Rick Deckard is the man. Or is he…
I’m watching the remastered director’s cut of Blade Runner and it reminded me about this shot I had of some Rachel and Pris cosplay that I meant to share but never did.
And if you haven’t watched it in a while, go watch Blade Runner. That shit will change the way you think.
Also, in your opinion, was Rick a replicant or a human?
The Skip Jenkins Show 
Blade Runner was a pretty cool movie. But I think Rick was just human. I can see both sides, but I don’t think there was anything that special about him. Enough people knew him from way back. Replicants had a very short lifespan, and even though some thought they were human and had false memories (like the humanoid Cylons from the new BSG, come to think of it), considering Rick was coming out of retirement as a Blade Runner, it makes sense that he would be a human.
Then again, maybe everyone he knew was in on him being a replicant and he was specially designed to deal with the rogue replicants…vague things like this always make me indecisive.
Cody said this on November 6, 2007 at 2:37 am |
I tend to agree with you mostly, but I must play devil’s advocate for a moment. We know that the Model 6 replicants had a short lifespan, but as I understand it that was a design choice, not an inherent limitation to the system.
If Deckard was a replicant, there’s no reason his model’s lifespan had to be adjusted so short. In fact it would make for a more efficient blade runner to have them grow up and acquire human-style memories. At least it would seem that way to me.
skipjenkins said this on November 6, 2007 at 5:08 pm |
Keeping in mind that Blade Runner was a title borrowed from William S Burroughs and doesnt really follow PKD book that it is based on, I would say that in the movie he is a replicant. In the directors cut at least. Ridley Scott even said so I think, but Harrison Ford says no. In the directors cut they reinserted a scene where he has a dream about a unicorn. Edward James Olmos character leaves the little peice of foil outside his apartment at the end in the shape of a unicorn indicating that he knows of Deckards dreams. The unicorn dream scene is extended more in that new “final cut” thats not out yet. To me that points towards him being a replicant. He might not be a Nexus 6 though- disregarding the four year life span which I dont think there is enough material to say one way or another, he doesnt seem to have the super strength and immunity to pain that the other Nexus-6 models seem to have.
Will said this on November 15, 2007 at 2:56 pm |
The unicorn dream can be interpreted differently though. while it places doubt in the viewers mind, it also sets up the unicorn origami in the end. The unicorn (to me at least) represents that he will let Deckard have his fantasy of living out his life with Rachel, and wont run after them. this is symbolized by the unicorn. Also, when Deckard comes back to his apartment with Rachel after she saved him from Leon, he is in obvious pain when he rinses his mouth out and blood stains the water. While replicants do experience pain, not in the sense that Deckard does. The replicants can put their hand in boiling water (the egg boiling scene with pris) and not flinch. it is only when they want to feel pain they do, and then it only makes them feel more alive (Roy’s episode with the nail when he feels himself shutting down and wants more time, resorting to pain to feel that sense of life.) I for one believe that Deckard is a human, and the seed of doubt was only placed so that the viewers drew more similarities between the humans and the replicants, agreeing with the director/author that replicants (and essentially clones or robots) are human as well, not just man made slaves.
Jessica said this on December 17, 2007 at 8:45 pm |
Ridley said Deckard a rep. End of discussion.
RICOCHET said this on February 14, 2008 at 3:33 pm |
@ Richochet – But Philip Dick said he wasn’t. Discussion re-opened. 🙂
skipjenkins said this on February 14, 2008 at 5:27 pm |