'Blade Runner' 4.0

[Jack Aubrey]

I like the director's cut of 'Blade Runner', I was a bit disappointed that it finally revealed that Deckard was indeed a replicant (putting an end to one of the greatestest ambiguities in movie history) but overall I found it to be superior to the theatrical release. Now Rotten Tomatoes is reporting that there will be a new director's cut available in September. Here's the scoop:

 

 

Scott Weinberg writes: "After years of anticipation, the fans of Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner" will soon be able to experience the director's "intended cut," which promises to be different from the theatrical cut, the international cut, and the previous director's cut. It's all very confusing, but this particular flick is worth the trouble.

 

Variety irons it out nicely: "Warner's rights to "Blade Runner" lapsed a year ago, but the studio has since negotiated a long-term license. The pic, now considered a sci-fi classic, has had a troubled history from the start: When Scott ran overbudget, completion bond guarantors took control of it and made substantial changes before its 1982 theatrical release, adding a voiceover and happy ending. That version was replaced by the much better-received director's cut in 1992, but Scott has long been unhappy with it, complaining that he was rushed and unable to give it proper attention.

 

The restored "Director's Cut" will debut on homevid in September, and remain on sale for four months only, after which time it will be placed on moratorium. "Blade Runner: Final Cut" will arrive in 2007 for a limited 25th anniversary theatrical run, followed by a special edition DVD with the three previous versions offered as alternate viewing: Besides the original theatrical version and director's cut, the expanded international theatrical cut will be included. The set will also contain additional bonus materials."

Edited May 26, 2006 by Jack Aubrey

[Wandering Hermit]

Excellent!!

 

However, I must ask about the evidence you speak of that Deckerd is a replicant. I think he is, but I never regarded the Directors cut as making a clear case for this. I think it just hints at it.

[Jack Aubrey]

QUOTE (Wandering Hermit @ May 26 2006, 11:10 AM)

Excellent!! However, I must ask about the evidence you speak of that Deckerd is a replicant. I think he is, but I never regarded the Directors cut as making a clear case for this. I think it just hints at it.

Simple: Deckard has a flashback/memory of a unicorn running through a field. Unicorns don't exist, so therefore it is an implanted memory. Also, in certain scenes the replicants have glowing eyes, this is especially noticeable during Rachel's Voight-Kampff test and during Roy Batty's confrontation with Eldon Tyrell. If you watch closely, Deckard's eyes glow in the scene with Rachel in his apartment, after the scene where she 'retires' Leon. I searched and found a pic:

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v329/JackAubrey/21cb61c4.jpg

 

More obscure stuff: if you look closely, you will see a toy unicorn in Sebastian's home. Also, Leon highly valued his photos because they serve as substitutes for memories, Deckard seems fond of them as well and has a collection of them in his piano.

 

Well, that got really geeky. Can you tell that I love this movie?

 

[Disco]

Ohhhhhh, I hadn't noticed the glowing eyes business.

 

Help me out here as it's been about 10 years since I saw the film...but I seem to remember Deckard has a dream of unicorns and then someone makes an origami unicorn, I think another replicant, which I took to mean that they had the same dreams. The replicant's dreams are implanted, if Dekard is having the same dream then he points to him being a replicant too.

 

I took the flashbacks to be more dream memories - why do you say they are actual memories?

 

Love

 

Disco

[rushgoober]

I love this movie and have seen it a few times (original version and director's cut) and I never remember any hints or inklings of any kind that Deckard was a replicant. I think I have the director's cut, so the next time I see the movie I'll watch carefully for that.

 

BTW, to add to the Blade Runner confusion, there was a soundtrack album available for years that was more of the classical music in the movie (if I recall correctly), and finally a few years ago the proper Vangelis electronic soundtrack version was released - it's really great.

