Blade Runner
(The Final Cut)
It feels blasphemous to watch this on May the 4th “Star Wars Day”, but keep in mind I’ve watched those movies more times than I can count and I’ll still always love that franchise more than anything else; but I just had the urge to rewatch this in hopes to gain more appreciation, and holy shit, third time’s a charm... I’ve always enjoyed Blade Runner for its world and aesthetic, but I’ve always felt the story was a bit lackluster. Man, was I wrong though... On the surface is a linear story of a man assigned to hunt down 4 replicants (which is all I’ve ever viewed it as), but I seemed to neglect the plethora of underlying themes. Everything from life and death, consciousness and memory, mortality as well as what it means to be human. This has happened to me a lot recently with these classic, iconic films. Whether it be Citizen Kane, 2001, Escape From New York, etc. Sometimes it takes a good few watches to fully appreciate the craft, and Blade Runner is no different. It’s easily my favorite Ridley Scott film now and a masterpiece of sci-fi/noir.