Blade Runner as a Classic Film Noir and a Science Fiction Film
Blade Runner, a well known 80’s science-fiction film, begins in 2019,
set in the industrial city of L.A., the scene lit only by the many
neon lights and molten guisers. We draw in from a panoramic long shot
to Deckard, ‘ex-cop, ex-killer, ex-blade-runner’, who is at the heart
of this film.
Blade Runner is, definitively, a science fiction film, but the traits
of Film Noir are the bread and butter, bringing it the dark, desperate
atmosphere that is the very beauty of the film. Ridley Scott plants
shrapnels of Film Noir throughout, from the subtle (cigars), to the
downright blatant (the washed-up cop of main man).
The genre itself developed in the post-war era, thriving upon the
depression that had settled upon the world, and the new technology.
The latter meant that scenes could be filmed outside of a studio, and
new effects could be created with lighting. However, though the new
technology was there, the after-math of the war meant that this
equipment was often quite rare, leading to the lower budget films
opting for stark, shadowy sets rather than miss out on the technology.
But this type of setting fitted perfectly into the style of Film Noir
anyway, as the feeling of the genre was reflecting the current mood,
which was far from happy.
The war had left some blind, and everyone else with brand new eyes,
people could no longer see everything at face value, or to put it
bluntly, the value of face had slumped. The world after war was no
place for the frilly and meaningless, and Hollywood, as the capital of
frill, had to come up with something new, and refreshingly...
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...th Deckard ‘why am I called back?
Why am I doing this?’
and the replicants can ask, ‘why am I a replicant, why am I like
this?’
The answer of course, the bitter sentiment of Film Noir, ‘for no
reason at all.’ The viewer watches Blade Runner’s characters like fish
in a tank, with pity because they are trapped, and with resignation,
because they’ll never, really, get out.
The fusion of Sci-Fi and Film Noir works perfectly in Blade Runner,
using the past to paint a (dismal) picture of the future. The
combination was one of the first of it’s kind, pulling two genres
together to work in perfect unison. And this combination of Sci-Fi and
Film Noir will continue to work because the future is unseen, and
therefore to us, quite scary, and, as in typical Film Noir fashion,
there’s always ‘something BAD out there…’
In Bladerunner the most prominent element of cinematography is mise en scéne. It generates a context for the film and therefore makes the plot and themes acceptable. To set an appropriate scene different variables need to be controlled. These variables include location, props, lighting and colour. In general the location of the plot is in the vast urban canyons of 2019 LA. The imposing dark buildings, the dirty fog, perpetual rain and the crowded dark streets devoid of vegetation make up the backdrop of most scenes. All this is filmed in dark lighting, which complements the effect produced by the fog in obscuring the living details. From this the responder acknowledges the deterioration of society, the harsh conditions that the humans are subjected to and the way the human spirit itself is progressively destroyed under such conditions.
I'd be working in a place like this if I could afford a real snake?"
Immediately upon viewing either film, the viewer is struck with the unique visual style each presents. This impression is likely the defining image one is left with after viewing the entire film. Each took a different approach in using visuals to stage the environment and context of the plot. Blade Runner styles Dick’s vision of Los Angeles circa 2019 as a futuristic film noir, with an anachronistic mix of technology combined with dark angles and shadows. Virtually all of the visual styles of this environment happened pre-production; that is, they do not rely heavily on computer editing after filming to achieve the desired effect. The opening scene involving the interrogation of Leon in a dark, smoky, high-ceilinged room could be lifted right out of a 1950s mystery film. The detective then pulls out ...
Review of Dr. Strangelove, Or: How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
“I forgive you, Dad.” (Movie) On the movie screen the tearful Eddie, with his trembling voice, is wholeheartedly trying to reach out to his father inside the Diner in Heaven. It is the moment that Eddie’s sentimental reflection turns into an emotional eruption. At that moment Eddie’s tears almost wet my face. That is just one of stunning visual effects I felt while watching the film, “The Five People You Meet in Heaven.” The film, directed by Lloyd Kramer, is based on the book with the same title, written by Mitch Albom. In terms of plot, general theme, and setting, they are all projected in similar ways both in the book and the movie, such as chronological order of the five people Eddie meets in Heaven, use of flashbacks, and Ruby Pier entertainment park as the central stage. By appearance, both in the book and the movie, Eddie and the five people are naturally the major focus. However, I believe that the relationship between Eddie and his father is specially fabricated by the director and the author with the intention of making the story more complex and captivating. On top of that, I find that Eddie’s father, portrayed as a controversial character throughout the book and all over the film, is really worth further reviewing and discussion. More specifically, I would like to analyze the similarities and differences vividly perceived between the novel and the movie in various ways of portraying the father.
The plot of the movie “Blade Runner” becomes unrevealed till the end of the movie. Many assumptions about the plot and the final of the movie appear in the spectator’s mind, but not one of these assumptions lasts long. Numerous deceptions in the plot grip the interest of the audience and contribute for the continuing interest to the movie eighteen years after its creation. The main character in the movie is Deckard- the Blade Runner. He is called for a special mission after his retirement, to “air up” four replicants who have shown flaws and have killed people. There are many arguments and deceptions in the plot that reveal the possibility Deckard to be a replicant. Roy is the other leading character of the movie. He appears to be the leader of the replicants- the strongest and the smartest. Roy kills his creator Tyrell. The effect of his actions fulfils the expectation of the spectator for a ruthless machine.
