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Deckard the Replicant... Ummm No

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Post Thu Jan 16, 2003 5:12 am

I don't understand this..... It has been brought to my attention that Deckard is a replicant. Yet the movie doesn't portray this at all. I mean the ocassional saying like Have you tested your self.... <BR> <BR>1. I thought the idea was Rachel is the first to have memory, so she thinks she is real... The others know they are replicants because they don't. Deckard was around before Rachel. <BR>2. I thought Deckard was retired from being a blade runner, hence his rehiring to get these last 4. This would symbolize a lot longer life span then 4 years. <BR>3. Doesn't Deckard look at some old photos to symbolize his loss of a wife or child or family member? <BR>4. If Deckard has memories of the past, and he's a replicant, then why is he not as strong as the others? The only evidence of strength is his climbing with 2 broken fingers. This was done in some Van damn/ Arnold movie I swear. <BR> <BR>- So how is one suppose to figure out that Deckard is a Replicant?
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Post Thu Jan 16, 2003 6:12 am

<!-- BBCode Quote Start --><TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font size=-1>Quote:</font><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT SIZE=-1><BLOCKQUOTE><!-- BBCode Start --><I>Originally posted by Jone1614</I><!-- BBCode End --> <BR><!-- BBCode Start --><B>So how is one suppose to figure out that Deckard is a Replicant? </B><!-- BBCode End --></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE><!-- BBCode Quote End --> <BR> <BR>"Because Ridley says so!" they'll cry. <BR> <BR>There are a number of clues throughout the film, the glowing eyes and things like Gaff saying "You've done a man's job sir!" and the unicorn origami.. <BR>But I veer on the side of him being human. He is an immensely human and flawed character, which adds greatly to the ordeal he puts himself through in order to 'defeat' the replicants. When Leon is knocking the hell out of him you feel his pain, you empathise with him at all stages throughout the movie, his human frailities there for all to see. His emotions, his empathy, his feelings for Rachel and the look of wonder on his face at Batty's death. Harrison Ford and Philip K. Dick both state categorically that he is human..I always felt the 6th replicant idea (an early omission from the film) was a cop-out, and I feel that anyone can make the argument for him being a replicant but that's not what I see when I view the movie, which is the main thing.
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Post Thu Jan 16, 2003 6:38 am

I also veer on the side of him being human. Like I stated another time that it would be more ironic that the caracter that seemed the most "cold" was in fact human. Raising the question in the movie and in yourself that the criteria that we use to define ourselves as human can be passed and even surpassed by those that we know are not human. The truly important things in the movie are that we believe he is human for the first part of the movie and then question his (and maybe our) humanity at the end. It is almost better that the question isn't officially answered because then we stop asking the question and I believe it constantly needs to be asked in our selves especially. "Are we human?" Along with the questions "Do we fulfill that criteria that we've established? Should we change the criteria to include only us, or to include others? Does being human make us better? Do we dehuminize those we wish killed(enemys,serial killers,terrorists) to relieve us of guilt? If we create life can we own it and make it our slave?"(many parents might say yes here:)) As well as many questions on the existance of a soul and whold have one and who wouldn't.
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Deckard BR26354

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Post Fri Jan 17, 2003 1:36 am

Just for balance, I prefer to think that he is a Replicant. <BR> <BR>I've justified my viewpoint so many times on this forum that I've decided that I'm not going to do it again. <BR> <BR>So, this is what I'm going to suggest. If you feel strongly that Deckard is a Human or if you feel strongly that he is a Replicant then write a short piece explaining your reasons and email it to me at Bladezone. <BR> <BR>I'm going to create a 'gallery' of all submitted views for other fans to read. <BR> <BR>What do you think? Any takers?
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Post Sun Jan 19, 2003 1:41 am

