Bladerunner Post

Bladerunner provided multiple examples for diverse meaning in the contemporary world. The replicants and humans exemplified opposing states of life and class. Repliacnts were shown as the lowest in social class and were oppressed, hunted down and killed; similar to the vagabonds and the proletarian class discussed earlier this semester. The replicants were to serve the humans, as shown by Rachel working for Tyrell, or if they acted out they were killed, as shown by Roy, Pris, Leon, etc. Ordinary humans lived in a chaotic order. Scenery showed chaos, crime, and unsanitary cities. Humans were shown stealing, but not killed or hunted like repliacnts. On the opposite spectrum, police were above everyone else and held the most political power. The police cars were the only car shown to fly. It also displayed the word “Purge” as it took off from the ground, which could mean purging away or getting away from the rest of society. These social class issues parallel Haraway’s issues with Western culture, where one party dominates over the other. Haraway argues that the cyborg culture challenges the dualisms created by Western culture. Similarly, replicants pose a challenge to humans and police and are killed because of it.

Eyes are constantly brought up throughout the film. In the beginning of the movie, the industrialized city scattered with lights and flames are reflected off an eye, enforcing how chaotic the world has become. Eyes are again brought up through the Voight-Kampff test to determine if the person is a replicant or a human. The machine analyzes the eye as a series of questions are asked. The eyes are shown to truly be the “windows to the soul” in this test. Eyes also illustrate life in the movie. Roy mentions all his experiences he has lived through and seen twice in the movie. The first time is when he is talking to the eye manufacturer and comments “If only you could see what I’ve seen with your eyes.” The second is during Roy’s final speech “I had seen and done things I wouldn’t have believed.” Roy enforces the idea that his experiences make him something more than robotic and that he deserves to live. Eyes are shoved in to these shots to further enforce that the replicants are similar to humans.