[Jack Aubrey]

QUOTE (Disco @ May 26 2006, 12:22 PM)

Ohhhhhh, I hadn't noticed the glowing eyes business. Help me out here as it's been about 10 years since I saw the film...but I seem to remember Deckard has a dream of unicorns and then someone makes an origami unicorn, I think another replicant, which I took to mean that they had the same dreams. The replicant's dreams are implanted, if Dekard is having the same dream then he points to him being a replicant too. I took the flashbacks to be more dream memories - why do you say they are actual memories? Love Disco

It's just my impression, it could very well have been a dream. Perhaps a more accurate term would be 'vision'?

 

The fellow who made the origami unicorn was Deckerd's fellow detective, Gaff. There's also an intersting bit between Gaff and Deckard after Batty's death. Gaff looks at Deckard and says: "You've done a man's job, sir." Interesting choice of words, don't you think? I think that Gaff's unicorn coupled with that line was Gaff's way of telling Deckard that he knew he was a replicant.

 

[rushgoober]

QUOTE (Jack Aubrey @ May 26 2006, 07:51 AM)

QUOTE (Disco @ May 26 2006, 12:22 PM) Ohhhhhh, I hadn't noticed the glowing eyes business. Help me out here as it's been about 10 years since I saw the film...but I seem to remember Deckard has a dream of unicorns and then someone makes an origami unicorn, I think another replicant, which I took to mean that they had the same dreams.  The replicant's dreams are implanted, if Dekard is having the same dream then he points to him being a replicant too. I took the flashbacks to be more dream memories - why do you say they are actual memories? Love Disco It's just my impression, it could very well have been a dream. Perhaps a more accurate term would be 'vision'?   The fellow who made the origami unicorn was Deckerd's fellow detective, Gaff. There's also an intersting bit between Gaff and Deckard after Batty's death. Gaff looks at Deckard and says: "You've done a man's job, sir." Interesting choice of words, don't you think? I think that Gaff's unicorn coupled with that line was Gaff's way of telling Deckard that he knew he was a replicant. Man, you're talking about really subtle stuff here! I'll definitely watch closely for this next time - now you've got me intrigued...

[Disco]

QUOTE (Jack Aubrey @ May 26 2006, 10:51 AM)

There's also an intersting bit between Gaff and Deckard after Batty's death. Gaff looks at Deckard and says: "You've done a man's job, sir." Interesting choice of words, don't you think?

Hadn't noticed that either...

 

I think the beauty of it is that there is no conclusive evidence, no "smoking gun" in the modern parlance, but there is a grouping of subtle hints. It's done so well...

[rushgoober]

QUOTE (Disco @ May 26 2006, 07:58 AM)

QUOTE (Jack Aubrey @ May 26 2006, 10:51 AM) There's also an intersting bit between Gaff and Deckard after Batty's death. Gaff looks at Deckard and says: "You've done a man's job, sir." Interesting choice of words, don't you think? Hadn't noticed that either...   I think the beauty of it is that there is no conclusive evidence, no "smoking gun" in the modern parlance, but there is a grouping of subtle hints. It's done so well... I wonder if there's a reference to Deckard being a replicant in "Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep", the book by Philip K. Dick that the movie is based on?

[NinjaRider]

At last!

I'd given up hope on it.

[Greg]

Having a film degree, we studied this awesome film in school. I don't remember the details now, but Deckard was originally intended to be a replicant. The scene in the kitchen was the one that was the giveaway in the film...his eyes glowed slightly and you really had to look to see them, as was mentioned above. The reason for the change to him being human escapes me now...

 

I'm thrilled that this version is coming out, though. It's one of my all-time favorite films.

 

[Arndrake]

QUOTE (rushgoober @ May 26 2006, 08:23 AM)

QUOTE (Disco @ May 26 2006, 07:58 AM) QUOTE (Jack Aubrey @ May 26 2006, 10:51 AM) There's also an intersting bit between Gaff and Deckard after Batty's death. Gaff looks at Deckard and says: "You've done a man's job, sir." Interesting choice of words, don't you think? Hadn't noticed that either...   I think the beauty of it is that there is no conclusive evidence, no "smoking gun" in the modern parlance, but there is a grouping of subtle hints. It's done so well... I wonder if there's a reference to Deckard being a replicant in "Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep", the book by Philip K. Dick that the movie is based on? I read 'Androids' and I don't recall that ever being suggested. Although there is a chapter where Deckard has to contend with being accused of being a replicant, but it was a ploy by an actual replicant to confuse Deckard. There were a lot of differences between 'Androids' and Blade Runner, and it seems like, other than the concept of Blade Runners and replicants and some of the names used, there was almost nothing in common.   I actually always liked the voice over. I think it added an interesting clarification to the film, especially the section where Batty is dying.

