Blade Runner

Glad I finally rewatched. A masterful exploration of what it means to be human seen through Deckard’s journey. For 95% of the film, Deckard moves like a hollow shell, carrying out his work as a blade runner with detachment. Yet it is the replicants, the very beings he hunts with no remorse that ultimately teach him the essence of humanity. In the final moments, Roy (in cinemas greatest monologue), facing his own death, shows Deckard the value of the human experience. And it is Deckard who finally sheds tears indeed lost in the rain, that finally allows himself to feel to the full human extent. Watching the uncomfortable scene between Deckard and Rachel had me thinking for a while too. I tried finding an exploration in other reviews but, unfortunately had no success. My interpretation of it, after sitting with it for a while, Deckard, the one who acts hollow more than the "machine" itself perceives Rachel, a replicant, as something lesser, an object rather than a person. This value separation allows him to force himself on her, in the same manner he does toward the other replicants he hunts. It is a deeply uncomfortable scene, I believe deliberately included to show that Deckard is not a hero in this story. The scene parallels Roy’s interaction with his creator, Tyrell. Where Deckard sees Rachel as something lesser, Roy recognizes his creator as more than himself, even seeking some sort of emotional connection fueled by envy in that disturbing kiss. The parallel is amazing: one nonhuman being dominated by a hollow, emotionless human, while the other nonhuman, Roy, reaches toward meaning and emotion, seeing his creator as something he will never be, however both subverted after what follows each kiss.