[Blade Runner] Movie Deckard: Human or Replicant?

Ice Cream Jonsey · Post by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Mon Jul 01, 2002 10:44 am

Pros and cons of evidence towards him being a replicant:

PRO: The whole paper unicorn thing
CON: He doesn't have super-strength like the other replicants

PRO: He is completely without empathy for the replicants that he is hunting down, and replicants are incapable of empathy
CON: Harrison Ford was the actor, and is completely incapable of displaying empathy along with at least seven other quantified emotions that we know about

PRO: Director Ridley Scott has said that in his version, he was a replicant
CON: This is the same guy who gave us 1492 and G.I. Jane, so maybe he's not the guy we should be asking about movies, even / especially his own

PRO: Movie Deckard bangs Sean Young, and who but a machine would lack the good sense to not get involved with hitting that psycho?
CON: Movie Deckard bangs Sean Young, and who but a human would lack the good sense to not get involved with hitting that psycho?

PRO: In the original version, Deckard gives a voice-over to the scenes in the movie which are done in a completely emotionless manner
CON: Er, again, that passes for excited and persuasive for that particular actor at that particular time

Any others?

Lex · Post by **Lex** » Mon Jul 01, 2002 12:39 pm

I think that the book - Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, by Philip K. Dick - could be useful in answering this question.
Much like in the game, a large portion of the book deals with the character deciding for himself whether he is a human or a replicant; we are also left guessing as to whether or not he lied to his new bud as whether the Voigt Kompf said he's human or not. It is also hinted at (almost subconsciously) as a possibility that they both understood they were replicants, but would lie to each other.

Ben · Post by **Ben** » Mon Jul 01, 2002 1:13 pm

1. He's a replicant.

2. Really, when you get down to it, what difference does it make? He could be a mutant space alien from space, with seventeen penises and Patrick Duffy for a leg, and it wouldn't change the movie one iota. The movie ain't about him anyway.

Ice Cream Jonsey · Post by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Mon Jul 01, 2002 1:25 pm

This ought to be a good one: Who do YOU say the movie is about, then? Daryl Hannah? Because you said the same thing about Wall Street. Wait, not you. That guy who used to beat her up all the time. Jackson Browne, I think. But still, we both know that if she hooked up with you instead of her the amount of domestic violence she would have encountered over the years would not necessarily have decreased.

Really, when you get down to it, what difference does it make?

Well, if we pause to ask ourselves just why we discuss the things we do, I think that an extreme dose of depression and a ritual suicide wouldn't be too far behind. That's one can of worms that should not be open. Even if it were sitting right next to Pandora's Box and you just *had* to open one of them, you open the box and not that can.

Ben · Post by **Ben** » Mon Jul 01, 2002 1:37 pm

The movie is about the following two things, not necessarily in this order:

1. Roy Baty (and through Roy, an examination of the nature of humanity.)

2. Absolutely forking MINDBLOWING lights and sounds.

HTH HAND

Ice Cream Jonsey · Post by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Mon Jul 01, 2002 4:16 pm

Whatever you do, don't say 'Oh yeah? Well I think YOU'RE a replicant! Just don't do it. It's not funny, it's not remotely clever, it's extremely childish, it doesn't make any sense and everyone's going to expect it. He made a good point there. Not one I agree with, necessarily... but a good point nonetheless. So just try to speak intelligently about the topic at hand. You saw the movie recently and he probably didn't, so you'll be speaking from a position of memory. Unless he's seen it plum more times than yourself. That could be. Well either way! It doesn't matter. if you have to say something pithy, say something of much higher caliber. Maybe a veiled threat or something. Just not "you're the replicant, lol lol lol" because that's so bloody stupid. You're not stupid, are you? I don't think so... women don't think so... your parents don't think so. So come up with something better. Come on now. Something good!

The movie is about the following two things, not necessarily in this order:

1. Roy Baty (and through Roy, an examination of the nature of humanity.)

2. Absolutely forking MINDBLOWING lights and sounds.

HTH HAND

Oh yeah?! Well maybe YOU'RE the replicant!

Mother-fuck.

Lex · Post by **Lex** » Tue Jul 02, 2002 7:25 am

It occurs to me that in the book Deckard is told to hunt 6 replicants. From then on everyone acts as though there are only 5.
In the next book (which I think I only read a chapter or two of) Deckard is after that sixth, after being played a video of the first interview from the first book (pretty much quoting the first chapter to prove that, aside from that one meeting in chapter 1, no sixth android is mentioned again).
I think I should read them again in an attempt to discover the truth.
Also: The story is about a human struggle, by showing that both the goody and baddy are the same; no decentering to understand one another; lack of empathy.
And I've lost my fucking copy of the game!