Ok, so maybe it’s not so special, but it is a review. Well, not such much a review as a garbled piece of writing but it is relevant. Ok not so much relevant but.. ahh hell.. just read on already.
For those not in the know, Blade Runner is a sci-fi noir, set in a futuristic cyberpunk landscape. It stars Harrison Ford as Deckard, a hard-boiled ‘Blade Runner’ bounty hunter, drawn out of semi-retirement to hunt down and ‘retire’ several Nexus-6 replicants (Sophisticated and lifelike cyborgs). They’re running out of life, and they’re quite pissed about it.
It’s a loose adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s novel ‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?’ and was directed by Ridley Scott. It is widely regarded to be his masterpiece.
Right, now that that’s out of the way I can tell you that Blade Runner the Final Cut is absolutely fantastic. Going back to it I had actually forgotten just how breathtaking the film is to look at. Actors and crew alike apparently spent most of the shoot drowning in smoke machines, but with the images that resulted that is surely forgiven. Ridley Scott managed to create this dark and beautiful world and shoot it in the most amazing way possible. Along with these images is a beautiful electronic score by Vangelis which enforces the mood. It feels completely ethereal, and almost like an art film at times, and probably owes a lot to films like 2001: A Space Odyssey. I got the impression when watching it that getting drawn into the world, and feeling it was almost as important as the story and characters.
The breathtaking visuals more than hold up today.Anyway, Blade Runner isn't just beautiful to look at, and it's not just your typical dystopian sci-fi flick either. It has many wide reaching themes and raises questions about humanity and religion. Essentially the creator of these replicants is playing God, and that brings moral responsibility. How far can genetic engineering go before you are morally responsible? If the new breed of replicants are capable of human emotions and have actual consciousness then are they not actually human? What is it to be human anyway? What is it to live?
What's interesting about the film is that the replicants often show more human emotion than the actual humans ("more human than human") so the line becomes severely blurred. Rutger Hauer in particular is excellent as head replicant Roy Batty. Throughout the film he experiences anger, regret, awe, love.. and he shows empathy too.
"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe.. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die." One of the most brought up questions about this Final Cut is whether Deckard himself is a replicant. Now this debate has been raging ever since the original release, and to be honest I don't think it really matters. It's something interesting to think about - he's chasing and hunting down what he actually is himself. However the new cut inserts material which may just sway the favour into the pro-replicant camp. The main reason for this is two scenes: One in which Deckard dreams of a unicorn, and another one later on in which shows another character leaving an origami unicorn in his apartment. The insinuation is that the only way he could have known that Deckard had dreamt about the unicorn is if it was an implanted memory - therefore replicant. Interesting, but I'll leave it to you to make your own minds up..
Are these the eyes of a hard-boiled human detective - or a replicant?The other main difference of the Final Cut is that the Voice Overs have been removed. This keeps it in line with the original vision of the Director, and runs a lot better I think. It keeps it more ambiguous and doesn't pander to the audience.
The DVD Package:
The DVD set itself is phenomenal, and I can't recommend it enough. I have the following 5-Disc set, which I got for something like £17.99 - Absolute bargain.
It comes in a really nice robust tin, and inside that is a typical special edition fold-out cardboard set with awesome artwork and layout. As well as that is a collectible booklet, various art cards, a 'lenticular motion image' which is a hard plastic motion-still thing, and also a letter from Ridley Scott which is printed on see-through plastic. Not bad for £17.99 eh??
It feels quality through and through. However if that's still not enough then you can get the ridiculously swish Region-1 briefcase set which also includes a collectible model spinner and an origami unicorn - niice!
Dare you suggest that.. *gasp*.. they might be cashing in? Well.. possibly, but I don't think you can argue. I mean it's not like there's no demand for this stuff, and it's absolute quality in presentation and construction. Plus you know, the features on all the DVD's are completely exhaustive - 9 hours of special features. Just check out below for the full specs - you get 5 cuts of the film too!
Special Features:
Disc 1: The Final Cut (2007)
Digitally Restored and Remastered incorporating New Footage and Special Effects never before seen.
Disc 2: Dangerous Days: Making Blade Runner
Definitive Documentary Incorporating, Outtakes, Deleted Scenes and All-New Interviews.
Disc 3: Three Complete Archival Versions
1982 U.S. Theatrical Cut, 1982 International Theatrical Cut and 1992 Director's Cut. All Available on one Disc with introductions by Ridley Scott.
Disc 4: Enhancement Archive
Audiovisual Mosaic of More than a Dozen segments chronicling aspects of the production.
Disc 5:
Rarely seen workprint with Alternate music, footage and voice-over. Plus all our variant futures featurette.
"If only you could see what I've seen with your eyes"I'm slowly working my way through the special features now, and so far they're pretty much what you'd expect. The documentary Dangerous Days is fascinating and I'm pleased that they were quite frank when talking about the film. It's not one big back-patting exercise like you see on so many other documentaries. I've yet to see all the cuts but I'm sure I will at some point.
In conclusion, there really is no reason why you shouldn't own this DVD in your collection. it's a beautiful, thought provoking, essential film - and the new DVD releases of it are exceptional.
Best Prices Online:
Both HMV and Play have the 5 disc tin for £17.99 - which is a fantastic price. Currently Amazon is out of stock.. and Zavvi (still think the name is shit) have got it for £33.. haha. But then Zavvi haven't really got their act together yet..
5 Disc Ultimate Collectors Edition:
Play.com - £17.99
HMV - £17.99
Briefcase Edition (Region 1 Import):
Amazon
Play.com
Right, so that's it from me - I'll leave you now with the trailer for the Final Cut - enjoy!
(I've just noticed this this uses music from the film the Fountain. That also is an exceptional film and an exceptional score - I also highly recommend those.)
Previous posts on the Blade Runner Final Cut can be found here and here.
- Jimmy