[Wandering Hermit]

Jack:

 

Yeah, I know about all those, and I personally think he is a replicant, but I still don't think it is rock solid evidence. Plus the fact that I heard Ridely Scott once said that he himself wasn't sure.

 

I'm sure that we could find some 'Deckerd is not a replicant" folks if we looked for them...

 

I always thought that it was intended to be a mystery.

[Wandering Hermit]

This from the Bladerunner FAQ:

 

QUOTE

14. IS DECKARD A REPLICANT? This question causes the most debate among BR fans. The different versions of BR support this notion to differing degrees. One might argue that in the 1982 theatrical release, Deckard is not a replicant but in BRDC, he is. There is no definitive answer: Ridley Scott himself has stated that, although he deliberately made the ending ambiguous, he also intentionally introduced enough evidence to support the notion, and (as far as he is concerned), Deckard is a replicant. [see section 9.] The "FOR" case     * Ridley Scott and Harrison Ford have stated that Deckard was meant to be a replicant. In Details magazine (US) October 1992 Ford says:       "Blade Runner was not one of my favorite films. I tangled with Ridley. The biggest problem was that at the end, he wanted the audience to find out that Deckard was a replicant. I fought that because I felt the audience needed somebody to cheer for."     * The shooting script had a voice-over where Deckard says, "I knew it on the roof that night. We were brothers, Roy Batty and I!"     * Gaff knew that Deckard dreamt of a unicorn, therefore Gaff knew what dreams that Deckard had been implanted with. (BRDC only)     * Replicants have a penchant for photographs, because it gives them a tie to their non-existent past. Deckard's flat is packed with photos, and none of them are recent or in color. Despite her memories, Rachael needed a photo as an emotional cushion. Likewise, Deckard would need photos, despite his memory implants. Rachael plays the piano, and Deckard has a piano in his flat.     * Gaff tells him "You've done a man's job, sir!". Early drafts of the script have him then add: "But are you sure you are man? It's hard to be sure who's who around here."     * Only a replicant could survive the beatings that Deckard takes, and then struggle up the side of a building with two dislocated fingers.     * Bryant's threat "If you're not a cop, you're little people" might be an allusion to Deckard being created solely for police work.     * Deckard's eyes glow (yellow-orange) when he tells Rachael that he wouldn't go after her, "but someone would". Deckard is standing behind Rachael, and he's out of focus.     * Roy knew Deckard's name, yet he was never told it. Some speculate that Deckard might have been part of Roy's off-world rebellion, but was captured by the police and used to hunt down the others. In tht case, Bryant is including Deckard among the five escaped replicants.     * The police would not risk a human to hunt four powerful replicants, particularly since replicants were designed for such dangerous work. Of course Deckard would have to think he was human or he might not be willing to hunt down other replicants.     * Gaff seems to follow Deckard everywhere -- he is at the scene of all the Replicant retirings almost immediately. Gaff is always with Deckard when the chief is around. This suggests that Gaff is the real BR, and that Deckard is only a tool Gaff uses for the dirty work. The "AGAINST" case     * A major point of the film was to show Deckard (The Common Man) the value of life. "What's it like to live in fear?" If all the main characters are replicants, the contrast between humans and replicants is lost.     * Rachael had an implanted unicorn dream and Deckard's reverie in BRDC was a result of having seen her implants. Gaff may have seen Rachael's implants at the same time Deckard did, perhaps while they were at Tyrell's.     * Could you trust a replicant to kill other replicants? Why did the police trust Deckard?     * Having Deckard as a replicant implies a conspiracy between the police and Tyrell.     * Replicants were outlawed on Earth and it seems unlikely that a replicant would have an ex-wife.     * If Deckard was a replicant designed to be a Blade Runner, why would they give him bad memories of the police force? Wouldn't it be more effective if he were loyal and happy about his work?     * Deckard was not a replicant in DADoES, although he has another Blade Runner test him at one point just to be sure.

