This is my take on Gaff and all the words to/about/by Gaff.

The following are the words (English only, please) spoken by/about/to Gaff in the 1982 U.S. Theatrical Cut. I am using a transcript that came from this movie (see www.trussel.com/bladerun.htm). As I take nothing for granted, I ran the 1992 Director’s Cut and I followed along with the 1982 U.S. Theatrical Cut’s transcript. There are a few minor differences between the Director’s Cut and the 1982 U.S. Theatrical Cut. The major difference is that the transcript has the voiceovers and the Director’s Cut does not. I am assuming the voiceovers in the transcript are correct.

Note: It has come to my attention that some people on this forum when they wish to write a comment to one of my topics seem to like to write in a stream-of-consciousness manner. What we have here is one long paragraph that makes little or no sense. At the very least please break-up the long paragraph into smaller paragraphs. As for the sense part, you are on your own!!!!!!!!!

The reason that I am going to the trouble to write down the words dealing with Gaff is because I believe it is always good to know what one is talking about. We cannot understand Gaff if we do not know what words that are spoken by/about/to Gaff.

Here is my take on Gaff:

Ridley Scott uses Gaff to enlighten (thus, where they get the “gaff” name) us about the Deckard human/replicant thread and the Deckard/Rachael relationship thread. Scott wants us to understand that if we listen to Gaff and we are not stupid (Scott has said as much in his commentaries) we have to come to the conclusion that Deckard is a replicant.

Scott does not make it easy for us. When Deckard finds the unicorn origami figure made by Gaff we can only conclude that Gaff was at Deckard’s apartment and Gaff has let Rachael live. Deckard’s voiceover says as much. Now Scott, in one of his commentaries, says that the reason why Deckard smiles after finding the unicorn figure is because Deckard knows that Gaff knows his (Deckard’s) thoughts. Deckard smiles because Gaff’s unicorn has given Deckard the proof that he needs to have to confirm the fact that he (Deckard) is a replicant. Of course, this would only make “sense” if you saw the Director’s Cut with Deckard’s unicorn dream in it. The Theatrical Cut did not have the unicorn dream in it.

In my opinion, even if one knows about the unicorn dream, it is next to impossible to know that the unicorn dream/unicorn figure means that Deckard is a replicant. If one takes the dream by itself it is just plain weird. Scott took it out in The Theatrical Cut because it was not working (i.e. it was too arty-farty). With the dream cut out, one can only conclude that the unicorn origami figure means that Gaff was at Deckard’s apartment and has let Rachael live (and that is all one can know for sure).

I do not think it is unreasonable to think Deckard has told Gaff about his unicorn dream and this is why Gaff has used a unicorn figure. We do not see Deckard telling Gaff about the unicorn in the movie. This can be explained by the fact that the scene for whatever reason was cut out. I think on the surface this makes more sense than for Scott to tell us that the unicorn dream/figure makes it as plain-as-the-nose-on-your-face that Deckard is a replicant.

For the record, I believe that Deckard is a replicant. I believe this because of the replicant’s glow in Deckard’s eyes and the J.F. Sebastian’s stuff unicorn/Deckard’s unicorn dream/Gaff’s unicorn/ Rachael-unicorn thread (contrive as it is). Because the narrative of the movie is so haphazard we are not able piece together the clues that would lead us to believe that Deckard is a replicant!!!!!!

The following are words spoken to/about/by Gaff:

Note: “--------“means change of scene.

Gaff: [Fr-Hung-Ger: “Sir, you will please come with me now.”

Deckard: Got the wrong guy, pal.

Gaff: [Hung: “Ah, don’t shit me, man, you’re the Blade…Blade Runner!”]

Deckard: Tell him I’m eating.

Gaff: [Japanese: It’s Captain Bryant wants to see you, y’know!”

Deckard: Bryant, huh?

Deckard: (voiceover) The charmer’s name was Gaff. I’d seen him around. Bryant must have upped him to the Blade Runner unit. That gibberish he talked was city-speak, guttertalk, a mishmash of Japanese, Spanish, German, what have you. I didn’t really need a translator. I knew the lingo, every good cop did. But I wasn’t going to make it easier for him.
----------
Deckard: (voiceover) I’d quit because I’d had a belly full of killing. But then I’d rather be a killer than a victim. And that’s exactly what Bryant’s threat about little people meant. So I hooked in once more, thinking that if I couldn’t take it, I’d split later. I didn’t have to worry about Gaff. He was brownnosing for a promotion, so he didn’t want me back anyway.
---------
[Deckard and Gaff inspect the apartment. Deckard finds a scale in the bathtub and some family photos. Gaff watches quietly, folding an origami statue of a man with an erection.]
----------
Gaff: Bryant.

Bryant: Christ, Deckard, you look almost as bad as that skin job you left on the sidewalk.

Deckard: I’m going home.

Bryant: You could learn from this guy, Gaff. He’s a god damn one man slaughter house. That’s what he is. Four more to go. Come on, Gaff, let’s go.

Deckard: Three. There’s three to go.

