Is The Original Blade Runner A Great Movie?

[Crichjo]

If a film pushed the boundaries of cinema in ways never seen before, influenced the sci-fi film genre forever after, and is still being widely discussed 35 years later - then yes it' must be a great film.

[direnova]

No mention of the Music? It's one of the most iconic soundtracks in the history of film and is enormously important to the whole atmosphere .

[wolfman]

It's an amazing movie.

I've noticed A LOT of people think it's overrated. And a weird consensus is growing .... I've seen more people call it overrated than legitimately great in recent days. I just think some people can't get immersed in a slow moving film, even though I honestly don't find it slow at all. It's hypnotic.

I think it's a masterpiece. I think it deserves all the praise it gets.

[vincentknight]

Just saw it again before 2049 a couple days this is one of the rare movies that literally gets better each time you watch it. I suspect next time I see it it will be one of my favorites of all time

[riazaamer]

How the fuck is this a question? It's one of the greatest ever made.

[squamish]

What elevates this film to a masterpiece is the character of Roy Batty. He's an antivillain par excellance. The Jesus symbolism at the end - forcing the nail through his hand - I didn't pick up on until later viewings. And saving Deckard after making Deckard feel the fear and pain he lived with - extraordinary.

As someone with a nearly lifelong anxiety disorder, I can confidently say that truer words were never spoken: "Quite an experience to live in fear. That's what it's like to be slave."

[tophers]

I'm one of the people who dislikes the heavy hints that Deckard is a replicant. The message and philosophy on humans and replicants and their existential similarities evaporates - or at least is greatly diminished - if Deckard isn't human. (Check out the recent "What's The Difference" video comparing "Bladerunner" and the original story for a good summary of each take's perspective.) It becomes an android falling in love with another android and robs Deckard of depth and development.

[richardjones]

Just saw the final cut at the cinema today. I have seen different versions several times before but I was totally unprepared for the cinema experience. I sat at the front with the screen filling my entire field of vision and so I got total immersion. It was awesome. A numinous experience. The deep story is about the fall of man if you haven't already worked that out. At one point Roy Batty tells you (the viewer) that you live in fear and are a slave. While I would have disagreed in 1982, now living in the UK I totally agree. I cried several times during the film, which is very unusual for me as it is very hard to get through my hardened defences having experiencing many of life's common troubles. It is a masterpiece and has gone back to being my top rated movie.

[cjwright]

If you feel kinship with Rachael and Deckard and Roy their existential condition, if you're thinking a lot about mortality and being built "as well as we could make you -- but not to last", about confronting your maker about the callousness into bringing you into a dreary, brutish world of servitude, then this movie is nothing short of a miracle. It starts to resonate more as you get into the dog days of November with its constant rain and oppressive darkness. Or just generally, if your life is lacking a certain je ne sais quoi and you feel a heavy burden of existence. Basically, the more your problems start to overlap with the characters problems, the more the vital the central themes become and the more important Blade Runner will be to you. When all these things line up, I don't think there's ever been a more powerful or important movie made. It strikes right at the very heart of human existence, of the problem of being alive, but not knowing for how much longer.

So I would not expect people from sunny LA to get this movie, or people who are relentlessly upbeat and chipper, or people who have never experienced a great pervasive sadness. Just the very tone of all three of our reviewers indicates an immunity to the deeper charms of this movie. But that's alright. You're much better off enjoying your life than intimately knowing the sad, bleak, existential heart of Blade Runner.

[highwind]

No it's not a great movie. It's a masterpiece

[Duggi]

I think people need to see past it as being just a film and see it as a philosophical, political, environmental, and sociological commentary. This was a film ahead of its time, I think that is why so many people like myself, love this film. For me, Blade Runner is a work of pure artistry, with a lot of compelling elements.

[baconsarny-geddon]

I haven't seen 'the final cut' on a big screen, and I might be biased, because I saw the (international) theatrical release first, but I still prefer that original release- Even the original US cut, with a few seconds of the more gorey scenes cut is better that the final cut. True the narration is a bit 'hand-holding', but it adds to the Noir vibe, and Fords voice is perfect (and Scott DIDN'T hate the narration- He was the one who first suggested it, after watching the pre-release cut, which he thought was lacking. Altho he did have criticisms on how the voice-over turned out. Harrison Ford was the one who said he always hated the voice-over idea). And the 'unicorn scene' added in the final cut just seems pretentious, and adds little. If anything, the implication of Deckard possibly being a replicant getting pushed more overtly in the final cut makes THAT the 'hand-holding' version- that implication was always in the 1982 release, anyway.

The only criticism of the original cut I agree with is that, although the dark, rainy, moodiness is beautiful, it is a bit TOO dark, with lots of details getting lost, and ard to make out, which is improved in the final cut.

[Tj-otjp]

the original BR with Harrison Ford narration is without doubt the only Blade Runner you need to watch.

[ImFutureCoppa]

Its a film that changed sci-fi completely after it was released which in my book means this film is a great piece of cinema. It might not be the best movie of all time but in terms of how much influence it has had over the years and even having this conversation now 35 years later there should never be any doubt that this is a great film.

[ZachsMind]

4:50 Shout out to Dallas! Yay! Texas State Fair is going on now. No I've never been to The State Bar and I live here.

[CarSVernon]

I don't get people who aren't punched in the gut by this movie. It's a visceral experience.

[akshaysharma]

Rutger hauer is the one who is undeniably great in the original. I thought both Ford and Young were
ok and their chemistry was fitful at best

[travisspazz]

Saw it in theaters last night and yes it's still great!! It's able to take a simple story and add so much depth with details, themes, and one of a kind world building. You feel bad when the nexus 6s are being killed and empathize with their plight. Fantastic acting, directing, cinematography, production design, music etc. And also is surprisingly quotable!!
The only flaw and Scott himself has said is the love scene had too little dialogue and comes off overly aggressive. In the commentary he says if he could redo any scene it would be that one.

[stephennootens]

I remember when I saw this movie and I loved, but than a few years later I sat down and read the novel it was based on Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep by Philip K Dick. It was the first book from PKD and it blew my mind, it was on a totally different level than the movie. Ever since than when I see this movie I can't help but to think about all the depth that was gutted out of it.

[carl_anderson]

This video title pissed me so much I just had to let everybody know. What a stupid stupid stupid question. Next video would be «is the Mona Lisa a good painting?».