Most people hear the name Harrison Ford and think of Star Wars or Indiana Jones. Arguably two of the biggest franchises ever made. Some of Ford's other work is kind of over shadowed by them but they changed his life and I'm sure he doesn't mind. I have a couple of  favourites- The Fugitive, Witness, Clear and Present Danger or The Mosquito Coast; all amazing films!

Nick chose Blade Runner this week for film club. This choice may have been influenced by the new Sky Atlantic drama Westworld which I have still got to begin. If you're one of Matt's students you'll know he says this is his favourite film, to my surprise I quite enjoyed it! To be quite honest, I didn't think I'd get it and even though there are still bits I'm not quite sure about.

Blade Runner is a sci-fi film set in 2019, here's a little overview for you.  Los Angles has turned into a dark and rather depressing metropolis, Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) is an ex-cop known as a 'Blade Runner'. He's assigned to assassinate four 'replicants', the replicants are robots that act and look like human beings. When the four replicants commit mutiny on the Off World colony Deckard is called out to retire them, as he hunts and kills them one by one he comes across Rachel, another replicant. Rachel expresses human emotions even though she's a replicant herself. As Rick Deckard comes closer to the leader of the four replicants his hatred for the artificial intelligence forces him to question his own identity and what's human and what's not.

Blade Runner itself is a science fiction crime drama in a sense, it most definitely has influences of film noir as it contains and explores conventions such as the femme fatale. It delves into future implications of technology on the environment, there's a tension between the past and present which is high tech in places but decrepit and decayed in some.

First of all, the whole Rachel Deckard romance. It's a conflict that can be seen effecting both individually, poor Rachel who doesn't know she's a replicant is already confused enough without the impending romance. A scene that portrays this conflict well is when they admit to themselves their feelings for each other; it's not verbal you can just see the sexual tension, Rachel isn't too sure at first and we don't really know why. After this, we don't see Rachel until the end of the film- I'm not going to talk about it but I don't get it.

Moving on to the replicants who are all creeps besides Rachel. Especially Pris and Roy Batty, what type of crazy are they, it was the fighting skills that got me. When Pris tried to attack Deckard she literally tried to strangle him/break his neck with her legs, she should be a gymnast. Batty just scared me, also in the final scene why was he walking around in swimming trunks. A question that will never be answered. Zhora was the replicant that confused me the most about the whole replicant situation, obviously she was the first to be assassinated and an exotic dancer (not the point). Me being me assumed that when replicants died you'd see metal cogs and robot organs not blood and guts. In all, still not getting the whole replicant situation.

I love Harrison Ford, I do. In fact, I enjoy watching the majority of his films, along with Blade Runner. However, I didn't like his character in moments of this film and I'm sure that's what Ridley Scott intended. I just thought he was a bit of an idiot, the whole Rachel 'I want you' situation got a bit full on didn't it. He seemed to be two things a drinker and a misery. That's what 2019 Los Angeles will do for you I guess! My heart went out to him when Batty broke his fingers though, wow. Truthfully, I feel like he did really love Rachel (the love aspect came around quick like) and I'd want to know whether they escaped and had replicant children and watched them as they grew old together, alas that's not the way film works.

Overall, I'd watch Blade Runner again just to see if I could understand it more. It's a great film, so much to consider and messages that we should be thinking about- like the consequences of developing technology. In a nut shell it's a weird film in terms of what goes on etc but it's worth a watch.