Bladerunner Lighting Analysis

Bladerunner, directed by Ridley Scott, focuses on one main issue: humanity. It is often said that the eyes are the windows to the soul, and it seems that Scott plays off of that in the closeup shots of the duplicate’s eyes as they are being tested. The main issue presented through the film is the controversy over whether or not the duplicates count as human. Scott’s use of lighting in the film is impeccable; predictive lighting, and the use of shadows really help add to the message of the film. On the technical side, the use of the chiaroscuro lighting technique and the addition of smoke made the set look and feel real when captured on camera. The water on the streets helped reflect the little light that was used back up, allowing the scenes to be shot at night without the detail of the street being lost. However, when looked at on a deeper level, the lighting techniques used helps add to the overall interpretation of the film.

In the scene where Sean Young’s character “Rachel” is introduced for the first time, a shadow moves across her face as she walks into the room. This use of predictive
The dark shadows, smoke and lack of bright lights- other than police spotlights- creates a sense of depression in the dystopian world that Bladerunner takes place in. It allows the viewer to understand what the people walking on the street behind Deckard feel, allows them to know that the people sitting in there rain feel depressed, unhappy, even isolated in the dark world that they live. Even without the acting, it is somewhat clear that the police are oppressive; their bright spotlights and red and blue flashers pierce through the darkness in scenes like these. The spotlights shine through Deckard’s apartment window, lighting it up more than the lights in his apartment (presumed to be there by the audience)