Tears In Rain...
Perfection is particularly hard to muster when it comes to
cinema. Sure, there are particular films that will always be regarded as
masterpieces such as The Godfather,
Citizen Kane and Lawrence of Arabia, but
mastery and perfection is ultimately down to personal preference. When asked
what my all-time favourite film is, I can never pin down one particular movie
that I could regard as the “greatest”, but there are certain films that will
always be in that particular list such as Donnie
Darko, Alien, Mulholland Drive, and finally, Blade Runner. Interestingly, two films within that short and sweet
example happen to be directed by Ridley Scott, who, in my opinion, is one of
the greatest directors in the history of cinema. Sure, his latest efforts
haven’t gone down particularly well, but at the beginning of his career, Scott
created films that were wondrous, ground-breaking, and will continue to stand the
test of time, Blade Runner included.
Because of this, cinemas across the UK this month are showcasing the reissue of
Blade Runner: The Final Cut, the
supposed definitive version of Scott’s masterpiece, giving me great pleasure in
getting the chance to witness one of my most beloved films’ on the big screen
for the very first time.
Based on Phillip K. Dick’s novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Scott’s Blade Runner was a film I never truly understood, or even liked,
when I first watched it as a young child, with my first savour of the dystopian
future in which Harrison Ford’s Deckard hunts down the rogue Nexus-6 replicants,
was in its’ “Directors Cut” form, which omitted the divisive voice-over from the
original theatrical release as well as adding the now famous unicorn scene and
a much more ambiguous ending. Years later, with my love of cinema fully formed,
I purchased the “Final Cut” version of the
film when released on Blu-Ray and rediscovered a treasure that now I could
truly understand, now I could really savour, and now would forever hold a place
in my cinematic heart. On the big screen, the film is simply a wonder to behold
with the beautiful soundtrack by synth-master Vangelis perfectly accompanying
the dark, edgy tone of the movie of which is uncanny in its’ vision of the
future where giant advertisements, crowded night clubs and desolate streets
hark back to the age-old notion of capitalism, signified by the riches seen
during Deckard’s trip to the Murdochian (is that a thing?) Tyrell Corporation.
The film boasts arguably Harrison Ford’s best career
performance, who ever-so smoothly slips into the role of Deckard, perfectly
portraying a much softer and anxious character than in previous Ford efforts at
the time such as Han Solo and Indiana Jones. As good as Ford is, it is no
question that the film’s best performer is Rutger Hauer, who in his portrayal
of replicant Roy Batty creates one of the most unique scenes of improvisation
ever with his beautiful “I've seen things,” speech, that, according to the
filmmakers, resulted in some of the crew bursting into tears due to its’ sheer
power and unrivaled beauty. What a magical moments it must have been to
witness it. Lucky them. Aside from the two leads, Sean Young’s portrayal as Rachael, the denial-ridden replicant love interest of Deckard, succeeds in
standing up strongly to her two male counterparts, whilst making the sight of
smoking a cigarette look more attractive than I ever thought it possibly could
be.
If you haven’t ever had the chance to watch Blade Runner, there is no better time to
do so than now, with the option of watching it on the big screen too good an
opportunity to turn down. There is something so beautifully haunting about Blade Runner that it draws me in again
and again, no matter how many times I choose to watch it. A masterpiece of
cinema and a true wonder of science fiction, what more do you want? Enjoy.
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