Set in a futuristic LA that reminds me more of a present day Detroit on a rainy day in March. The move Blade Runner came out in 1982-back when I was in grade school mind you-and it was supposed to represent the dismal future we all had to look forward too. I recall my father watching it years later on TV and saying that in 50 years we’d all have to live with acid rain, and no sunshine from too much smog. [He was always an optimist let me tell you!]
But beyond the superficial themes of the movie it addresses much deeper themes that will, in our very near future, come to bare on us and impact our daily lives.
The themes of epistemology-what do you know? How do you know it? And just because others agree with something, does that make it right or true? What does it mean to be human? Can an android-a computer-be alive? What does it mean to be alive?
When I studied biology to be alive typically included taking in fuel and giving off waste, as well as procreating. Would an android qualify for that? It takes in some type of fuel to run on its own-battery power, chemical power, uses electricity and then gives off heat, light and at least some type of chemical waste. But what about procreating?
Does an android-a computer-pass on its genes to anything else? What about when a computer copies and downloads a file? What about viruses on computers? They seek out other computers, replicate themselves and move on without concern of what is affected. This is reminiscent of bacteria and viruses. It’s not the same type of life as human, but it could be considered a type of life. And if it is considered life, would that mean we would need to treat it-treat computers-in a different way?
And would the computers know it was alive? Would it realize that it had a life that was different than a human? Would it know what it was?
There’s a scene in the movie after Harrison Ford interviews Sean Young [who is playing an android] where Ford is incredulous that Young is not aware that she is in fact a replicant-which is also ironic because the debate has been going on for 25+ years that Ford’s character is also a replicant but is unaware of it too. A replicant looking for replicants-a computer searching out computers, but doesn’t know he’s a computer.
Ford-She’s a replicant isn’t she?
Tyrell-I’m impressed…How many questions does it usually take to spot them?
Ford-I don’t get it.
Tyrell-How many questions?
Ford-twenty, thirty, cross referenced.
Tyrell-It took more than a hundred for Rachael, didn’t it?
Ford-[then realizing that Rachael believes she’s human] she doesn’t know…
Tyrell-She’s beginning to suspect it I think.
Ford-Suspect? How can it not KNOW what it is?
Later in the film Rutger Howard-who is caste in the role of villainous robot-meets the man who literally created him. WHO on this earth can say they haven’t at some point wanted to be able to come face to face with their maker-with God-before they died? To ask her questions, to ask for forgiveness, to ask...something?
And Howard’s character has a very appropriate comment to the character playing his god:
Tyrell-I’m surprised you didn’t come here sooner.
Howard-It’s not an easy thing to meet your maker.
Howard’s character near the end of the film-knowing his life is about to end-gives a very insightful and moving soliloquy.
Howard-I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark…All those moments will be lost in time…
Like tears in rain…
And yet who among us-if we knew the date and the time we were to die-wouldn’t be traveling to the ends of the earth in search of our maker to bargain, plead and threaten for more time, more life?
All of us eventually die-even computers, and the last line of the movie reinforces that.
It’s too bad she won’t live. But then again who does?
Blade Runner [1982] imdb.com
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083658/
Monday, September 08, 2008
