Every Thursday, the Techland Screening Room digs deep in an attempt to appreciate one of the 50 most important sci-fi titles of cinema’s first century. When we’re not analyzing the films, we’re announcing the next title in the series. We welcome your thoughts, insights, grumblings and epiphanies. See previous Techland Screening Rooms here.
There have been many variations of Blade Runner – many different cuts, with many different plot lines and implications. Here’s a movie that even film critics like Roger Ebert attempted to hold at a distance, but with the release of the “Final Cut” in 2007, even he was inclined to add it to his list of the greatest films of ever made.
And it’s this final, definitive cut that left me speechless. Attending the grand unveiling of the “Final Cut” at the 2007 New York Film Festival, in glorious high-def and as part of a packed Lincoln Center audience, the film’s greatness was obvious: Not only has Blade Runner proven itself to be one of the most influential sci-fi visions, in terms of characters, atmosphere, music and art design, but this final cut finally found just the right balance of all these elements. Even when it came to the whole is-Harrison-a-robot-or-isn’t-he ambiguity, it was in the “Final Cut” that Ridley Scott achieved his softer, more subtle, touch.
But now I’m getting ahead of myself. The Blade Runner universe runs deep and wide, and we’re going to plunge in head first. Time to refresh your memories, and prepare for the Techland Screening Room. Time to rent Blade Runner: The Final Cut (and be sure to get the Blu-ray edition)
