| In
a close and dark future...
"Blade Runner"
Phillip
K. Dick is, certainly, one of the major names of contemporary
science fiction.
He
is not known by many people, but his stories became notorious
because they were filmed and directed by Steven Spielberg,
Paul Verhoeven and Ridley Scott. The movies that derived from
his tales and stories generated faboulous box offices and,
certainly, originated discussions about its complex and controversial
themes and the dark vision of the future, frequent on the
books by this writer.
The
text "Do Androids Dream of Eletric Sheep?", for
instance, originated one film that had been worshiped throughout
the last quarter of a century, "Blade Runner", from
director Ridley Scott (the same one of "The Duelists",
"1492" and "Gladiator", among other great
movies).
Reasons
for the film to become a "cult movie" can be seen
from the beginning of the exhibition:- a great impact by the
futuristic visual (there are large and very modern constructions,
made with a lot of glass and steel), the fog that appears
in the film and the dark tone of it that give us the sensation
that we are in a "noir film" (just like the 1940
and 1950's suspense movies with detectives using overcoats
and having a great mistery case to solve, everything happening
in a grey, dark and cloudy atmosphere), the presence of great
movie stars (Harrison Ford, Sean Young, Daryl Hannah, Rutger
Hauer), the fantastic music made by Vangelis,...
Even
when we think about all of those qualities that "Blade
Runner" has, the major characteristic of the film is,
still, the story by Phillip K. Dick. When we face the dilemma
lived by the replicants (androids made as a perfect image
of mankind), slaves of the future according to the movie,
it is not hard for us to think about the changes that we are
facing in the last few years, promoted by researches and projects
developed in areas such as robotics, bioengeneering, biotechnology,
electronics and operational systems.
What can we expect from the future? Are we going to live the
prosperity and happiness promissed to men by science and technology
since the nineteenth century? The destruction of the environment
and the ending of natural resources are going to lead humanity
to death? Is the confrontation between men, the systems and
artificial intelligences (that he is creating), inevitable?
The
film
Rick
Deckard (Harrison Ford) is a Blade Runner, this name is given
to police special forces in the year 2019 that is specialized
in capturing or destroying replicants (androids so perfect
that not only ressembles human beings but also, have feelings,
bleed and, in some cases, have implanted memories so that
they can have a life history).
Inactive
and, not disposed to leave this condition, Deckard is obliged
to come back to work because some replicants Nexus model (the
most advanced replicants) have scaped from a working colony
in another planet. These replicants are very strong, have
many habilities, great mobility as well as a remarkable personality.
Besides that, they are very intelligent.
Just
as any good detective should do, Deckard iniciates his investigations
by the Tyrell Corporation, where the replicants were made.
He finds out that there is one of the missing androids working
for the enterprise owner. It is Rachel (Sean Young); in her
memory were implanted the remembrances of a deceased niece
of Tyrell.
The
detective problems, however, were the other replicants, released
in the big city, an iminent danger of violence and death.
What makes it worse is that they are after the solution for
their major dilemma, alias, the small amount of time they
have for living (they are programmed for only four living
years). To solve this situation, they see no obstacles on
their way...
P.S.
The film "Blade Runner" has two versions, the original
one that was released in 1982 by Warner Brothers (this version
was denied by director Ridley Scott; he didn't like the narration
by Harrison Ford which was put on the final part of the movie
and, also, made severe critics to the cuts and edition of
the film) and another one, released in 1993, baptized "Blade
Runner - The director´s cut" (made according to
Scott's will). Look out for the 1982 original version, it
is more dense, profound and reflexive.
For
Teachers
1-
Existencial dilemmas torment men since his birth in this planet.
Doubts increased very much with the arrival of contemporary
age, of industrial basis, in a world with no frontiers and
led by technology. There are not a few people that very often
ask themselves about what will happen to mankind very soon.
There are optimistic visions, some that intend to be realistic
and others quite pessimistic. In what way do we understand
the world in which we live? What are the perspectives that
we have of what will happen in the future? What would we like
to leave for the future generations? In what way do we contribute
for the changes that are happening in the world and determine
our future? Ask yourself about tomorrow and make your students
do the same; Iniciate a debate about the possibilities that
wait for us in the future.
2-
The doubts of Rutger Hauer's character in the end
of the film make us think about the destiny humanity reserves
for some os its creations such as cloning techniques and artificial
intelligence. Clones can be considered in the same way humans
are? How will they be treated by society? Are they going to
be assisted by law in prejudice cases? What is the real motivation
for research in artificial intelligence? Will artificial intelligence
replace men in his activities? What will be left for mankind
after the arrival of these creations? Many doubts can come
around in this increasing debate and it is more and more a
growing part of our day...
3-
Why schools stimulate so much the study of logical, languages,
human sciences and natural sciences and practically despises
any work related to something that really make us humans:
our feelings. How many times do we ask things such as: who
are our students, where do they come from, how do they live,
with whom are they related to and many other essential questions
for us to understand them? Almost nothing is what we know
about them, what increases the possibility that we have difficulties
in our relationships in classroom. Wouldn't that be the reason
to believe we need to work on feelings? Until which point
do we really know how to deal with that situation? Is it possible,
at least, that we give enough attention to our own feelings?
João Luís Almeida Machado
Master Degree in Education, Arts and History
of Culture (Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, in São
Paulo); Professor at Faculdade Senac in Campos do Jordão;
Middle and High School teacher; writes weekly columns for
the website Planeta Educação (www.planetaeducacao.com.br).
Send e-mails, comments, suggestions and critics for:
profjoaoluis@planetaeducacao.com.br
Technical Information
Blade Runner
Country/Year of production:- USA, 1982
Lenght of time/Gender:- 117 min., Fiction
Director: Ridley Scott
Screenwriter: Hampton Francher and David
Webb Peoples
Cast:- Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean
Young,
Daryl Hannah, Edward James Olmos, Joanna Cassidy, M. Emmet
Walsh.
Links
- http://us.imdb.com/Title?0083658
(English)
- http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/BladeRunner-1002553/
(English)
- http://www.cineguia.com.br/index.shtml?cod_filme=CNA0177&rg=0/
(Portuguese)
- http://www.adorocinema.com/filmes/blade-runner/blade-runner.htm
(Portuguese)
- http://e-pipoca.ig.com.br/filmes_zoom.cfm?id=739
(Portuguese)
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