The Unicorn Dream

We had quite a year in 2019.

There were flying cars and colonies on other planets. Our cities were sprawling, overcrowded places dominated by monstrous buildings that put the pyramids to shame.

And did I mention the replicants?

This was 2019 was supposed to look like back in 1982, when Ridley Scott made the science fiction epic Blade Runner with Harrison Ford and Rutger Hauer.

I saw the movie in a theater all those years ago, and I recall being stunned at the film’s opening shot of Los Angeles of November 2019, with airborne autos zipping through the smog and massive towers igniting the sky with sheets of flame.

At the time I considered myself a sophisticated film lover who would never be bowled over by mere special effects. But Blade Runner rocked my world as I sat there gaping in disbelief at this incredible scene.

I’ve been suffering through most of Easter Week with a hideous cold—we’ve rescheduled our holiday dinner until next Saturday—so I decided to drown my misery in some heavy movie viewing.

Blade Runner is scheduled to vacate Netflix on April 30, so it seemed like a good time to reacquaint myself with this iconic flick and I can say that I made the right call on this one.

The movie is stunning, and other than that date, it holds up remarkably well.

The version I saw this time around is billed as The Final Cut, one of at least seven different variants of the film, which includes the US theatrical cut, the international cut, and the workprint.

The different prints were mostly due to creative differences between Scott and Warner Brothers during its production and release. In fact, the final scene was shot hours before the producers were due to take creative control away from Scott.

The story centers on Deckard (Ford) who is tasked with tracking down and “retiring” four murderous replicants, or bioengineered humanoids, who have come to earth under the leadership of Hauer’s character, Roy Batty.

Sean Young plays Rachael, an advanced replicant who believes she is human, until Deckard informs her that all her memories are not hers at all, but rather those of her creator’s niece which had been implanted in Rachael’s mind.

Tears in the Rain

The film is based on Philip K. Dick’s novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" and upon seeing Hauer, the author described him as “the perfect Batty-cold, Aryan, flawless.”

As for Ford, Dick said that "he has been more Deckard than I had imagined. It has been incredible. Deckard exists!”

Many books have been written about Blade Runner, and one entitled Future Noir perfectly describes the film’s look. Scott has mentioned that the film's set design and mood were heavily influenced by Edward Hopper's painting “Nighthawks.”

People are still smoking anywhere they want is this time period, and they read newspapers--or at least use them as protection in this rain-soaked megalopolis. And we still have payphones, only they come with video screens.

There are so many tremendous scenes in Blade Runner, including the climax at the famed Bradbury Building in downtown L.A., which has been the site of countless films, TV shows and music videos.

And there is also Roy Batty’s “tears in the rain” monologue that he recites as his life comes to end.

“I've seen things you people wouldn't believe,” he says. “Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die.”

Hauser said that he had whittled down the original version of the speech and after filming the scene, members of the crew supposedly applauded and cried.

The final edition of the film eliminates the irritating voiceover narration from earlier versions and replaces the upbeat ending for something a bit darker.

This cut also includes the so-called “Unicorn Dream”—a vision that Deckard has at one point in the firm, which observers say proves that the notorious replicant hunter is a replicant himself.

Deckard’s humanity is the subject of much debate, with Ford declaring that his character is definitely flesh and blood, while Scott said you’re a moron if you think Deckard is anything other than an android.

I lean toward Scott's point of view, but I'm not going to insult people who feel otherwise.

Blade Runner, which was released two weeks after E.T., the Extra-Terrestrial, was a box office disappointment, grossing around $41 million worldwide against a $30 million budget.

Perhaps the film is a little slow at times, but it aims higher than most science fiction movies. There are no wookies or cute aliens or cardboard villians.

We don’t have flying cars—yet—but autonomous vehicles are here, robots are becoming a reality and artificial intelligence seems to be threatening every aspect of human endeavor.

How far are we from the grim Blade Runner world?

I don’t know, but looking around today, I feel so many of the things that make us human being are disappearing like tears in the rain.