Blade Runner - Context

PERSONAL CONTEXT OF THE COMPOSER

Ridley Scott

 Born in 1937 in South Shields, England

 Recognised for his individual style and the control he retains over his works. Alien
demonstrated his artistic flair, introducing the striking production design and original
lighting that has become his trademark style. Called ‘layering’, it uses vast amounts of
visual detail to create a convincing world.
 Although a popular culture text, the seriousness of the film’s content reflects Schott’s
belief that film can be used to deal with philosophical and social issues. To this end, Blade
Runner explores the dominant narratives of technology, science and capitalism from the
early 1980’s. It focuses on the ethics and politics of cloning, corporate capitalism and
industrial pollution. There is also a strong concern with what makes people human, and the
future of humanity’s relationship with the environment. The film, then, can be categorized
as an environmentalist, anti-cloning and anti-economic rationalism discourse.

CULTURAL AND IDEOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK

 1980’s
 Post World War II Industrialisation

Political
 Prospect of war between the USA and USSR in a ideological struggle for supremacy
 Nuclear ‘deterrence’ – Reagan’s ‘Star Wars’ program
 Protester’s took increasing action against MAD
Environmental
 Awareness of human destruction of the environment - rise of global warming and
deforestation as key issues makes the environment an international issue
 urbanisation
 threat of nuclear disaster
 Cyberspace – ‘a new conception of the urban no longer synonymous with locale’.
 Increasing scientific knowledge about the interconnection of biospheres
 Industrial production doubled, resulting in a 25% increase in the amount of carbon
dioxide in the air
 Deforestation = doubling of methane in the atmosphere
 Smog, deforestation, acid rain, water pollution and extinction all became issues of
concern
 Increasing population = pressure on non-renewable resources
 Difficulty monitoring the impact of TNC activities on the environment in the developing
world.
 A series of international conferences began to address environmental issues, leading to
an increase in environmental programmes and policies
 Environmental disasters on the increase

Economic
 Late Capitalism – economic restructuring and economic rationalism (Reaganism).
Britain and Australia adopted similar policies.
 Increasing importance of TNC’s as the power base
 The growth of globalisation of economics and culture, driven by rapid technological
advances.
 ‘Cocacolonisation’ – globalisation of consumerism
 Increasing concern about the dominance of the world economy by Asian markets
 Global capitalism – deregulation of the economy and rapid industrial growth
 Removal of the social security system in the United States
 ‘Asian Tigers’ – rise of Asian economies in the global market

Social
 An increasing divide between the rich and the poor, both globally (North and South) and
nationally.
 Questions regarding identity, gender and race were surfacing in popular culture

Cultural
 Frederic Jameson publishes his first essay on postmodernism
 Vietnam War = mainstream protest against the government and fears of a potential
nuclear war
 Pervasiveness of the media – shapes reality
 Fear of ‘Asian Invasion’

Scientific/Technological
 Technology ‘invades’ the private domain with the introduction of the first personal
computer, increasing fears of jobs being lost to machines and technology taking over to the
detriment of humanity
 IVF produced the first test-tube baby, Louise Brown, who was born in 1978
 Advances in biotechnology opened up the possibility of other methods of procreation
 Increasing interest in DNA research. The idea of cloning animals had been around since
the 1950’s, science was not considering the possibility of cloning humans.
 Growing distrust of new reproductive technology – concern that it would lead to the
dehumanization of individuals and society. It is this fear that Philip K. Dick explores in his
novel and the basis for the film.

CONTEXT OF TEXT

Purpose
Hampton Francher, one of the film’s scriptwriters, made the following comments about the
purpose of the film:
…Blade Runner was always meant to be cautionary. For instance, Blade Runner
was shot during the dawn of Reaganism. And I was flabbergasted by Ronald
Regan and everything he stood for. So, the cruel politics portrayed in the film
were my rebuttal of Reaganism, in a sense.

He also said:
At the time I wrote my first Sheep screenplay, I’d become increasingly alarmed
about environmental matters […] Everyday I was thinking, ‘Where are the owls?
Where are the trees? Where is the fresh water?’ So those ecological concerns
became critical to the first draft and, in fact, crucial to that draft’s original ending.

Harrison Ford, when interviewed about the making of the film, highlighted Scott’s
purpose in creating the setting. He explained:
The film shows a very overcrowded future. Three-quarters of the extras on the
streets are Chinese. The audience may simply think a certain part of this film
takes place in the Chinatown district and never question int. In fact, Ridley’s
argument at the time was that the Oriental population, with as much of a
numerical advantage as they already have, would have even more weight of
numbers forty years in the future.

Overall, then, the film foregrounds the composer’s concern for dehumanization and humanity’s
neglect of the environment. This has been a result of the abuse of scientific knowledge and
technology, and the exploitative nature of capitalism. As Huxley stresses in Brave New World,
Scott stresses that mankind has lost sight of what is important in life and has been duped by the
questionable advantages of rampant technology and scientific advances.

Intertextuality
 Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, a novel written by Philip K. Dick in 1968
provides the basis of the narrative for Blade Runner. Philip K. Dick sold the rights to his
novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep in 1974. Director’s such as Martin Scorsese
showed interest, but nothing was done until 1978 when the novel was optioned by Brian
Kelly. An initial draft of a screenplay was completed by Michael Deeley in 1978. Deeley
approached Ridley Scott, who initially declined the project. He reconsidered and joined the
production team in late February 1980.

