Mary Shelley’s Gothic romantic science fiction novel, “Frankenstein”, (1818) and Ridley Scott’s hybrid genre film; mixture of science, detective, crime and thriller fiction, “Blade Runner” (1982) imaginatively portray individuals who challenge the established values of their times through the use of cinematic; camera shots and lighting, and literary techniques; imagery and allegories. Shelley’s text was composed during a post-neoclassical era known as the Romantic period and was heavily influenced via the Industrial Revolution. Scott’s text was composed during the early 1980’s, a period characterised by vast consumerism, technology and environmental degradation. There are parallels between the texts in relation to the themes of; humanity, nature and technology and parental responsibility. The composers challenge the established values of their time and pose cautionary warnings to future generations.
Scott utilises a plethora of cinematic techniques to portray the depravity of humanity and portray individuals who challenge the notion of what it is to be human. The Tyrell building is pyramidal in shape as to symbolise that he has achieved the status of God through the creation of, “more human than human”, replicants. In this way, Tyrell challenges what it is to be a human as he usurped the role of giver of life. In the dystopian 2019 Los Angeles setting, humanity has lost all integrity and values. Rick Deckard is considered, “ a goddam one man slaughter house”, and his central aim is the extermination of the rogue replicants. In contrast, Roy Batty’s aim is the human endeavour of self-preservation, “I want more life, father”. The metaphor of Roy releasing the dove symbolises that he is a human with a soul. In conjunction, the use of a low-angle shot of Roy cross-cutting with a high-angle shot of Deckard during the confrontation