Blade+Runner

Analyze this: 1. What is the plot (what does the character want)? Blade Runner is about a man named Rick Deckard, who lives in a dystopian version of L.A.. He is recruited back from retirement by the police to hunt down 4 replicants: robots who appear to be humans. As Rick Deckard hunts down the replicants, he becomes close to a replicant named Rachel. Throughout the film it seems as though Rick Deckard only wants to kill all the replicants. 2. What is the theme (what does the character need)? There are several themes of blade runner, life and death, advancements in technology, futility, and human nature (or what constitutes human nature).

3.Choose a scene that best exemplifies the theme. Identify and explain how 10 elements within the scene (reference mise-en-scene, editing, sound, cinematography, lighting) create meaning in reference to that theme.

Sound- In the last battle, where Deckard and Batty are fighting, a storm is raging on. There is a lot of thunder noises. This represents the chaos that is going on, how everything is indefinite. It adds to the sense of unease in the film, making the viewer nervous, wondering wether or not Deckard will die. Ridley Scott uses the sound to enhance the viewers uneasiness.

Lighting 1- As Batty stands above Deckard, a light radiates behind him. This light makes him seem very powerful. It shows how strong he is, due to the advancements in technology, which is scary because we know it would be incredibly easy for him to kill Deckard. This has thematic connotations, Ridley Scott is trying to show how in this case the Creation is very powerful.

Cinematography 1- In the same shot, the shot is a worms eye view. This adds to the sense of empowerment that Batty has, making him seem even scarier. Actually, Ridley Scott combines cinematography and the lighting technique above. The combination of these two techniques is what makes this scene very powerful.

Lighting - Ridley Scott has a lot of lightning going on, which adds to the suspense of the scene. The storm sounds as well as the lighting reinforce Ridley Scott's themes.

Mis-en-scene- Ridley Scott uses Mis-en-Scene where he Batty puts a nail through his hand. It seems very painful, and there are multiple shots of it. This, combined with the 1st lighting technique mentioned and the cinematography technique, Ridley Scott juxtaposes Jesus with Batty. The worms eye view and the lighting shot are meant to establish that Batty is extremely powerful, almost like a god, and the nail drives home that theme.

Another examle of Mis-en-scene is where Batty bursts through the wall. The rapidity with which he goes through and the sheer randomness serve to surprise the viewer. Not only is it done very fast, it also looks extremely bizzare. This element of mis-en-scene speeds up the pace of the scene and increases the suspense.

Another example of Mis-en-scene is the dove that Batty releases right before he dies. Doves typically symbolize peace, however Ridley Scott's purpose in using the dove is to show how pure the decision that Batty made was. Batty was releasing himself from his life on earth, with no worries, completely willingly. The dove represents the peace that Batty is in.