As a society we value and admire heroes who represent the idealized version of ourselves whom we stride every day to become. This is why they are sometimes scrutinized, unless they are an anti-hero, of course. The anti-hero is also admired by some even if he utilizes unlawful methods to achieve his goal, because he represents the good in a corrupt world. But this is not always the case as it is seen in some Noir stories. In Noir stories, the anti-hero is supposed to be a modern knight. Transgressing society's corrupt rules in order to reaffirm for its male audience the need to act justly do rightly; however, the anti-hero through this false nobility and sexism reinforces the social problems that plague contemporary society.
From the silent epic of Fritz Lang Metropolis (1927) to Ridley’s Scott’s spectacular Blade Runner (1982) the connection between architecture and film has always been intimate. The most apparent concepts that connect these two films are the overall visuals of both films and their vision of city of the future. The futuristic city of both Scott and Lang are distinct in their landscapes, geography, and social structure. These two films sought to envision a future where technology was the basis by which society functioned. Technology was the culture and the cities would crumble without it (Will Brooker). Metropolis and Blade Runner uses the themes relationships among female sexuality and male vision, and technology. However, Gender roles and technology seems to be the most important part in both films.
Donnie Darko and 2001: A Space Odyssey has central meanings that focus on science and religion. Richard Kelly's, Donnie Darko, introduces the protagonist as a teenage boy who is given the chance to live for twenty-eight more days after the mysterious jet engine crash that was intended to kill him. Donnie is plagued by visions of a giant sized evil-looking rabbit named Frank. Frank orders Donnie to commit acts of violence, warns of the impending end of the world, and is his guide throughout the movie. Donnie is portrayed as a Christ-like figure that will ultimately travel back in time not only to redeem his actions, but the actions of those he has affected. When Donnie dies he becomes a martyr and saves the world, like Christ. Stanley Kubrick's, 2001: A Space Odyssey portrays human evolution while being guided by a higher intelligence. Although this higher intelligence is anonymous throughout the movie, it has placed mysterious stone structures known as "monoliths" on the moon, Saturn, and Earth. These monoliths have purposively been around for over 4,000 years and are a symbol of evolution. At each new level of human achievement, the monolith is present. The scene in A Space Odyssey, where astronaut David Bowman lands on the enigmatic monolith, focuses on an evolutionary theme, whereas the montage scene in Donnie Darko shows the reverse of time followed by Donnie laughing in bed awaiting death, thus unraveling an underlying Christian theme in which Donnie is Christ-like for sacrificing himself to save the world.
Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner is now one of the top sci-fi movies and a perfect standard of the neo-noir genre. The visual Los Angeles is an astonishing sight and immense in detail. The action on an extensive proportion is truly ingenious. Ridley Scott is a substantial director in film history who doesn’t hold back in his movies. Blade Runner is a very exciting sci-fi film noir combination with a suspenseful and tense story that runs so deep in its conflict has led to cults. Overall, Blade Runner is a movie that will keep on your toes and force you to think about your humanity in an interesting yet confusing way.
Blade Runner and New Brave World's Perspective's on Humanity Ridley Scott’s film “Blade Runner: Director’s Cut” and Aldous Huxley’s
After reading the book and watching the movie 1984 there were similarities and differences between the two. The novel is about manipulating people in believing in something that isn’t really there and about erasing history. Both the book and film focused on: authority, government, and war. The book and film follow the theme of conformity to control society.
Imagery of the eye appears throughout Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner. From the opening scene depicting an eye glaring upon the dystopian future of Los Angeles, to Dr. Chew’s genetic laboratory with hundreds of replicant eyes, to finally the graphic scene with Roy gouging out Tyrell’s eyes, eye imagery evidently plays a certain significance. What are we to make of Scott’s tremendous fascination with eyes? Traditionally, eyes have been used in literature and film as a motif representing identity, surveillance, vulnerability, and the window to one’s soul. Scott builds upon these existing definitions and uses the eye motif to help us better understand the film’s main characters and themes, as well as to help answer the fundamental question that Blade Runner offers us: What does it mean to be human?
V for Vendetta is a graphic novel written by Allan Moore. It is a story full of comedy with V as the protagonist who is out to fight and destroy the government and affects innocent people. The novel was later adapted into a film and directed by James McTeigue and written by Wachowski Brothers.
I will analyze Lars Von Trier “Manderlay” with regards to the following five factors: setting, props, characterization, theme and genre. Trier create the movie “Manderlay” and several more to generates the idea of American greed, racism, and the misuse of power. To whom he thought that American was unrecognizable to any American was irrelevant. Even though, most Hollywood movies deny their entertainment as a pretend act. Presenting imaginary worlds was a way that showed unrealistic sense of reality but came off as if they were real. The movie itself was fiercely venomous. It held a strong conception about our society and expressed them in a symbolic representation provoking change in a usage of humor, irony, and exaggeration.