The ending of Blade Runner was different by request of the producers.
“Warner Brother’s was horrified to find that audiences had an overwhelming negative
reaction to the sci-fi epic.” (Pfeiffer 123).
By doing so the directors changed the message of the film. It became less of a story based in the
struggle of what our current life will lead to and became a happily ever after
tale. Part of the entire plot was that
this tale took place in a post-apocalyptic world. Everything has died except for a few human
who are slowly degrading away because of the radioactive dust. By having Rick and Rachel drive off into the green
wilderness greatly undermines this. The
world is no longer dead and reality is not inescapable. In fact that is exactly what they are
doing. They are escaping the terrible
reality and entering into a new life.
The tone is altered greatly.
There is hope in the ending the producers chose. The tone of the film is lightened. The green growth in comparison leaves a
positive taste in the viewer’s mouth. The
lighting played a great deal into leaving this taste. It is significantly brighter. The rest of the film is extremely low key. Even the few times an area is lit with a
lower key of natural lighting. The
majority of the film is almost completely shot with borderline complete
darkness. The ending suddenly becomes a lighter
natural lighting. It is jarring in comparison
to the rest of the film. For the first
time in the film the characters have light in their lives. Light is the symbol of hope. Therefore, for the first time the characters
are engulfed by hope. It surrounds them
and because of the lighting in the hover car is also much brighter. This makes it so that the light is literately
infiltrating the remnants of the old dark life and filling it with light. Lastly, effect the producer’s ending had an
effect on the characters as well. Rick
does not have the sense desolation or the false sense of hope given to him by the
electric toad. Instead, again Rick is bestilled
with hope.
I definitely agree with you in regards to how the message and tone of the ending is changed. There is a clear description of how post apocalyptic, dystopian society is functioning, and it does not have a happy ending on earth. However, in the end we see nothing but hope, which as we have been shown in the film earlier, hope on earth is pretty much lost. Although we do see life and other things, the ending is definitely something that was manufactured by the producers in order to try and make more money. This definitely makes sense, and the ending is kind of enjoyable, but at the same time it just doesn't match the rest of the film. The green growth at the end of the film is a nice change of scenery but it doesn't really make any sense, the idea that Rachel wont die makes a little bit of sense but it is mainly unexplained. There is just a general sense at the end that Harrison Ford has to survive and live happily ever after because that's what is supposed to happen. I think it is necessary to say that the ending is completely random, an alternative ending made up by the producers to satisfy their plans on making money off the film.
ReplyDeleteI agree as well on how the tone has changed in both the novel and the directors cut in comparison to the 1982 film where the producers took over control certain things that made it for the worse or for the better. I don't believe in the extremities that people have chosen against how having a happily ever after at the end ruined the whole point and message of the novel especially saying that Rachel is different from the other androids and that she may not have the four year life and then death span. Having this ending i didn't like as much as the directors cut or the novels because the setting hasn't changed just the characters such as Deckards realization of machines do in fact have life. That sense of hope just ruins the whole idea of a post-apocalyptic place where nuclear radiation just ruined earth. The ending in the novel doesn't make the earth look happier but made Deckards life different and somewhat confortable from all that is wrong in this new society. Yes the ending gives a sense of hope and this ending i do agree is a better one if people haven't read the novel but for the fans of sic-fi and people that have knowledge of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep would disagree with all the choices made by the producer.
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