Ford's performance here is underrated, even by the actor himself, who grumbled during the filming that he felt more like set decoration and who demonstrated his dislike of the film for many years by refusing to talk about it in interviews. (He has since come round to its charms somewhat.) Rutger Hauer is chilling as the replicants' leader Roy Batty, and the most quoted piece of dialogue from the film is a wonderful bit of nonsense - what are C-beams glittering off the shoulder of Orion? - written by the actor himself that in an indefinable way manages to be extremely moving. It also makes us doubt what the film has led us to believe prior to that point - that replicants are incapable of emotion. Can a machine cry?
The line between human and replicant is extremely blurred, which is one of the film's major strengths, and has led to its most enduring question: is Deckard himself a replicant? Scott toys with this concept in the film on more than one occasion, but never gives a definitive answer (not counting recent interviews given by the director). It's most blatant with the famous Unicorn dream, but also in more easily missed moments: at one point, for example, Deckard's eyes glint a subtle shade of gold - an effect glimpsed in the eyes of several of the replicants he hunts down. The ambiguity is fascinating.
There are not enough superlatives to describe how good the film looks and sounds in crystal digital clarity. Scott has made a name for himself as a magnificent visual craftsmen, with Blade Runner remaining his artistic peak. It is essential to be fully absorbed in the environment of 2019 Los Angeles to gain most enjoyment out of the film, and that immersion has never bean easier than it is now with this sparkling Final Cut. The emphasis in Blade Runner is clearly on atmosphere rather than plot or characters, and the few flaws that it does have - the pace slackens at times, for instance, particularly in the second half before the Deckard/Batty showdown - are rendered irrelevant by the unbeatable level of immersion that the film achieves.
Certainly it is a difficult film to watch in some respects. It is perhaps the most visually dense film ever shot, and does not reveal all its treasures in one viewing; it even requires multiple viewings simply to notice everything in the frame. The fact that it was a commercial flop at first is no surprise. Such movies that are so ahead of their time, that arrive and suddenly redefine the what it is possible to accomplish in cinema often only find their audiences years after their initial release. Now, however, Blade Runner stands shoulder-to-shoulder with 2001: A Space Odyssey at the summit of serious science fiction film.
Release Information
Country: UK / Region: Free / Version: The Final Cut - Special Edition / Discs: 1 BD, 1 DVD / Distributor: Warner Bros.
Presentation
One of the early must-haves in HD, Blade Runner reached stores while Blu-ray and HD-DVD were still engaged in their battle for supremacy, and was released on both formats. It only takes up half of Blu-ray's full capacity, housed on a 25GB single layer disc (50GB discs are mainly used now; dual-layer HD-DVD could hold 30). Blade Runner looks bloody good, though, transcending any storage restrictions. Only the slightest hint of artefacting caused by the light grain, barely visible even on very close examination, might be eased with a higher bitrate. Otherwise this looks damn near flawless; it's certainly one of the more impressive restorations of a film of its age. It's remarkable how well the effects hold up - they're more convincing than those in most of today's blockbusters - and, of course, the intricate mise-en-scene absolutely shines in 1080p clarity. The colours and contrast are much more realistic and robust than DVD could allow, too.
The soundtrack is similarly healthy; it's a fully remastered new 5.1 mix based on the original 6-track stereo master, transferred to disc via the Dolby TrueHD codec (not PCM as stated on the box). It's a very active, brilliantly judged soundfield that really sucks you into the world of the film. The everpresent rain sounds like it's falling all around you, while Vangelis' awe-inspiring score fills the room (though the end credits music seems to be mixed a little on the quiet side, oddly).
Extras
Disappointingly, Warners only saw fit to release the 5-disc set on DVD in the UK; this 2-disc set is the only Blu-ray release here. (It's actually the film on one BD accompanied by the same second disc as the DVD set.) You can hardly call it a bad selection, though - there are three commentaries and the "Dangerous Days" documentary on Disc 2 is three and a half hours long and utterly enthralling. The commentaries comprise a solo affair with Sir Ridley - he's a bit of a monotonal talker so listening to him for two hours is a challenge, but he offers a vast amount of insight - and two group efforts focused on the writing and design sides respectively.
With my copy I encountered a manufacturing glitch that may be isolated but is worth mentioning. Both discs are labelled as Disc 1, adorned with the Blu-ray symbol, whereas in fact one of them is indeed the standard DVD containing the documentary.
Summary
A magical, difficult, intoxicating masterpiece, Blade Runner stands the test of time. Its Blu-ray release may be from the format's early days but it still looks and sounds incredible.
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