In the novel, Dick depicts a nightmare wherein humans have destroyed natural life on Earth.
What remains is dehumanizing and dystopian. The issue of dehumanization captured Dick’s
 interest while he was reading the diaries of Nazi officers from a Polish concentration camp.
When the Nazis complained about being unable to sleep because of the cries of starving
children, Dick was struck by their lack of compassion. However, he saw this lack of
compassion as not specifically a German trait, but a trait arising from the condition of war.

 The title is derived from a book by Alan E. Norse called The Bladerunner
 Batty misquotes the poetry of William Blake, drawing on the Modernist tradition which
also underpins Huxley’s novel. Other literary allusions include Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’.
 The futuristic vision achieved in the film draws on many sources, including:
- engravings by Hogarth
- paintings by Vermeer
- photographs of New York’s Lower East Side by Jacob Riis
- Edward Hopper’s urban nightdreams
- The baroque styling of Heavy Metal
 Cyberpunk comic books, particularly Jean Giraud’s Wonders of the Universe.
 ‘The Tower of Babel’ – Brueghel (1563)
 Metropolis, a film by Fritz Lang produced in 1926
 Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818)
Literary Context

 The film draws on aspects of the following genres, giving it a very postmodern
aesthetic:
- Science fiction
- Gothic horror
- Film noir – Parallels may be seen between the film’s opening and the opening of
The Maltese Falcon, a film noir classic.
- The bible – religious imagery
- Postmodern literature – the pastiche of genre and the playful irony that pervades
the film as well as the challenging nature of the text.
 The use of film reflects the importance of this medium in our contemporary context.
The power of film as a tool for enculturation is widely know and this symbiotic relationship
is evident in Blade Runner as it exaggerates many negative aspects of contemporary life in
order to pose a disturbing warning about what future existence might become.

CONTEXT OF PRODUCTION
 Star Wars was released in 1977, leading a revival in science fiction cinema, although it
was a long way from the dystopianism of the 60’s and 70’s. Star Wars quickly became one
of the most popular films in Hollywood history. Lucas was able to ensure the success of the
science fiction genre by offering a futuristic film that was reassuring and familiar in its
narrative conservatism. Budgets for science fiction films were increased accordingly.
However, Michael Deeley still found it difficult to find funding for the Blade Runner
project.

 Pre-production was fraught with controversy and disagreements between the writer
(Francher) and the director (Scott) arose. Scott wanted to elaborate the setting and reduce
the complexities of the narrative. With two months to shooting, anther writer was brought in
to finish the script. The producers, Filmways, withdrew from the project in December 1980
 after original budget estimates blew out. A conglomerate of investors was found, providing
a budget of $28 million for the project.

 Post-production was similarly complicated. As shooting proceeded, it was clear that the
director and crew were not getting along; the producers (Tandem) were becoming
increasingly concerned as it fell behind schedule and went over budget. They were also
upset that the film was morose and dark, and not of the order of Star Wars. Ultimately,
Tandem stepped in to take over production, firing both Scott and Deeley. Poor screenings of
the film resulted in the addition of an explanatory narration and a happy ending.

 The original version of the film was released in 1982. The prescribed text, however, was
released in 1992 and is very different to the version released originally by Warner’s.
 Michael Arick, a sound preservationist found the print in the Todd-AO vaults. He
secured the rights for the Warner’s archives, where it remained until May 1990. The print
was screened to audiences, who showed enthusiasm for the alternative version. Both Scott
and Warner’s were interested in re-releasing the original film as an official ‘director’s cut’,
and although the film was not reworked as it was initially intended, the narration was
scrapped and the original ambiguous ending restored.

CONTEXT OF RECEPTION
 Despite the huge capital outlay ($28 million), the original film was not a great hit with
the public upon its release. It was released in the same year as Stephen Spielberg’s feelgood
science fiction blockbuster, ET. The dark futuristic vision combined with the disconcerting
storyline meant the public found Blade Runner too ‘difficult’ and critics panned it. After low
opening weekend receipts, the film was pulled from cinemas and released on video.
 Circumstances for Blade Runner, however, were fortuitous as this coincided with the
expansion of cable television and home video markets. Warner-Amex screened the film on
its cable network, increasing the audience of the film, and Blade Runner became one of the
most rented videos on the market.
 Its release on laser disc is further evidence of its emerging success.
 In 1983 the film was voted the Third Most Favourite Science Fiction Film of All Time
(behind Star Wars and 2001: A Space Odyssey) at the World Science Fiction Convention.
 An anthology of scholarly writing on the film appeared in 1991, which included essays
on the architecture, gender issues, genre and problems of textual adaptation
 The Director’s Cut was released in September 1992 to mark the tenth anniversary of the
original release. Audiences responded, and the film enjoyed widespread success. The
reviews improved, but the film was already a ‘cult’ film and had received wide critical
acclaim.
 The film is rapidly becoming a cornerstone for writers on postmodern culture.
 The impact of Blade Runner continues to be felt. Comic-book adaptations, a series of
sequels, websites and a documentary on the making of Blade Runner attest to the way this
film has shaped our world. Blade Runner has stimulated the rediscovery of Philip K. Dick,
and his novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? has not been out of print since the film
was released. It sparked the production of other films based on Dick’s work, including Total
Recall and Screamers
 Scott called the text a ‘philosophical film’. Some critics agree with this assessment,
praising its transcendental qualities and its exploration of universal themes such as the
nature of humanity, existence and God. However, others see this claim as intellectually
pretentious, dismissing it as ‘good-looking’ but with the flimsiest of narratives.