Many people say that this is the originator of sci-fi movies. This statement is not accurate. In fact, as early as 1979, there were already popular sci-fi movies like Alien. Therefore, to be precise, "Blade Runner" should be the pioneering work of cyberpunk sci-fi movies.
Science fiction movies are divided into two types from the general direction: one is the outer space type represented by "2001 A Space Odyssey", and the other is the earth type. Cyberpunk is a branch of the second type. To understand this movie, it is necessary to understand what cyberpunk is.
Cyberpunk is a branch of science fiction that focuses on computer or information technology. The plot usually revolves around the contradictions between hackers, artificial intelligence, and large enterprises. The background is set in a dystopian earth in the near future, generally a world of apocalypse with advanced technology but a dilapidated environment.
Bruce Stirling summed up the characteristics of cyberpunk in this way:
"Treat people like rats, and all measures against rats can be imposed on people equally. Closing your eyes and refusing to think will not make this terrible picture disappear. This is cyberpunk. Punk."
Common elements in cyberpunk movies generally include: towering buildings, messy streets, daylight without the sky (usually rain), multicultural integration, artificial intelligence, big companies ruling the world (technology first), etc. These are from The elements summarized in "Blade Runner" have become a model for all subsequent sci-fi works of the same type. Because its film features are mainly content greater than form, it has been difficult to produce brilliant works in subsequent films. Instead, Japanese anime took this This type of thinking is carried forward, the most famous of which is "Ghost in the Shell" (Widow Sister's live-action version is a bit more formal than content), and the current masters of this type of work should be the "The Matrix" series that everyone likes very much. Up.
The film is adapted from the 1968 science fiction novel "Does Robots Dream of Electronic Sheep". It mainly explores the origin of life, a philosophical issue that has plagued humans for thousands of years, through the difference between artificial humans, a character with future technology, and humans. . Of course, the film did not have an answer, but only provided a perspective for future generations. Some people said that the film was unpopular at the time because its thinking was 30 years ahead. Although 30 years later, we recognized the film. , But the story in the movie is still far from our current level of technology. Maybe 20 or 50 years later, when people come to watch this movie, there will be more realistic references.
The movie story has two main lines.
The first is that Blade Runner Dyke is responsible for hunting and killing the artificial humans who have fled back to the earth. This behavior is called "retirement" in the movie, which means that the beginning of the movie does not regard the artificial humans as beings but machines. This thread puts more perspective on discussing the difference between artificial humans and humans. The previous segment of the video interrogating the humanoid tells us that the difference between the two is to ask a series of questions to judge whether the humanoid has memories and emotions. For example, there is a question mentioned that the tortoise in the desert is to prove whether there is such an emotion of sympathy (because the background is the end of the world, there are almost no animals, humans who know animals will show sympathy, and machines without memory cannot), the reason why artificial humans There is no complete memory because they only have a life span of 4 years.
And this problem escalated when Dyke met the android Rachel (the lens of the huge pyramid appeared in the film is impressive, in fact, this is the symbol of cyberpunk's technology company ruling the world), and the technology company uses memory implants. After developing a new type of humanoid, Dyke judged that she is not a human through a large number of problems. Rachel, who has always believed that she is a human, was shaken when she doubted her identity, but Rachel was in contact with Dyke. Slowly generated emotions unique to humans, such as sadness, such as love. This made Dyke, who understood the difference between cyborgs and humans, gradually believed that Rachel was a human and fell in love with her.
This process is mainly to explore the essence of life through the difference between the two. If one day there is no way to distinguish the difference between artificial humans and humans, will the two be considered the same species? Are cyborgs counted as life? What is the definition of life?
The second story line is the story of Roy, who knows he is a human being, and his partner want to prolong their lives and eventually die. This paragraph is actually exploring the future of mankind through the artificial human's search for his own future.
Roy, who knew that he had a short lifespan, finally found the "God" who made him, and wanted to extend his life. The reason why Roy can easily find the person who made him in the movie is also because of the self-confidence of the "God" of the artificial man. He feels that these machines will not hurt him, but he did not expect Roy who got the disappointing answer to choose to kill. Own creator. But the cruel Roy finally chose to save Dyke at the end of the fight with Dyke. Roy's death occupies the most space and the most complicated. It is despair first, then madness, and finally humanity returns. When he sits down in the rain, the white dove in his hand flutters into the air. This is not rest, but mourning— —The fate that I want to grasp is ultimately to let go.
Whether Roy who possesses humanity is pursuing a change of fate (this is the same as human beings has always wanted to live forever), or giving up hatred and choosing to save Dyke, what is the difference with humans? Even he is better than most people. He respects life more than us humans. Even though he is a machine, you should calm down and think carefully. Are you still willing to call chasing them "retirement"?
In addition to the above simple analysis of the film, there are many details in the film that are metaphors for the discussion of these issues, which makes this film completely more content than form. Careful observation and appreciation will make you gradually discover the charm of the film. .
After reading this, you may think that this is indeed a respectable film. Those who have not seen it want to appreciate it, but those who have seen it have a more in-depth understanding of the film. But what really makes the movie complete is the foreshadowing at the end of the movie, which may be why he is truly called the originator of the mountain, or a god-worked creation.
An origami of a unicorn appeared at the end of the film, which made us think about a question: Is Dyke a human or a man-made?
Through the careful study of several details of the film and the foreshadowing of the director, it can be basically judged that Dyke is actually a human being.
1. Implanting memory is a characteristic of artificial humans, but the unicorn in Dyke’s dream is known to others. The origami of the last unicorn implies that Dyke’s memory is also implanted.
2. In the film, there will be reflections in the lens of the artificial human beings. The artificial owl before the company saw Rachel also has reflections. When talking with Rachel in the room, there was also a lens in Dyke’s eyes. Rachel also asked whether Dyke had tested herself and suggested that Dyke was a human being.
3. At the beginning of the film, Dyke said that he had re-entered his job, but his memory was incomplete (it should be taken back and processed and upgraded). In addition, the attitude of the police detective and Dyke in talking to Dyke in the film all hinted at Dyke's identity to a certain extent.
If it is determined that Dyke is an artificial human, then all my previous analyses may have to be rewritten, because those analyses are based on the assumption that Dyke is a human being. But repeated interpretation is completely unnecessary. Dyke should be a more advanced artificial person than Roy. Their mission is to reduce the gap with humans by hunting artificial humans. Human beings hope that artificial humans will be indistinguishable from themselves by repeatedly letting artificial humans discover their weaknesses and make improvements, but human beings as creators are unwilling to recognize their meaning as life. This is a cycle.
The huge suspense and the angle of thinking did not allow us to get answers to philosophical questions, but it left a huge space for people to think later, which is why works like The Matrix appeared. Of course, it is also the reason for the emergence of "Blade Runner 2049" introduced at the beginning. (I hope not to face Dyke is a humanoid)
"Blade Runner" is undoubtedly a classic, and it is a classic that gets more and more mellow.
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