances being made now before you toss my perception on reality aside. That said, Blade Runner touches on so many facets of where we are going without smashing them down your throat that it is actually a marvel to behold. Too often these days Hollywood has a message in a movie that they want you to get so bad that they literally beat you to death with it. Just yesterday I was talking with GlazedNConfused about Wall-E, a beautiful movie and story, which doesn’t even try to hide the messages that it is portraying. In fact at the end of the film you are actually compelled to go wash your hands and take a shower just to get the residue the film left on you off.

So why a masterpiece? Ridley Scott directed the film, which is based on the book “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?”, and apparently he got the point. Mr. Scott went out of his way to give the film a feeling of being in the future without trying to paint what many people do – something perfect. The direction we are presently going would indicate that our future will most certainly not be a thing of beauty. That said Mr. Scott does not try to beat you up with the idea either. The expansive scenes, amazing architecture and suttle way in which he injects “high tech” items into the film merely supplies the viewer with context. You are not marvelled by gadgetry in a George Lucas sort of way nor are you mystified with computer animation, or made sick of it, as in the newest Star Wars Films – shame on you Mr. Lucas. In fact, Blade Runner is timeless because it is so dirty. Reality is just not as clean as Lucas would have us believe, and Blade Runner is laden with big city filth. It looks and feels like LA feels now, but with bigger buildings and flying police cars. Go figure.

GlazedNConfused has many times told me that in ALMOST all cases he hates films with a narrative. “I am intelligent enough to figure out what is going on without some story teller ranting in my ear the entire time. Thank you.” The lad has a point. Narration in many films is done so poorly or obviously that it takes away from the story. Blade Runner has two cuts, the original with narration and the directors cut which lacks it. I actually prefer the one with narration. Blade Runner delivers a narrative in a way that isn’t one. The Narrative is delivered only by the main character and it is done so only as his thoughts. There are scenes where he is sitting and thinking and you can hear what he is thinking about. The effect is actually paramount to the success of the story, and oddly enough it supplies some of the greatest lines in film history – my personal favorite being “I’d rather be a killer than a victim.” Wouldn’t we all.

I recently visited my father who still lives in California, also where GlazedNConfused lives, and we spoke about Blade Runner as my father had recently read an article about a real estate mogul who lives in LA. My father said that the article indicated that this mogul watched Blade Runner for the first time just a couple of years ago and now is doing everything in his real estate billions of dollars wielding might to turn LA into the city we see in Blade Runner. No Joke. When I said the film will grab you I meant it.

I won’t go over in depth what the film is about because you can look that up, or heck just go Netflix the film and watch it. I will say though that the film has superb acting, an amazing plot line, staggering visuals, and scenes that will actually make you consider your own existance by watching those on the screens fight for theirs. I have supplied an example below. In this scene Rutger Hauer explains why his existance is such a tragedy, not only for him, but for something I refer to as The Human Condition. In the moment where he can finally exact his revenge on the very man who has been hunting him he shows just how important life really is. It is surreal. Enjoy.