Blade Runner
Director Ridley Scott has a chilling story to tell, and there is a complex web of allegory and meaning lurking in the background. We are unmistakably in a future time, yet this future world is one we can easily recognize, as it is not so different from our own. As with all good science fiction, futuristic concepts provide the basis for the story, but do not dominate the more universal themes expressed by the film. This is not to say that the special effects of Blade Runner are anything less than stunning, but they serve to flesh out the story, as well as to give us a vision of the future in which this story can take place. This is not the cardboard cutout future of Forbidden Planet, but a world we can almost touch and absolutely believe in. Onto this stage are placed a group of characters who perfectly compliment their environment. The enigmatic characters' actions are seldom clear cut or simple to understand, and are even less certain of the motivations which move these characters. Our protagonist, Deckard, played by Harrison Ford, is not exactly a knight in shining armor. Because of this, it seems that to understand this film we must look past the actions of the characters and focus instead upon th
For one thing, Batty is a man of violence, while Sebastian is one of peace. They also find a greater importance to life, as Batty discovers at the film's end, when he saves the man who has killed everyone he loved. functions as a symbol of Christ in this film. Also, he forgave Deckard his sins, and saved him from falling to his death (!and damnation in Hell?) I have some problems with the theory of Batty-as-Savior, though. The great strength of Blade Runner was that it successfully dealt with the tenuous nature of human life, and examined what really makes a person human, without being preachy or obvious. This paper will develop the analogy between Biblical myths and events in the movie where a connection actually exists between the allegorical nature of the Christ-like figures and his constituents. He is aware of his own mortality, and looks to Tyrell to give him a new lease on life. Sebastian is in a way the "missing link" between the Replicants and their human creators. Through the help of Sebastian (in this example an obvious Christ symbol) he is able to finally come into the presence of his maker, who welcomes him warmly and without reservation. This is because although they know that they will die, they do not know their incept dates (birthdays) and as such are not sure when the clock started, or when it will end. It has been said that only as you face death are you truly alive, and the Replicants look into death every minute of their lives. This is akin to a man who prays faithfully to Heaven for a release from cancer, and loses faith if his condition does not improve. After these acts, he returns to the elevator and falls from heaven, returning to the material world. Third, Christ attempted to bring humanity to God, and was killed by the very people he attempted to help.
Common topics in this essay:
Blade Runner,
Testament God,
Harrison Ford,
Garden Eventually,
Sebastian Batty,
JF Sebastian,
Ridley Scott,
Rutger Hauer,
Forbidden Planet,
Batty Christ,
blade runner,
life spans,
replicants human,
presence tyrell,
symbol christ,
incept dates,
attempted bring,
jf sebastian,
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Acceptance Essays
