# BLADE RUNNER: Ford, Hauer, Young, Olmos, Hannah's Best Movie Ever? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 30, 2010, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-ford-hauer-young-olmos-hannahs-best-movie-ever/537830 "2010-04-30T04:22:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-ford-hauer-young-olmos-hannahs-best-movie-ever/537830/21 "2010-04-30T14:29:08Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > I’ve been trying for years to figure out a way to get the lady at my sushi bar to say, “He say you brade runner.” I suggest tipping generously for a few months, then trying it on Halloween while you’re in your Deckard costume. ---
**Author:** ![duality72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duality72/32/3910_2.png) [@duality72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duality72)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-ford-hauer-young-olmos-hannahs-best-movie-ever/537830/22 "2010-04-30T16:02:22Z")
> [@Future\_Londonite](#): > > ok so I’m pretty sure that one should not watch the original - between Director’s Cut and Final Cut…which one is considered the one to watch?? Well I’m one who prefers the original in a lot of ways, but might as well watch Final Cut between those two. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-ford-hauer-young-olmos-hannahs-best-movie-ever/537830/23 "2010-04-30T16:09:00Z")
My favorite Roy Batty line: “If only you could see what I’ve seen with your eyes.” ---
**Author:** ![In\_Winnipeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a8b319/32.png) [@In\_Winnipeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Winnipeg)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-ford-hauer-young-olmos-hannahs-best-movie-ever/537830/24 "2010-04-30T16:22:30Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > I’ve never managed to see what people like in _Blade Runner_. I guess it all depends on where you are at, cinephile-wise. Blade Runner is first, a detective story. Second, it’s a detective story that is very much a film noir. Thirdly, it’s a detective story that is very much a film noir, but is more than that, it’s a future noir, because of the time frame it takes place in. Some people just don’t like detective stories, and I can respect that. Some people just don’t like detective stories that are film noir, and I can respect that. Some people just don’t like detective stories where the film noir aspect is tweaked into being future noir, and I respect that. It all depends on what you are into. I, myself, am not crazy about westerns. _C’est la vie_. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-ford-hauer-young-olmos-hannahs-best-movie-ever/537830/25 "2010-04-30T17:04:22Z")
Rutger Hauer’s career is not otherwise drek. His performance in the original version of \*\*The Hitcher \*\*was tremendous. He was like some kind of freaking beautiful angel of death. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-ford-hauer-young-olmos-hannahs-best-movie-ever/537830/26 "2010-04-30T17:23:07Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > Original or Director’s Cut? 🙂 I’m not a big fan of post-release modification (there was nothing gained in _Apocalpse Now Redux_ and _The Godfather_ is best told in the interwoven fashion rather than in straight chronology, never mind that Han Solo did and should shoot first), but Scott’s _Blade Runner: Final Cut_ is clearly the most superior form of the movie. I never objected to the voiceover as much as many did, but it doesn’t really add to the film, and the space it leaves when removed provides a greater sense of disconnection between Deckard and the rest of the world. Then ending of the cinematic cut is a complete cop-out. > [@In\_Winnipeg](#): > > It’s open to debate, but Deckard is the other replicant. Even if this is Scott’s intention, I think it is wrong. Deckard is clearly not as capable as the other Nexus 6 replicants; he does not have their speed, agility, or strength, and in every case he defeats them more or less by luck, or in the case of Zora, “shooting an unarmed woman in the back.” The film works better in demonstrating the equivalence between humans and Replicants; despite the fact that the latter are manufactured, they’re just as human in their passions and fears as human beings, and perhaps more intensely so for having such limited and definite lifespans. Also, it has some great _Paradise Lost_ references. Brilliant visual film despite its thematic ambiguity and plot inconsistencies. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-ford-hauer-young-olmos-hannahs-best-movie-ever/537830/27 "2010-04-30T17:28:58Z")
I love _Blade Runner_, but Edward James Olmos’s best work was in _Stand and Deliver_. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-ford-hauer-young-olmos-hannahs-best-movie-ever/537830/28 "2010-04-30T17:35:32Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > Even if this is Scott’s intention, I think it is wrong. Deckard is clearly not as capable as the other Nexus 6 replicants; he does not have their speed, agility, or strength, and in every case he defeats them more or less by luck, or in the case of Zora, “shooting an unarmed woman in the back.” The Nexus 6 is supposed to be the latest model, though - if Deckard is an older model, wouldn’t we expect him to fare poorly? ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-ford-hauer-young-olmos-hannahs-best-movie-ever/537830/29 "2010-04-30T17:37:01Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > The Nexus 6 is supposed to be the latest model, though - if Deckard is an older model, wouldn’t we expect him to fare poorly? Besides which, is there any other explanation for Olmos’s character (apparently) knowing about the unicorn in Deckard’s dreams? ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-ford-hauer-young-olmos-hannahs-best-movie-ever/537830/30 "2010-04-30T17:41:45Z")
Even if Deckard is a Nexus 6, he is not only supposed to be able to pass as human, he is not to realize he isn’t human. His being vastly stronger and faster than everybody around him would work against that. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-ford-hauer-young-olmos-hannahs-best-movie-ever/537830/31 "2010-04-30T17:47:15Z")
