Charles de Lauzirika wrote:ridleynoir wrote:This fills in a lot of the blanks that usually take multiple viewings to put together in the film.
I think blanks are a good thing. I think multiple viewings are a good thing. Trying to spoon feed the audience is exactly what got Blade Runner into trouble in the first place by way of the voice over. I find the film to be an endlessly fascinating puzzle. To hand over a cheat sheet for solving that puzzle immediately diminishes its greatness, in my opinion. I wonder how short the film's afterlife would have been if it left you with no questions as you were leaving the theater.
I am one of those people that did not really like this movie the first time I saw it. I think it was at a later time that I was watching the movie late at night with no money invested in a ticket or rental that I just sat and absorbed, and got lost in the visuals instead of trying to follow the story, that is when I first got hooked.
In the meantime I have changed my mind about the plot a million times, especially about Deckard's origin. I did like the enigmatic aspect of what I perceived as hidden symbolism and clues. It certainly made come back even more times than I would have otherwise, even given how much I had been in love with the visuals of the film.
My problem in the end is the film tries to tell a simple story that hints at a much larger story, much in the way parts of our lives can tell a little bit about the much bigger story of the rest of the world, but the simple story itself seems incomplete. Deckard's character is a great one, and regardless if he is a replicant or a man that behaves like one, I think we need a little bit more about him to even care about him.
Ironically I think I cared less and less about him as I watched the movie more and more. Early on I could relate to his pain and feeling like a pawn in other peoples world. As I was in my 20's this was in perfect pitch to how I felt. Still I always felt something else was missing.
I noticed this the most when I would watch the movie with others and they would ask "Why Why Why?" about his character especially, as well as "what exactly were the replicants?". I often would feel their disappointment with the film at that time.
In the end I filled in those blanks from my own imagination, the novel, and from talking to others about it, instead of with anything from within the movie itself. When I finally saw the second hospital scene it confirmed everything I had been thinking. It would have been a great mid-film payoff that rewarded those that were thinking beyond the surface of what was being shown, and for those that weren't, it would have got them caught up to speed so they weren't still stuck at the beginning of the film trying to figure it out.
Best of all it still would have left a lot of questions about Tyrell and the Replicants, and would not have answered the "Deck a rep" question. Still allowing for 25+ years worth of fan speculation and discussion. It might have even made the film profitable back in 82.
Just my naive take on it anyway
Andy
p.s. cool poem Doc, I liked it.