Bladerunner Analytical Essay
Praise Be To Tyrell: Religion in Blade Runner
“‘More human than human’ is our motto.” (Scotts, BR) This famous quote, said by the character Tyrell in Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, sums up the overall theme of the movie, which is the nature of being human. Blade Runner is Scott’s depiction of what is to become of Earth and how civilization has come to a point where humanity can be questioned. Reality is blurred and the nature of what is human is changing. Replicants appear identical to humans and even have emotions while the real humans appear cold and unemotional. The characters in this film are staged perfectly to compliment their environment as well. Scott uses mise en scene to suggest a vision of the future that is not only a collapsed, technological metropolis, but also a sad, lonely, and overall soulless place.
Scott also uses the typical film noir protagonist who is often alone and faces an inner struggle between being a hero and looking out only for himself. Deckard, played by Harrison Ford, is far from a knight in shining armor, in fact, some of his actions might suggest that he isn’t a hero at all. However, in order to understand Scott’s complex film, a closer look is in order. We must look past the basic actions of the characters and focus on rather why they do their actions. One way to do this is by focusing on the films subtle subtext element of its allegorical relationship to Christianity. Throughout the film, it appeared that the analogy between the Bible and events in the movie actually had a relative connection, for example, Tyrell could be seen as God, Roy Batty as Lucifer, and Rachel as “the biblical wife of Israel in the Old Testament; the mother of a culture that will rule the Earth.” (Romero, 114) Also known as Eve, and Deckard as Adam.
Humanity itself is brought up for definition in this film, as the Replicants are in many ways more human than the “real humans” they are interacting with. These Replicants are artificial organic humanoids
“‘More human than human’ is our motto.” (Scotts, BR) This famous quote, said by the character Tyrell in Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, sums up the overall theme of the movie, which is the nature of being human. Blade Runner is Scott’s depiction of what is to become of Earth and how civilization has come to a point where humanity can be questioned. Reality is blurred and the nature of what is human is changing. Replicants appear identical to humans and even have emotions while the real humans appear cold and unemotional. The characters in this film are staged perfectly to compliment their environment as well. Scott uses mise en scene to suggest a vision of the future that is not only a collapsed, technological metropolis, but also a sad, lonely, and overall soulless place.
Scott also uses the typical film noir protagonist who is often alone and faces an inner struggle between being a hero and looking out only for himself. Deckard, played by Harrison Ford, is far from a knight in shining armor, in fact, some of his actions might suggest that he isn’t a hero at all. However, in order to understand Scott’s complex film, a closer look is in order. We must look past the basic actions of the characters and focus on rather why they do their actions. One way to do this is by focusing on the films subtle subtext element of its allegorical relationship to Christianity. Throughout the film, it appeared that the analogy between the Bible and events in the movie actually had a relative connection, for example, Tyrell could be seen as God, Roy Batty as Lucifer, and Rachel as “the biblical wife of Israel in the Old Testament; the mother of a culture that will rule the Earth.” (Romero, 114) Also known as Eve, and Deckard as Adam.
Humanity itself is brought up for definition in this film, as the Replicants are in many ways more human than the “real humans” they are interacting with. These Replicants are artificial organic humanoids
Bibliography: Romero, Rolando. "The Postmodern Hybrid: Do Aliens Dream of Alien Sheep?." Effects of the Nation: Mexican Art in an Age of Globalization. (2001): Print. Scott, Ridley, Dir. Blade Runner. Dir. Ridley Scott." Perf. Henry, Ford. Warner Brothers: 1982, Film.