Mather, Tom - Blade Runner Director's Cut (1991)

 The 1991 Director's Cut of the movie Blade Runner (originally released in 1982) was one of many versions released by the Warner Brothers. Throughout the various releases, there are several changes that occur that inevitably change the film. The two most well known versions, and most comparable versions are the 1991 Directors cut, and the U.S. Theatrical release. The latter release received much criticism from audiences, as it did not do well in test audiences. The producers scrambled to salvage the movie, and added some elements that many people questioned. To make it more relatable to the general public, director Ridley Scott and lead actor Harrison Ford were forced to comply with these changes. "The first decision involved having Harrison Ford record some extensive narration to clarify sequences which had left audiences confused." (Pfieffer 124) Ford would later speak out against the narration, saying that he thought it was poorly written and hoped that the narration wouldn't be used. Regardless of how the cast and crew felt about the narration, it was added to the film. The next change involved Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) and his relationship with Rachael (Sean Young). In the theatrical release, the movie ends with the two "flying off into the sunset", citing that Rachael had no artificially reduced lifespan, and that the new couple could live happily ever after. Throughout the film, hints are dropped that Deckard may in fact be a replicant himself, but it is never explicitly stated. This leaves the film with an open ending, allowing audiences to speculate the true meaning of the film.

In the 1991 Director's Cut, three notable changes are made to the film, which alter the meaning dramatically. The first cut is the removal of the narration by Ford. This brings back Ridley Scott's original intent to leave audiences slightly confused as to what is happening in the movie. The second change is the addition of a few dream sequences of Deckard's, involving a unicorn. This all but confirms the theory that Deckard is a replicant as at the end of the movie, Gaff places an origami unicorn outside Deckard's apartment, indicating that Deckard's dreams are known and are therefore artificial. This strange addition is fortunately padded by the removal of the "happy flying off into the sunset" ending that Scott was forced to put in. The removal of this scene allows for a more ambiguous ending, even if at this point audiences are unnecessarily led to believe that Deckard is a replicant.

I wasn't a huge fan of either renditions, and I don't believe I could choose a superior one. I understand that much has to be cut from the novel the movie is based on, but they cut all of the elements that made the story interesting. In the end, the novel became an emotionless, poorly made action movie set in a dystopian future. The special effects were nothing spectacular (even by 1980's standards), and there was no back story to why the world was the way it was.

Tom Mather