There is an infallible irony in movies that are decades old regarding their depiction and idea of what “the future” might be. It becomes even more hilarious when the year the film is set in has already passed. The more grandiose the technology and setting, the more silly it can feel to watch flying cars and androids roaming around the year 2019.
Forty years after its release, Blade Runner is a perfect example of this, but the movie is so epic and engrossing that it hardly matters. This is the story of an alternate dystopian world, and it has gone on to shape and influence many corners of pop culture and sci-fi fandom in everlasting ways.
Shortly after Philip K. Dick released his novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, interest immediately began cropping up in Hollywood, including from Martin Scorsese and Producer Herb Jaffe. Ultimately, it fell into the hands of Ridley Scott, fresh off quitting the set of Dune, who was impressed by the screenplay by Hampton Fancher.
Initially, Dick was skeptical of the adaptation, voicing his distrust and resentment towards Hollywood. After script rewrites and a 20-minute test reel screening showing early special effects, he expressed his approval, stating that the footage he saw looked exactly like what was in his head when he wrote the book.
There’s a legendarily long list of potential stars who were courted to fill the lead role of Rick Deckard before it ultimately went to Harrison Ford, including Robert Mitchum, Gene Hackman, Clint Eastwood, and Al Pacino, just to name a few. There are storied reports of the tension between Ford and Ridley Scott during filming. Ford was vocal in his displeasure with several of the production decisions, primarily in how the voiceover narration was handled. Despite this, it remains one of Ford’s most iconic roles and one that he and Scott have since warmed up to regarding their memories of filming.
Upon its release, Blade Runner received divisive and mixed opinions from critics and fans. Some condemned it for being too slow-paced and lacking action sequences, while others praised it for its visuals and intelligent storytelling. This polarization would become one of the main reasons for today’s notorious multiple versions of the film.
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After the original workprint version received negative responses from test audiences, it was modified into the original theatrical version. The workprint version was later made into a “Director’s Cut,” but it was done without Scott’s approval. Two versions were released simultaneously during its initial run – the U.S. Theatrical Version and an uncut version that contained three additional scenes. A Ridley Scott-approved Director’s Cut, with the removal of the voiceovers Ford detested and a different, bleak ending, was released in 1992. A fully remastered “Final Cut,” which Scott had full creative control over, was also later released in 2007.
One of Blade Runner’s most infamous and enduring legacies is the fact that so many versions of it now exist. Fans frequently engage in heated discussions over which iteration is the best. While this is one of the most well-known facts about the film, the cultural impacts from its 40 years of existence are much more far-reaching.
The dark, gritty aesthetic of the futuristic setting of 2019 helped set the bar for the sci-fi noir genre, with many films borrowing those themes throughout the years. Countless television shows, video games, comics, books, and even corporate giants such as Tesla have cited Blade Runner as both an influence and an inspiration for their creative choices. As far as dystopian stories go, many refer to it as the trendsetter and King of the blossoming cyberpunk movement.
The early 1980s were rife with neo-noir elements, and this movie truly set the bar for seamlessly blending those against a sci-fi backdrop to create an all-encompassing dystopian version of the future. With rich, eye-popping visuals and production design paired with a complex and thematic story, it created a delicate balance of flawless mood and atmosphere with heavy subject matter.
It showed us that the future could be bleak, beautiful, progressive, and restrictive, where the line between momentous evolution and heavy-handed tyranny can be intricately blurred. It created a world that was a visual feast for audiences but frightened them with the possibilities of such an austere, dreary, distant reality.
2019 has come and gone, with nary a hint of the replicant androids or airborne vehicles synonymous with the film. While the original vision of Philip K. Dick has remained fiction, the cultural impact and legacy of both the aesthetic and world of Blade Runner, no matter the version, will continue to endure.
