Director: Ridley Scott
Year Released: 1982
Rating: 3.0
It's taken no less than four viewings for me to make amends with this admittedly flawed film - its influence far outweighs its quality as a narrative feature, and I don't disagree with some of the points made in my initial review, written when I was 18 (yipes!): "The 'plot' and 'three-act structure' and 'climactic ending' and 'acting' and 'efficient, and non-clichéd dialogue' and 'character development' that are the fundamental pieces of a good movie are totally tossed out the window by director Ridley Scott and his screenwriters, who serve you all icing and no cake (I hope the Philip K. Dick novel it's based on had more substance - even the 'romance' between Ford and Sean Young is thin). The ending is mostly anti-climactic and lackluster, yet saved by its visual appeal (can't get enough of doves and rain in slow motion)." All that still applies, I think - the movie, to develop its points properly, would have required another hour or so (in other words, it needed Dune's running time), but the one point I very clearly missed is that it's no less than a meditation on death and fury at the Creator for making life so short (Roy Batty takes a visit to 'God,' is unsatisfied with his maker's answers and kills him - the same way the people of Neo Los Angeles have killed their once natural environment). I still struggle to see the 'masterpiece' in this - all I really notice is failed potential - but over twenty years after its initial release, its power and influence is still considerable.