[Nunavuter]

Deckard's photo collection, the unicorn dream (and Gaff's origami hint) and other clues, the opening scene between the chief and Deckard hint at his design:

 

Deckard hates his job, and does not enjoy killing (a safety feature). Deckard's memory implants allow him to believe he is semi-retired, so that he is available to be called back into action when needed, but is otherwise a reluctant cop.

 

He is not equipped with extreme strength, but rather an uncanny ability to track down replicants and the ability to take a great deal of physical abuse. The Chief and Gaff likely know what he is, but like Rachel, Deckard is an experimental model.

 

Deckard may have been scheduled for "retirement" after this job (for all we know he has no actual history of doing it before.) Because he flees with Rachel, this is unclear. However, Gaff might have been scheduled to retire Deckard, but changed his mind because he liked and respected Deckard.

 

 

[Jack Aubrey]

 

WARNING! Super heavy definitive-answer-to-the-burning-question spoiler (highlight to read):

 

On the documentary that comes with the new final cut edition, Ridley Scott states for the record that Deckard was indeed a replicant.

 

So that settles that.

Edited December 27, 2007 by Jack Aubrey

[Arndrake]

My first Blu-Ray disc.

 

The images are very clear and beautiful. The music score has always been powerful.

 

I can't seem to see any difference between the final cut and the '92 director's cut.

[pedro2112]

shit!!! I ordered mine a few months ago and it came in the mail a few days ago. Unfortunately, I got our family a PS3 for Christmas, and forgot to change my order to the blu-ray disc!!!!!

 

 

 

[MacBob]

I finally got to sit down and watch the Definitive Cut on HD-DVD last night, what an amazing clean up job they did on that transfer.

[Mustard Death]

I've never seen any edition of this movie.... >_> guess I'll pick this new one up, looks pretty interesting.

[Fat Organ]

the new DVD looks beautiful. I watched the documentary and did not hear Ridley say Deckard was definitely a replicant. I think he wants the audience to come to their own conclusions.

[Jack Aubrey]

QUOTE (Fat Organ @ Jan 2 2008, 02:05 PM)

the new DVD looks beautiful. I watched the documentary and did not hear Ridley say Deckard was definitely a replicant. I think he wants the audience to come to their own conclusions.

Spoiler, highlight to read:

 

It's in the documentary called 'Deck-A-Rep' on disc 4.

[Jack Aubrey]

I was just getting ready to watch this again when something occured to me.

 

Spoiler. Highlight, etc.:

 

In the beginning of the film, the replicants are said to be designed to be "more intelligent than the genetic engineers who designed them". So isn't that even more evidenc that Deckard is a replicant? In that it takes a replicant to catch a replicant? How could a mere human track down someone that smart if they were set on staying hidden?

 

Yeah, I'm obsessive about this one...

 

 

[Arndrake]

QUOTE (Jack Aubrey @ Feb 19 2008, 05:21 PM)

I was just getting ready to watch this again when something occured to me. Spoiler. Highlight, etc.: In the beginning of the film, the replicants are said to be designed to be "more intelligent than the genetic engineers who designed them". So isn't that even more evidenc that Deckard is a replicant? In that it takes a replicant to catch a replicant? How could a mere human track down someone that smart if they were set on staying hidden? Yeah, I'm obsessive about this one...

Continuing the spoiler-hiding concept:

Actually, I think the line you are thinking of is "superior in strength and speed and at least equal in intelligence to the genetic engineers who created them." But an extremely good point, considering that if Batty was at least equal in intelligence to Elden Tyrell, who was obviously an uber-genius, no human Blade Runners would ever have a chance of finding him or his team. After all, how common is genius? We know Leon was a little dense, but Zora and Pris seemed to be very intelligent, although a bit feral.