Bryant: There’s four. That--That skin job that you V-K’ed at the Tyrell Corporation, Rachael. Disappeared. Vanished. Didn’t even know she was a replicant. Something to do with a brain implant says Tyrell. Come on Gaff. Drink some for me, pal.
---------
Gaff: You’ve done a man’s job, sir. I guess you’re through, huh?

Deckard: Finished.

Gaff: It’s too bad she won’t live. But then again, who does?

Deckard: Rachael? Rachael? Rachael?
--------
[Deckard picks up paper unicorn.]

Gaff’s voice: It’s too bad she won’t live. But then again, who does?

Deckard: (voiceover) Gaff had been there, and let her live. Four years, he figured. He was wrong. Tyrell had told me Rachael was special: no termination date. I didn’t know how long we had together. Who does?

There was another version (was it the work print?) where Gaff says at the end "You've done a man's job sir! But are you sure you are a man? It's hard to be sure who's who around here."

There was another version (was it the work print?) where Gaff says at the end "You've done a man's job sir! But are you sure you are a man? It's hard to be sure who's who around here."

That's from the deleted scenes.

PART 1: little dreamers, department issues ,and other brain matter..


Don't we notice that if deck was a replic. ,it's obvious he didn't acknowledge it like Roy,L.,P.,and Z. I think it's possible, but for what purpose,and yeah, I've heard answers, but some just seem more imaginary in wanting him to be one. One of the original writers said something like how he didn't like the idea, and Joanna Cassidy that plays Z. said it's better if that mystery remains . ...Consider the dream a foreshadowing vision of Deckard's & Rachael's freedom ,and when Gaff left the little unicorn it was like him saying ,I'm going to let you go ,I know you care about this one . (Do notice ,that each figure that's created by Gaff, is a symbol of what's observed. The unicorn, rare, and quite unique, like Deck's and Rach's relationship.) He is very observant,but may not know that Deckard had a dream ,and yes, I like the idea myself but not to a conclusion. I would assume that Deckard took Rachael to a safe place where no one can find them. One aspect I believe is...Deck & Rach may actually be in love,or made for each other, so to speak,and that my friends can be stranger than fiction,rare like the one of a kind unicorn being manifested through Gaff's finger tips.


Gaff's character, can serve as a driver,do some detective work,and maybe watch over a new employee, when they're hired, because if he's not faking an injury, he's not much of a match for any kind of replicant, unless they're standing still for target practice. Him and bryant probably have a special history that's not spoke about for bryant to keep him on. A man with a disability needs help and brs probably get a pretty good pay, all considering.


Of course it would make sense if Gaff was injured while apprehending or retiring a certain replicant. Remember in the intern. version ,bryant's briefing (spoke) of 6 escapees alright?,and(showed) only 4. One of the 2 you (don't see) on the screen got fried running through an electrical field. Gaff probably caught up with the other one ,before or after the break in at tyrell's. ,somewhat like Deck caught up with Z.,detect work. Following Gaff's injury ,he suffered while taking down this particular replicant ,Holden is then handed the assignment ,and fails when leon tells him about his mother. Remember when Deck said, "give it to Holden ,he's good",because he didn't know that Holden was in worse shape. Bryant's precinct needed a temporary stand in , (" this is a bad one , the worst yet" -Bryant), so he calls deck back in.
I know squeezing Gaff's--injury in--between the break in 3 nights ago & Holden getting on board is risky, as it would be if it occured between the escape 2 weeks ago & the break in at Tyrell's. -You can note that Bryant may have only laid out the necessities to Deckard in the "briefing" room.


Blade runners may get good pay, (look at deck's apartment),but not many are hired. Although small in number, they're a "special"ized task force within the police department.(reminds me of a movie"The Seven-Ups",with Roy Scheider,r.i.p.). (look up squad in the weber.dictionary) Bryant said--No one's gonna find out they're down here, because you're gonna find um and air um out! Oh yea, it can be a dirty and very dangerous business! I would think that Gaff was upped to the blade runner unit before his injury,a recent injury, like I ,and the movie suggest, but If Gaff's appearance is a part of his cover, he is one smooth operator ,low rider # 1.

Remember bryant said-"Deckard,you look almost as bad as that skinjob you left on the sidewalk", It's almost like he said -you don't look as bad as that other replicant. Did Bryant just tell us that Deck's a replic.? sounds cool, but I doubt it. Could Deckard be the one, Gaff took down ?,and was repaired and reprogrammed to hunt down his replic. buddies ? ,Personally, I'm not sure ,sounds creative though.

Check out my malfuntion/transformation theory, under the subject ,questions and answers for replicants & men. -look by, should've been?.. a couple of views for yous ,and see what you think ,you. Scroll down , you can't miss it,a cassarole of words.

I think it's clear that this movie has become even bigger than ridley scott's intentions for it, because it works different ways for different people,it just does. Let's not forget phillip k. dick's book, "do androids dream of electric sheep?", that was before the movie!

PART 2: Gaff shows heart, an interpretation of mine...


Gaff- "You've done a man's job sir,I guess you're through ,huh?"
(you can rest now, and have a better retirement)
Deck-"finished!"
(Roy was the last of the 4, and Deckard is going to protect Rachael, even though Bryant ordered Deck to eliminate her ,after deck popped Zhora.)

