Harrison Ford Says Ridley Scott Got Blade Runner Wrong (& 43 Years Later, He Might Be Right) – CBR
Harrison Ford…
By Ashley Land, Published 1 day ago
Ashley is a Rotten Tomatoes–approved critic and CBR MTV writer specializing in pulp comics, the DC Universe, and genre storytelling. With a passion for westerns, sci-fi, horror, and thrillers, he brings both critical analysis and fan enthusiasm to his coverage. A lifelong pop culture fan, Ashley writes features, reviews, and commentary that highlight the best fiction has to offer.
In 1982, Ridley Scott and Harrison Ford changed the face of science fiction forever when they made Blade Runner, a dystopian cult classic. Having been left open to interpretation, the film has sparked debate among sci-fi fans for decades. Perhaps the most interesting among these is between Ford and Scott themselves, each holding onto wildly different versions of the story.
As the movie that defined the cyberpunk sub-genre of science fiction, Blade Runner has stood as one of the greatest sci-fi films of its decade. Having been released as a box office flop, it took years to gain the respect it deserved, and is today considered one of the best stories ever told in the genre. Created to serve as an exploration of what it means to be human, it’s a great combination of dystopia, thriller, and character drama. As with all the best sci-fi movies, Scott left certain aspects of the story open to interpretation. Although he has a strong opinion on the film’s most burning question, Harrison Ford’s take is a much better treatment of the story.
Blade Runner’s Biggest Mystery, Explained
From the outset, Blade Runner sets up its big mystery and central premise: the question of who is and isn’t a replicant. In the movie’s continuity, replicants are artificial human beings manufactured to be stronger than real people, allowing them to be used as off-world slave labor. Designed to have a limited lifespan of just four years, they soon began rising for their own rights. It falls to elite detectives known as blade runners to hunt them down and “retire” them. When a replicant named Roy Batty leads five others to Earth, the role falls to Rick Deckard to find them. When he’s assigned the task, he soon heads over to the Tyrell Corporation, where he meets a new generation of replicant named Rachael.
As Batty and his friends search for a way to extend their lives, Deckard ruthlessly hunts them down, only for an infatuated Rachael to work her way into his life. As he begins to care for her, his encounters with the replicants become tougher, especially as he also has to look out for his new love. When he finally comes face-to-face with Batty himself, he has a moment of reckoning as he finally understands and accepts his adversary’s humanity. Now in love with one, he has no choice but to go on the run, which would later lead to the story of Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049.
Ridley Scott made a point of trying to imply to viewers, much to Harrison Ford’s chagrin, that Deckard is himself a replicant. Since it’s incredibly difficult for people to discern replicants from humans, Blade Runners have to use tests and analyze small details for proof. It’s this ambiguity that made it almost impossible for anyone to ever be sure about Deckard until another screenwriter stated it as a matter of fact.
Harrison Ford and Ridley Scott Disagree on Blade Runner
Over the years, Ridley Scott has made it clear he believes Rick Deckard is a replicant, something he even snuck into the movie through editing and clues. One of the things fans often point to is a brief glimpse on screen when his eyes appear to have the same glimmer as a replicant. For many fans, the best proof comes from the character Gaff, an older Blade Runner who fans believe had his memories implanted in Deckard to continue his work. This is made particularly plausible as Scott connects Gaff’s origami to Deckard’s dreams. Towards the end of the film, his cryptic statement, “You’ve done a man’s job,” is interpreted to be him tacitly calling the younger man a replicant, commending him for impressive work.
Contrary to Scott’s vision, Ford remained adamant that his character was human all along, even going so far as to try and keep the set free of the director’s clues. In his mind, the twist would have undermined Deckard’s emotional journey and humanity, undercutting the ending. In being rescued by Batty, he finally understands the humanity of the replicants, something essential for both sides’ story. If it’s simply a film about a man who doesn’t realize he’s a replicant identifying with his own kind, it doesn’t feel nearly as poignant as a real man learning to empathize with those he hunts. It also makes his relationship with Rachael all the more powerful, crossing boundaries on both sides.
In a sense, the disagreement between Ford and Scott is actually a great match for the themes of the movie itself. The confusion it sews in viewers as they become almost paranoid about what’s real and not, and keeps them on guard about every character. If the director and leading actor can’t even agree, the mystery will never be settled until someone spells out plain and simple that Deckard is a human.
It should be noted that Ford isn’t alone, and actually has the backing of the film’s screenwriter, Hampton Fancher, who has confirmed he wrote him as a human. It’s actually a testament to Scott’s direction that, in spite of the script and acting, he was able to cast so much doubt on the main character’s nature.
Deckard as a Human Works So Much Better
As much as many fans love the theory that Deckard is a replicant, the story actually feels much more poignant if he isn’t. The central theme of its message is the question of what makes a human being, the question of souls, and the rights of sentient beings. If Deckard is human, his journey is that of an ordinary man whose job relies on the dehumanization of replicants, growing to understand their struggle and recognize their humanity. If he’s a replicant, that story carries considerably less weight, especially as it basically served as the basis for Ryan Gosling’s story in Blade Runner 2049.
Continue/Read Original Article Here: Harrison Ford Says Ridley Scott Got Blade Runner Wrong (& 43 Years Later, He Might Be Right)
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