Bladerunner Flashcards
Ridley Scott in Blade Runner shares similar views to that of Shelley’s and foreshadows the impending downfall of a commodified humanity that pursues this newly found interest.
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Dehumanisation is chiefly portrayed in the film through the creation and treatment of replicants, artificially grown humans for certain jobs, traits or genes.
Scott illuminates the commodification of life through the redefinition of execution as ‘retirement’ for the replicants.
Further reinforced by Deckard as he hunts Zhora like an animal.
The slow motion dolly of Zhora repeatedly crashing through a series of plate glass windows, combined with the over-laid heart beat implies the idea that Deckard is retiring a human.
The background of mannequins, who like Zhora are only imitations of the real
Present a constant reminder of society’s view towards replicants as mere ‘toys’ to be used and destroyed.
Scott’s portrayal of hubris is shown through the low angle shot of Tyrell Corporation as a symbol of omnipotence.
The building as a golden ziggurat is reminiscent of the Tower of Babel, where man had attempted to build a “stairway to heaven”.
The irony of such a resemblance, combined with the recurring symbolism of the eye displaying the destruction of natural law
Exemplifies the destruction of humanity as man is blinded by hubris
Unlike Victor, Tyrell harbours no guilt for the creation of the replicants as they are merely “experiments” exploited to feed Tyrell’s ruling ideology of profit,” commerce is our goal her at Tyrell”.
This reflects the lack of value placed on religion in favour of a capitalist society, which creates replicants as mere objects utilised to gain profit.
Tyrell pays for his actions as he is killed by his own creation.
His death is an allusion to King Lear with the gouging of both Tyrell and Gloucester’s eyes due to their hamartia.
