The World of Blade Runner Explained

#bladerunner #scifi #lore

Blade Runner is one of the most influential sci-fi universes of all time. Set in a cyberpunk dystopia, the franchise explores themes like what it means to be human. But what events could have led to the in-universe conditions we see on screen?

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Written, filmed, & edited by OrangeRiver
Assistant script editor: @PhobiaSoft

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--CHAPTERS--
00:00 Intro
01:29 Replicants
08:21 The Blackout and the Wallace Corporation
10:30 Digital Companions
12:33 Off-World Colonies
18:58 Outro

[OrangeRiver]

Something else worth mentioning: the original novel, the videogame, and the RPG all suggest that Earth experienced a nuclear World War III around the late 20th century. This is given as, for instance, one of the major reasons for the abundance of artificial animals (though artificial pets may become more common IRL as "regular" climate change continues to kill our ecosystem)

[nicholasmarshall]

I was 16 when I saw Blade Runner in 1982. I am 57 now and still find the film, and the questions it raised, very compelling.

[matthewjohnson]

What I like about 2049 is it takes the question of the original and expands upon it rather than trying to recreate it. The original deals with the question of "What is a Human?" while 2049 tackles the question "What is Real?", especially in light of a digital age (think Joi, not real, but you feel as if the relationship is and has a real impact, only for you to completely rethink the reality of it near the end when the pink Joi we see all over the advertising asks "are you a good Joe?" and we all realize it's just programming, not actual affection)

[frozynsoel]

Hi Tyler, As I recall in "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?", there is a couple of sentences about a failed attempt to colonise Proxima Centauri and the colonists had to return to earth. It is further stated that there are children born on the return journey and the androids tend to pass themselves as some of those children. Thx

[tiffsaver]

I was working on the set of "Bladerunner" in the street scene where Rachel first appeared in that long gray coat. Everyone just stared at her silently standing there and quietly asked, "Who is THAT???" She was absolutely stunning, so perfect for the role.

[yoabyse]

Cyberpunk is my favourite genre. I will never get enough of it.

[carcasses]

What I love the most about Blade Runner is the subtle world building it does - for example the Voight-Kampff test outside control questions is almost entirely to do with animal suffering, and we're also told in the first film that most of Earth's fauna has mostly died out to be replaced with Replicant animals. This makes actual, biologically natural animals even more precious, and cruelty towards them being cast further into moral abhorrence than what it is now.
Blade Runner is still my favorite film I've ever seen, I couldn't recommend it higher to people who are curious about it

[MrAndyBearJr]

There was one line that always struck me, and made my mind wander to all the distinct possibilities that this movie opened up. When Rutger Hauer's character, Roy was describing his experiences to Deckard, one of them was seeing "attack ships on fire, off the shoulder of Orion." That conjured a visual in my mind that was for me, not cinematically realized until Star Trek Deep Space Nines fleet battles with the Dominion. I look back now in awe, and think how thought provoking Roys soliloquy really was.

[bravotwozero]

I think the primary message is what it means to be human. Not just sentient, but actually human. Empathy plays a huge role in that message and even 3% of humans lack empathy. When Rachel asked Deckard if he’d ever taken that test himself it was to spark the terror of someone suddenly finding out they are not human and trigger the empathy that should be born of that.

[dennislogan]

I love that Blade Runner, Alien, Predator, Total Recall and Soldier all happened in the same Universe.

[Onyx-qdtl]

Joi may have been one of the most tragic and haunting instances of intelligence in the entire movie. Partially due to her existence’s commentary of consciousness, but even simpler than that… The core struggle of the protagonist was to establish himself as a person, central to which was the idea he could love and be loved. Joi was at the center of that, his personal proof it was possible. Until that was brought into question if she was even capable of that. The sight of a Joi (not his, but one much like her) parroting her words of adoration shattered his senses of meaning. It robbed her affection and sacrifice of any of the real depth that, for all we know, she actually COULD have genuinely felt.

[RodCornholio]

One of the few films that have this "intangible believability" that make me wish to be immersed in that world and to explore it. I'm convinced that if there was a _Blade Runner_ part of a Disney/Universal theme park, it would be a hit....as long as you like constant rain and night.

[hubbsllc]

2049 hit me hard when I saw it in the theater. When the credits rolled, I did not move. I couldn't. I was never a BR fanboy although I thought it was a great film. But I felt like I really *experienced* 2049 as it was playing out. What a triumph of filmmaking.

[dswynne]

when I used to write fanfiction, I combined a lot of sci-fi that was centered around LA, including TERMINATOR, STRANGE DAYS, THE MATRIX, DETROIT: BECOMING HUMAN, DEMOLITION MAN, BLADE RUNNER, CYBERPUNK 2099, TRON, ESCAPE FROM LA and many others that I could remember to include at the time. This fusion created a near-future LA that had been split in half by a powerful earthquake, resulting in West LA being an island prison facility, while East LA is a false Eden, complete with technological marvels, that hides a "cold war" between Man, hologram, AI, cyborg and machines, each faction with its own agenda.

[quantafreeze]

I love the art style of this genre. Great video.

[OronOfMontreal]

One off-world colony is explored in the Kurt Russell movie, "Soldier". There are a number of visible cues that place us in the "Blase Runner" 'verse.

[sneakyking]

The book is very different.
Not as iconic but very substantial.
I'll never forget the scene with the "vet" and the cat

[antiaristotelian]

It's kinda spooky how much our sci-fi tastes overlap. Just last night I was catching up with a childhood friend and we shared Blade Runner nostalgia and philosophy for probably an hour.

[Chuck]

As a casual fan of the Blade Runner movie for decades - I never delved into the books and lore, despite enjoying the world building that seemed to go on in the movie.

This vid puts it all in perspective - especially with the anime info included.

You've answered loads of questions I've always had, but couldn't be bothered to look into. haha I now feel I should give the books a read.

So this comment is to just give your vid some audience interaction, a thumbs up, and a thanks.

Thanks, dude.

[mrgreatbigmoose]

I was waiting for someone to mention Soldier in the comments, but you beat your subscribers to the punch! Very well done, OrangeRiver!