Let's hear it for the original theatrical release!

I was so glad to read the comments of other reviewers in this forum who say they prefer the original theatrical release. I thought I was the only one who felt the director's cut was tedious and empty compared to the original release. -- There's such snobbery surrounding the director's cut, as if, of course, it must be superior. Making movies is a team effort and sometimes tough decisions have to be made -- the studio made the right decision when it insisted on voice over from Harrison Ford. The narration added an extra dimension to the film that really drew you in -- it was in the best film noire tradition. Can you imagine Sunset Blvd without William Holden's voice over? I'm anxiously awaiting a release of the original cut on DVD -- I don't even care whether or not there are a lot of bells and whistles -- somebody just please release the original. I want to see again the movie that blew me way in 1982.

So You Say

This is a surprisingly controversial dvd. To me, the excellence of the original movie is reason enough to love it. Even if the plot and characters don't arouse identification at first, retrospection shows that the movie holds its own weight and then some, and has a lot to say about some important issues. Visually, Scott is so good, that a crackle or bit of static here or there did not upset me at all. So what can I say-- this is a great movie that people should collect-- it does not need extras or different versions. It stands on its own.

classic scifi combined with film noir

Blade Runner is one of the best two or three films of the scifi genre. It is listed in some compilations as one of top 100 greatest films of all time. The role of this film in the scifi oeuvre is similar to that of Tom Sawyer in American literature - it has set the tone for all films in the genre since - that the future will have nicer toys but everything else - including us - will be just as dirty, gritty, and grimy as the present.

This film does have some flaws. Sean Young (Rachel) is the vision of beauty that she needs to be, but frankly her acting abilities are embarassing. Some of the scenes are almost too hokey to watch. Harrison Ford is merely adequate, but that's all he needs to be. At least he wasn't as bad as he was in Star Wars.

Despite the flaws, viewing this film in full surround sound with a large letter-box screen is an amazing experience. The haunting soundtrack by Vangelis is a masterpiece - this film would be something completely different without it.

It's a pity the producers had to cut Deckard's unicorn dream sequence from the original release. They did, of course, for obvious commercial reasons. However, the film loses a potentially vital clue without it - is it coincidence, or does Gaff's origami unicorn reveal that he knows what's in Deckard's dreams, just as Deckard knew Rachel's? We are left to wonder if Deckard is himself a replicant or a human - I would say the film intentionally leaves that question up to us.

Violence in film nowadays is almost universally depicted in a gratuitous, cartoonish manner which renders it meaningless except as a plot device or an excuse for special effects. In contrast, the nightmarish violence depicted in Blade Runner is used to good effect to reflect the essential brutality of life itself.

Ultimately, I think at its highest level Blade Runner is a movie about life lived in the shadow of the awareness of mortality. Throughout the film, eyes are used to symbolize the quest for self-knowledge as symbolized through the varying degrees of lightness, darkness, and pain. Almost the entire film is shot in a polluted, rainy darkness, signifying the state of Deckard's soul, with the only glimpses of blue sky evident at the top of the Tyrell Corporation headquarters (where Deckard first meets Rachel), at the moment of Roy's death, and (in the theatrical release) when Deckard escapes with Rachel.

The sequence between the death of Pris and the death of Roy is perhaps the most inspired piece of film-making I have ever seen. The deeply symbolic nature of the final chase, with the fear of death (in the form of Roy Batty) forcing Deckard to the pinnacle of knowledge and self-awareness atop the Bradbury building, is beautiful (religiophobes will have to excuse the crucifixion symbology). Great stuff.