As my old motto goes: If in doubt, quote from the FAQ. <BR> <BR>So, here goes. <BR> <BR>The "FOR" case <BR>-------------- <BR> <BR>- Ridley Scott and Harrison Ford have stated that Deckard was meant to be a replicant. In Details magazine (US)October 1992 Ford says: <BR> <BR>"Blade Runner was not one of my favorite films. I tangled with Ridley. The biggest problem was that at the end, he wanted the audience to find out that Deckard was a replicant. I fought that because I felt the audience needed somebody to cheer for." <BR> <BR>- The shooting script had a voice-over where Deckard says, "I knew it on the roof that night. We were brothers, Roy Batty and I!" <BR> <BR>- Gaff knew that Deckard dreamt of a unicorn, therefore Gaff knew what dreams that Deckard had been implanted with. (BRDC only) <BR> <BR>- Replicants have a penchant for photographs, because it gives them a tie to their non-existent past. Deckard's flat is packed with photos, and none of them are recent or in color. Despite her memories, Rachael needed a photo <BR> as an emotional cushion. Likewise, Deckard would need photos, despite his <BR> memory implants. Rachael plays the piano, and Deckard has a piano in his <BR> flat. <BR> <BR>- Gaff tells him "You've done a man's job, sir!". Early drafts of the script <BR> have him then add: "But are you sure you are man? It's hard to be sure <BR> who's who around here." <BR> <BR>- Only a replicant could survive the beatings that Deckard takes, and then <BR> struggle up the side of a building with two dislocated fingers. <BR> <BR>- Bryant's threat "If you're not a cop, you're little people" might be <BR> an allusion to Deckard being created solely for police work. <BR> <BR>- Deckard's eyes glow (yellow-orange) when he tells Rachael that he wouldn't <BR> go after her, "but someone would". Deckard is standing behind Rachael, <BR> and he's out of focus. <BR> <BR>- Roy knew Deckard's name, yet he was never told it. Some speculate that <BR> Deckard might have been part of Roy's off-world rebellion, but was captured <BR> by the police and used to hunt down the others. In tht case, Bryant is <BR> including Deckard among the five escaped replicants. <BR> <BR>- The police would not risk a human to hunt four powerful replicants, <BR> particularly since replicants were designed for such dangerous work. Of <BR> course Deckard would have to think he was human or he might not be willing <BR> to hunt down other replicants. <BR> <BR>- Gaff seems to follow Deckard everywhere -- he is at the scene of all the <BR> Replicant retirings almost immediately. Gaff is always with Deckard when <BR> the chief is around. This suggests that Gaff is the real BR, and that <BR> Deckard is only a tool Gaff uses for the dirty work. <BR> <BR> <BR>The "AGAINST" case <BR>------------------ <BR> <BR>- A major point of the film was to show Deckard (The Common Man) the <BR> value of life. "What's it like to live in fear?" If all the main <BR> characters are replicants, the contrast between humans and replicants is <BR> lost. <BR> <BR>- Rachael had an implanted unicorn dream and Deckard's reverie in BRDC was a <BR> result of having seen her implants. Gaff may have seen Rachael's implants <BR> at the same time Deckard did, perhaps while they were at Tyrell's. <BR> <BR>- Could you trust a replicant to kill other replicants? Why did the police <BR> trust Deckard? <BR> <BR>- Having Deckard as a replicant implies a conspiracy between the police and <BR> Tyrell. <BR> <BR>- Replicants were outlawed on Earth and it seems unlikely that a replicant <BR> would have an ex-wife. <BR> <BR>- If Deckard was a replicant designed to be a Blade Runner, why would they <BR> give him bad memories of the police force? Wouldn't it be more effective <BR> if he were loyal and happy about his work? <BR> <BR>- Deckard was not a replicant in DADoES, although he has another Blade Runner <BR> test him at one point just to be sure. <BR>
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Post Tue Jan 21, 2003 10:47 am

This is one of those topics thats gonna go forever. <BR>I think that in 2019 anything can be faked - photos, feelings and your own memories. <BR>All implanted. Deckard could be tweaked to behave the way he does by all the external stimulants and his own sense of existence. <BR>It may be a fine line to tread to go out and murder people and then question your own senses and perception of your own reality. <BR> <BR>Like Batty says "do you know whats it like to live like a slave". <BR> <BR>If Tryell had created Reps with less IQ their problems may of been solved. A real lack of vision on their behalf. <IMG SRC="/forum/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif"> <BR> <BR>Ding Ding time for the next round <IMG SRC="/forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif"> <BR>
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Post Wed Jan 22, 2003 12:52 pm

<!-- BBCode Quote Start --><TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font size=-1>Quote:</font><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT SIZE=-1><BLOCKQUOTE> - Deckard's eyes glow (yellow-orange) when he tells Rachael that he wouldn't <BR>go after her, "but someone would". Deckard is standing behind Rachael, <BR>and he's out of focus. <BR></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE><!-- BBCode Quote End --> <BR> <BR>That's what cameras are supposed to do when their out of focus, camera techniques can't be used as evidence. <BR> <BR>Tomtrek you missed a bit of AGAINST evidence, Batty says "YOU people", he wouldn't say that to a replicant, which also disregards your FOR evidence of Batty knowing his name, it's quite easy to find out someones name you know. If someone can explain to me why a replicant would say to another replicant "YOU people" not "us" i will shut up.
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Post Wed Jan 22, 2003 6:37 pm

