Replicants In Blade Runner

The 1982 Harrison Ford film Blade Runner was an advanced science fiction film in its time. Blade Runner features artificially generated humans and animals. These artificial beings which are referred to as replicants in the film, and because of a fear in their ability to overthrow the human populations they are pre-programed to only function for four years. The replicants are programed with memories, backstories, and personalities making them seemingly human. These replicants a kept in check by Blade Runners like Rick Deckard, who are essential the mafia mixed with the German Gestapo. They search out replicants who are disturbing the piece or nearing the end of their time and kill them. This film has challenged viewers for years and there are

That's what it is to be a slave.” (Blade Runner) In this scene Batty is explaining to Deckard why he has chosen to attack and attempt to kill him. He uses this sick and twisted method to force Deckard to experience and understand that he has lived his life in fear of running out of time at the end of his four years. Beyond fear and anger there is also a sense of desperation and sadness in this quote. Batty considers himself as a slave to time and that is something that would resonate with viewers who are near the end of their lives, and really with anyone. Humans never know exactly when they will die, it’s terrifying to consider that at any point a human’s life could any due to any number of circumstances. It would however be even more terrifying to know the exact time that your life would end and exactly why. It’s sad to think that there is a person who is the product of circumstance stuck existing in fear and desperation. This natural fear of the end totally humanizes Batty in the film; it also allows viewers to relate to him in a way that they were once unable