There are also strong hints given when Deckhard administers the test to Young’s character. Isn’t Deckhard asked archly if _he’s_ ever taken the test? ---
**Author:** ![duality72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duality72/32/3910_2.png) [@duality72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duality72)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-ford-hauer-young-olmos-hannahs-best-movie-ever/537830/32 "2010-04-30T18:01:19Z")
> [@spoke-](#): > > There are also strong hints given when Deckhard administers the test to Young’s character. Isn’t Deckhard asked archly if _he’s_ ever taken the test? That’s not a hint he’s a replicant. It’s a hint that there’s a very fine line between human and replicant and the line is rapidly disappearing. The whole point of the movie (and book) is examining what it means to be human, a point that would be meaningless if Deckard were a replicant. The whole Deckard as replicant deal is just the result of a minor continuity error and a needless distraction from a beautifully crafted movie on the nature of humanity (IMHO). ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-ford-hauer-young-olmos-hannahs-best-movie-ever/537830/33 "2010-04-30T18:05:04Z")
For anyone who hasn’t seen it before I recommend the version with the Deckard narration. It gives you the gist of what’s going on and some of the motivations of Deckard’s actions. However any subsequent viewings should be done sans narration. Once you know the musings of Deckard you can then appreciate the sights and sounds of the film more. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-ford-hauer-young-olmos-hannahs-best-movie-ever/537830/34 "2010-04-30T18:05:25Z")
IIRC, he was human in the book. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-ford-hauer-young-olmos-hannahs-best-movie-ever/537830/35 "2010-04-30T18:07:42Z")
> [@duality72](#): > > That’s not a hint he’s a replicant. It’s a hint that there’s a very fine line between human and replicant and the line is rapidly disappearing. The whole point of the movie (and book) is examining what it means to be human, a point that would be meaningless if Deckard were a replicant. The whole Deckard as replicant deal is just the result of a minor continuity error and a needless distraction from a beautifully crafted movie on the nature of humanity (IMHO). I really like the way you have dealt with this issue. For my tastes, it parallels the issue of where “life on earth” originated when the notion that life here is the result of some advanced race on another planet (or the like) sending seeds or spores or primitive life forms here in the distant past. It doesn’t even address where “life” on that other planet came from. And if Deckard is a replicant or not, the main issue is as you have said so well. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-ford-hauer-young-olmos-hannahs-best-movie-ever/537830/36 "2010-04-30T18:09:24Z")
Deckard as a replicant doesn’t subvert any meditations on what it means to be human. To the contrary, his belief in his own humanity emphasizes the ambiguity of the question. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-ford-hauer-young-olmos-hannahs-best-movie-ever/537830/37 "2010-04-30T18:14:21Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > Even if this is Scott’s intention, I think it is wrong. Deckard is clearly not as capable as the other Nexus 6 replicants; he does not have their speed, agility, or strength, and in every case he defeats them more or less by luck, or in the case of Zora, “shooting an unarmed woman in the back.” The film works better in demonstrating the equivalence between humans and Replicants; despite the fact that the latter are manufactured, they’re just as human in their passions and fears as human beings, and perhaps more intensely so for having such limited and definite lifespans. I’ll sign on with this. I prefer to think that Deckard is not a replicant. I think the plot works better with him as a rather ineffectual drone doing a job that very few people, least of all himself, want to do, and gradually coming to realize the latent humanity in his targets. Love the film, BTW, in both popular versions. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-ford-hauer-young-olmos-hannahs-best-movie-ever/537830/38 "2010-04-30T18:16:55Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > Rutger Hauer’s career is not otherwise drek. His performance in the original version of \*\*The Hitcher \*\*was tremendous. He was like some kind of freaking beautiful angel of death. He was also rather good in _Ladyhawke_. Its more than a bit silly but Hauer lends it some gravitas. And I was 13… Rutger Hauer on his Friesan stallion… swoon!! Still a sentimental favorite for me. ---
**Author:** ![Tethered\_Kite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@Tethered\_Kite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tethered_Kite)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-ford-hauer-young-olmos-hannahs-best-movie-ever/537830/39 "2010-04-30T18:17:28Z")
Seems to me I recall reading somewhere that the number of replicants mentioned in the beginning of the film is one more than we finally get to see, leaving us with the question of whether the protagonist was the final missing replicant. Roy Batty’s death speech is a glorious word-picture. And nicely delivered. Here’s a question I have had for years and haven’t been able to answer - I seem to recall that it was a longer speech in the first version of the film I saw and that it included a comment about either two suns or two moons rising off the shore? horizon? of some planet. All copies of the script I’ve seen don 't include anything like this so I’m wondering if I didn’t “embellish” it. Anyone remember this? ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-ford-hauer-young-olmos-hannahs-best-movie-ever/537830/40 "2010-04-30T18:20:10Z")
…and I still want to know against whom Roy Batty and the other combat-model replicants were fighting. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-ford-hauer-young-olmos-hannahs-best-movie-ever/537830.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-ford-hauer-young-olmos-hannahs-best-movie-ever/537830.md?page=3)