Blade Runner

Most critics agree that Blade Runner is a Film Noir. The reasoning behind this varies as much from critic to critic, as the definition of Film Noir. You may note in a research paper that many viewers and critics alike believe Deckard is a Replicant. Although there is some support in the movie for this view, it seems more likely that he is not a Replicant, given all the information we have from the film. The idea of Deckard as a Replicant supports the idea of a Film Noir, meaning a doomed hero who saves the world by retiring the four renegade Replicants, but is unable to save himself. Although there are no strict guidelines for Film Noir, there are typically three elements presents in this type of film. Blade Runner clearly qualifies for Film Noir according to these three characteristics. Lighting is one of the most distinctive features of Film Noir. There are highly contrasted areas of light and shade and often, dramatic patterns of light and shade are created by the filtering of light through a blind or a latticed window. Shadows are cast across the characters faces, suggesting a darker side of their personality that is typically hidden from public view. In Blade Runner, there is no sunlight, except for the brief scene in Tyrell's office and the only reason we have any sunlight there is due to the fact that we are at or near the top of a huge skyscraper and there is less smog for the sunlight to filter through. In Tyrell's office, there is one scene in particular when Rachel is bathed in filtered sunlight, covered by the patterns from the blind, where the diffused sunlight trickles in.

Down below, where the rest of the world lives, dark shadows dominate every scene. When we are first introduced to Deckard, he is leaning up against a building, reading a newspaper, alone. The shadows envelop him, making him almost indistinguishable. This is effective in developing his alienation as a disillusioned loner and soon we realize his role as the typical tough guy played by Harrison Ford, who is at odds with himself. This type of alienated hero is the conventional, central male character of Film Noir. Deckard fits the stereotype with or without the addition of his identity as a Replicant. The second feature of the typical Film Noir is its urban content. The settings are often those of cities and depict the lives of low life in areas like bars, nightclubs, motels and back alleyways in the dark. This is evident in Blade Runner since all the streets are dark and appear to be sections of alleys. There is also a scene that takes place in Taffey's Snake Pit Bar where Deckard finds one of the Replicants working as a dancer and a subsequent chase ensues. The last scene of the film is on top of building in the pouring rain, amid the debris, typical of the world of Los Angeles in 2019. To get a comprehensive custom essay on Blade Runner, please sign in with an order.