Bladerunner: The Final Cut

Quote of the day:
“Creativity is the ability to see old things in a new way.”
--Carolyn Hax

We saw the “final cut” of “Bladerunner” today. I suspect that most folks in the theatre with us were diehard fans of the film, Phillip K. Dick, Ridley Scott, or sci-fi. We are none of these things.

But we enjoyed the movie. The beginning is both surprisingly subtle and stunning--it’s a vision of Los Angeles in 2017, originally produced in 1982.

The reputation of this film is well-deserved. It’s a unique vision, and this restoration brings it to the big screen with clarity and simmering power.

There are several chase sequences, but this movie is much more about mood and setting. It’s like “2001” in that respect.

It resembles a classic noir detective drama from the 1940s. Most of the scenes are quite dark, with sharply-angled lighting.

“Bladerunner” also has a significant dose of Poe-like gothic drama. I guess it will always be unlike most other sci-fi films.

A lot of sci-fi deals with the relationship of humans to technology. “Bladerunner” goes further than this, bringing up two questions:

What does it mean to be human?

What is the end of life?