I am a first time viewer of the movie and I believed that he was in fact, a replicant. I thought that there were several hints throughout the movie, but when I first started to suspect it was when Rachel was looking at the pictures of his family. It looked as if her face was filled with criticism while viewing the pictures.
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Post Thu Jan 23, 2003 7:45 am

I am also a 1st time viewer of Bladerunner and I believe that Deckart was a replicant. It was shown throughout the movie in a subtle ways such as Deckard being asked if he ever had the replicant test. He also had pictures of a lady on the piano in which I didn't know who it was, maybe his mother? but anyways he didn't really say anything implying that he has or had a family or anysort.
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Post Sat Jan 25, 2003 8:54 am

lol, all the dek-a-rep theorists can't get past my 1 simple piece of evidence that shatters all their evidence <IMG SRC="/forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif"> LIFE IS GOOD! <IMG SRC="/forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif">
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Post Thu Jan 30, 2003 2:44 am

As a first time viewer of the film, I would never suggest that Deckard is a replicant. He is the hero and embodies things that the replicants are not, and strive to be. I never picked up on the subtle clues that he was a replicant. I don't think anyone casually viewing would pick that up either.
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Post Thu Jan 30, 2003 3:23 am

Deckard is a hero, Reps are villains... <BR> <BR>Point of view.
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SpookyBoy

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Post Fri Jan 31, 2003 7:00 pm

Bottom Line - you guys believe what you want to believe! <BR>Some people make up their mind and thats that. <BR>I don't think there is a right or wrong answer.
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Post Sat Feb 01, 2003 1:08 am

Yes. When I first started to use the WWW and post in forums, I had the idea that the _true_ interpretation on the film was considering Deckard human, and that those who thought else, were wrong, and that I should _help_ them understand. <BR> <BR>After some time, I realized it was a lost cause, for it was no other reason that considering my own opinion as more valid than the opinion of other people. Now I find senseless to try to convince people or dismiss their opinions with this or that argument: people believe what they want, and everyone is entitled to a opinion. As a strong example, think of God as a subject of controversy, the history of that belief and the actual picture of the situation... I won't elaborate on this, for obvious reasons. <BR> <BR>If Ridley said something before, and after said something different, so what? Maybe he himself changed his opinion on this as years had passed... Who knows what he thought when he was doing the film? If _now_ he says that he thought this or that in 1981, ?can we trust in his memories? Can _he_ trust in them? <IMG SRC="/forum/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif"> It is not impossible that he changes his mind again in the future. <BR> <BR>So, let it be. With every time that you watch Blade Runner, you discover new things, have ideas you dind't thought about before, and your believe in Deck-a-rep becomes stronger or the other way. It's your own experience with the film what counts. <BR> <BR>Nonetheless, I enjoy reading this kind of thread, tough I don't post in them as much as I did. <BR> <BR>So, have your opinion, let the others have theirs, enjoy this fandom and... <BR> <BR><!-- BBCode Start --><B>Revel In Your Time</B><!-- BBCode End -->
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Post Fri Jul 11, 2003 1:48 pm


That's what cameras are supposed to do when their out of focus, camera techniques can't be used as evidence.



Tomtrek you missed a bit of AGAINST evidence, Batty says "YOU people", he wouldn't say that to a replicant, which also disregards your FOR evidence of Batty knowing his name, it's quite easy to find out someones name you know. If someone can explain to me why a replicant would say to another replicant "YOU people" not "us" i will shut up.


1.

Uhmm, I would love to know were you heard that. That not only sounds like total bs but... it is :roll: , if its so normal how come it dosen't occur in more movies, putting other characters out of focus during a monolouge is very common and the only time I have noticed the glared eye effect is in B movies(where they can't avoid it) and BR where it was supposed to happen.
(I know the budget for this film might not have been that big but come on! If it were a mistake made by the camera it would have been easy for a big budget director to simply edit out)

2.

Roy knows that Deckard's memory was altered so he would chase them down,(If he didn't, then why would he spare Decks life?) what would be the point in refereing to him as if he were the same person? I think that's why he didn't kill Deckard (He saved his life instead) He knew the actual Deckard. He also knew that he (Deckard) would probably never learn the truth about his real past.

I think it's funny that people who think he is a human only have one "fact" that proves them right were people who say he is a rep have a couple pages worth :wink:
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