Deckard, violence, and BR themes

The new DVDs are exceptional, of course, but the lenticular thingy is a disappointment for me, partly because I feel it perpetuates the myth of Deckard as a kind of action hero. (He's holding his gun in a pensive position; I wish the still could have been a cityscape or even the first beautiful shot of the eye.)

And it brings to mind a paradox that has long mystified me. The film (and its star and poster) initially set up Deckard as the "best" Blade Runner who works his "magic" by retiring androids...but then beautifully, systematically begin to deconstruct that myth throughout the film, showing Deckard to be completely out of his league, if not inept. It shows how retiring is killing--there's no pretty word for it--and that it's a dirty business with real ethical problems, especially when Deckard begins to recognize the profoundly human traits in the replicants (and even falls in love with one of them). As PKD put it, Deckard is dehumanized by killing them. In the film, this culminates with Batty showing much more empathy than Deckard ever shows throughout the film.

So it seems to me that Deckard is not an action hero at all, and this is both part of what makes the film so interesting and moving and also why audiences/critics rejected it at first, because they expected a two-dimensional protagonist like Han Solo or Indiana Jones for the new, upbeat Reagan era. But BR's dystopian vision of a world overrun by commerce, corporate power, environmental catastrophe, and an incompetent hero gave them something else.

So here's my question. Why does so much BR fandom revolve around images of Deckard as action hero, brandishing his gun, looking cool, calm, and collected? To me the film itself tirelessly, forcefully undercuts this cliche, so why do fans perpetuate it? If BR has an iconic image for me, it's Deckard and Rachael sitting at the piano, looking and listening to beauty, huddled together in the darkness.

Good topic. I think we are so used to the hollywood stereo types that we put those traits into the actors, even if they aren't there. I personally like the fact that Deckard is actually so frail and therefore human (even if he isn't human). I also seem to remember in movies from the 70's some anti heros where the hero(protagonist) just keeps getting lucky and ends up saving the day because of some sort of destiny rather than courage. Come to think of it that may have been from Loony Toons cartoons , and Abbot and Costello.

Why does so much BR fandom revolve around images of Deckard as action hero, brandishing his gun, looking cool, calm, and collected? To me the film itself tirelessly, forcefully undercuts this cliche, so why do fans perpetuate it?

I wonder what gives you this impression?

I don't see it from the fans: not from the regulars on this board, nor amongst the other fans I know.

If Deckard is the subject of a post/discussion, his serious flaws, frailties and vices (human or programmed) seem to come through in most of the images fans post or use for sigs and avatars, etc.

Hell, other than Deckard chasing Zhora & shooting her in the back and a few cuts with his blaster drawn in the Bradbury and his apartment elevator, it's hard to find images of Deckard looking typically "Hollywood Tough" - that's why Hollwood marketing keeps using the same shots over and over again.

I'll admit, some of my favorite shots of Deckard are with his gun, but mostly the shots where he's frightened (such as when he has to finish off Pris or while he's running from Batty).

I don't think fans perpetuate the popular image of Deckard looking tough or ready for action; I think the marketing and media do; it's a Harrison Ford movie - go for the action hero shot.

Sad, but it isn't the fans' issue, IMO.