I'm gobsmacked. The complexity of Blade Runner, the themes and questions it raises, and the society it depicts in regards to humanity, technology, ecology and morality is studied by academics of film, literature and science.
I'm amazed that you say that you had no idea what leads Dekkard in his investigation, I found it very clear and straight forward even on my first viewing. It is extremely linear Maybe the pacing lulled you at key moments and you missed a few things. I do agree the pacing is slow but I don't find that detrimental as almost every shot is enriching your understanding of the world the story inhabits. I'm not talking about the visual style per se but what it is showing you; people, places, actions, reactions, purpose. Ridley Scott is more deft than most at showing something small or seemingly cursory that speaks volumes if you give yourself a moment to extrapolate. The divisive Prometheus is very much the same.
The plot is very straight forward and very much a trope of the noir genre. What Blade Runner delivers goes far beyond story, it posits questions that are as relevant today as they were when they were asked in 1982. What is it to be human being a primary and it throws enough around that it is still a touchstone of the subject. The points it raises on technology are becoming more important with each year that goes by.
Blade Runner fully inhabits its genre, in this case neo-noir, and Ford's portrayal of Dekkard absolutely nails the hardboiled detective of the era it harkens back to (1940's - 1950's). I love Fords performance and appreciate the nuances of it. What you call wooden I find to be a study of understated subtlety.
Stylistically Scott created a fully formed living world that is breathtaking, that is without question. Marrying the 1940's aesthetic with a future that was as far away from the time of the films release as the noir era was behind it is so complete both interior and exterior. Dekkards apartment is the stuff of my dreams. I find the cry of style over substance, which was loud upon it's release, to be naïve as the look of the film tells the story of the world from the blimps in the sky to the graffiti on the walls and every square inch in between.
These are some of why the film is so well regarded. It's a film that demands repeated viewings to scratch beyond the surface and take from it everything it has to offer.
In regards to the narration of the original cut it was forced upon by the studio because they figured the audience to dumb to keep up and needed some spoon feeding, so no he didn't want to do it and pretty much phoned it in in an attempt to scuttle the whole idea. The making of Blade Runner is fascinating and has been documented extensively in both book and documentary form. To say it was troubled is an understatement. Though I guess seeing as you disliked it that is probably of no interest.
Beyond the "Directors Cut" is "The Final Cut" (for it's 25th anniversary) and is the only one that Ridley Scott had full control. The term "Directors Cut" was used a little liberally by the Studio in back in 1992 when it came out. The Directors Cut was the first to introduce a scene that clearly indicates that Dekkard is a replicant. Knowing that there were different cuts of the film you have done yourself a disservice not going with the definitive one.
Clearly it's a film I hold dear, and this isn't an attempt to sway you. I just enjoy getting into the headspace of it. That is the power of art; you take from it what resonates with you, positive or negative, and if you feel moved to articulate it it has served its purpose.
Review by DeletedBlockedParent2015-12-29T08:36:27Z
I've been reading a lot of lists including this movie as one of the greatest of all time, and I have no idea why. Visually it is absolutely amazing, Ridley Scott's direction is amazing and it is incredibly stylish. The score is perfect for the movie as well. Harrison Ford's performance was just not good, I have no idea how no one criticizes just how incredibly wooden he was. The entire movie I was expecting him to say "Hey guess what I'm a robot, that's why I've been acting like an exhausted teenager this whole time".
I watched the movie without the director's cut and it included his awful narration. That was a big mistake, Ford sounds like he got called in to the studio on his vacation and just wants to get it over with. Ford isn't the only issue though, the main idea is kind of creative but the execution is just confusing. I have no idea what leads Ford's character from one clue to the next, and his jumps are incredibly convenient. The story itself just seems like a glorified twilight zone episode. It's not a bad movie, but it just seems so basic. ultimately I give it 5/10, If you look at style alone it is a masterpiece, and I can see just how influential it is, but the pacing is far to slow and the plot seems to basic for it to be much more than a stylish bag of tricks with nothing else.