Look ,there seems to be an expression of relief on Deckards face, after Gaff tosses him his gun. Deck might have sensed his understanding ,that Deckard wasn't going after Rachael. We sort of discover later that Gaff had been by the apartment,and let Rachael live, a fugitive replicant,that Deckard was harboring.

Sometimes policemen protect the interrest of their fellow officers, and that I think, is good in this situation.

[Kipple]

protectadeck wrote: "...there seems to be an expression of relief on Deckards face, after Gaff tosses him his gun."

I disagree. To me it doesn't look to be an expression of relief, but of surprise.

After Deckard says "Finished", there is definitely a sign of relief. However, after Gaff tosses him his blaster, the elements of surprise lights up his face, i.e. Slightly dropped jaw showing the lips and teeth are parted, with no tension around the mouth, Eyebrows slightly raise, and the look in his eyes.

But, we must keep in mind that the shots in this scene may not have been filmed in sequence. We can only judge by the way it is presented. Thus, perhaps it was the intent of the script writer(s) to have Deckard show a sign of overall relief. However, the sequence of shots in this scene display otherwise. The screenplay in "The Illustrated Blade Runner" book does not indicate any emotion at that point in scene, except for "Gaff smiles".

This all, of course, is just my take on this particular element of the film. It seems to me that, after Gaff tosses the blaster to Deckard, it signifies something. Much open to speculation. Had Gaff and Deckard had relations before Deckard's retirement? Was this a sign of a challenge? Was this a message to let Deckard know that Gaff had been watching his every move? Maybe Gaff was letting him know he was being monitored, but is in agreement that Deckard is now "finished" and that Deckard will need this gun for protection whilst on the run? Who knows.

i forget the name of the director in the extras disc (Shawshank Redemption). but while i have my own thoughts on the matter, i do like interesting alternative views. he said he felt that Deck was not a rep and that the unicorn scene was Gaff affirming one of Rachel's memories (something akin to the unicorn being a feminine memory) that both he and Deck were aware of. not sure how much water that holds but it was an interesting point to ponder.

Part 2-- discussion continued, Kipple included......

protectadeck wrote: "...there seems to be an expression of relief on Deckards face, after Gaff tosses him his gun."

I disagree. To me it doesn't look to be an expression of relief, but of surprise.

After Deckard says "Finished", there is definitely a sign of relief. However, after Gaff tosses him his blaster, the elements of surprise lights up his face, i.e. Slightly dropped jaw showing the lips and teeth are parted, with no tension around the mouth, Eyebrows slightly raise, and the look in his eyes.

But, we must keep in mind that the shots in this scene may not have been filmed in sequence. We can only judge by the way it is presented. Thus, perhaps it was the intent of the script writer(s) to have Deckard show a sign of overall relief. However, the sequence of shots in this scene display otherwise. The screenplay in "The Illustrated Blade Runner" book does not indicate any emotion at that point in scene, except for "Gaff smiles".

This all, of course, is just my take on this particular element of the film. It seems to me that, after Gaff tosses the blaster to Deckard, it signifies something. Much open to speculation. Had Gaff and Deckard had relations before Deckard's retirement? Was this a sign of a challenge? Was this a message to let Deckard know that Gaff had been watching his every move? Maybe Gaff was letting him know he was being monitored, but is in agreement that Deckard is now "finished" and that Deckard will need this gun for protection whilst on the run? Who knows.

{{{needing his gun for protection...I reckon that works to.}}} .........................



Surprise ?I think I agree,:idea: ,a surprise connection (a bridge if you will) to Gaff's understanding, and that would be a relief. Like you said to me, it signifies something.....definitly something!
"correctamundO!"- Jules, in pulp fiction
Those 2 seem to have a connection there on the roof, that is vital to some answer . I think that Gaff ,before he goes, had an unusual look of concern for Deck. He had possibly just left the unicorn outside the apartment and rachael alive, a fugitive replic., that was ordered by Bryant to be eliminated. Gaff has more heart than we are lead to believe . I don't believe he gave them a running start ,so he can hunt them down . This is a view I submit to you all about how I see it ,but the challenge theory is interesting .


After Deckard says,"finished",Gaff tossing over the weapon is like a friendly gesture of communication that says ,"go ahead man, I understand". Mr. Mysterious is to cool ,so to speak, to {show} us much more. Listen to the piece, as it lands & slides over the floor to Deckard, and by the expression on his face, a surprising connection?,to Gaff's unusual concern. In this moment ,they're on the same page more than anytime in the movie, I feel, and maybe a little more when Gaff's voice echoes to Deckard , while standing there peering at the silvery treasure, dancing on his fingers,..affirming once more that Gaff knows they're (D.&R.) together now. Don't worry ,their secret will be safe with Gaff, and all of us watching the monitor.




also........ Deckard says in(the voice over), he had "seen him around".
Sounds like they just passed each other by once in a while.
I doubt if they were friends or partners before Deckard retired .
I admit though,without the voice over, this movie can be better sometime and more free to go other places.