Science fiction in film is used to depict speculative phenomenons that are not socially accepted by ordinary science, mostly raising the question “what does it means to be considered human?”. Frequently, artificial intelligence is what science fiction uses to answer this question. After watching two sci-fi films one being Blade Runner and the other being Forbidden Planet I noticed that each are centered around immensely divergent portrayals of artificial intelligence. Blade Runner, directed by Ridley Scott and written by Hampton Fancher and David Webb peoples, is about four replicants that steal a ship in space and return to earth to find their creator each being terminated by Blade Runner, Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford). Forbidden Planet, directed by Fred M. Wilcox and written by Cyril Hume an Irvin Block, is about A starship crew going to investigate a planet's colony only to find two survivors and a secret that one of them has. By using Asimov’s "Law of Robotics" I will be comparing/contrasting these two movies. In Forbidden Planet, Robby the servant and bodyguard to Dr. Morbius and Altaria, considered to be one of tv’s “friendliest” robots was created to protect the two remaining survivors. The robot will not harm any human being which is apparent when the starship crew visits the two survivors house and Robby is nothing but hospitable clearly coinciding with Asimov’s law one of robots which states that “a robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a
In 1982, Scott directed what is considered the most accurate mirror of our current society with his movie Blade Runner, influenced by Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. The screenplay covers many common philosophical dilemmas; including but not limited to genetic engineering and divine purpose. The setting is a futuristic city with closely resembles the twenty-first century. Further, the editing illuminates the dismal ambiance that corruption can trap people in.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, whilst separated by 174 years, feature very similar content which can be seen by comparing the two side by side. Coming from different contexts, they both express their anxieties about technology, which is shown through a man made creature, and they both exhibit a strong valuing of nature. However due to their different contexts, these ideas are represented differently. The medium of production is clearly different, as is the representation of the creature and whether or not they are able to assimilate into society. In both texts the responder
Bound by different contexts, authors often use a popular medium in order to depict the discontent of the ideas of society. This is evident in the module Texts in Time; as Blade Runner, having been written more than one hundred years after Frankenstein is still able to reflect the ideas proposed in the latter. Blade Runner by Ridley Scott deals with the effects of globalisation and consumerism during 1980’s. Alternatively, the epistolary novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley deals with the kinship to the natural world set in the Romantic Era and enlightenment period. However Blade Runner, although subjected by a different context, also portrays a similar idea to Frankenstein; the fear of science and technology coupled with the value of the definition of a human. Through this commonality, we are able to utilise the values of Blade Runner in order to truly understand Shelley’s purpose.
Humanity is often depicted in literature as a sort of exclusive club, where humans are distinctly separate from the animate and inanimate in the world around us. The rules that allow entry are so rarely defined. Humans are ipso facto part of humanity, but what about other beings? Those under the banner of humanity extend their capabilities with tools, machines, robots and computer intelligences. This interaction is human centric, and Human-Human interaction is approached in a very different way than Human-Computer interaction, or interaction with the tools we create. Science fiction gives us a way to explore situations where the lines between human and computer are blurred, where humans become less than human. Synthetics
The goal of a movie is to make you think. Simple as that. No matter how trivial the topic, it should challenge some previous notion you’ve held. Even a movies like comedies should complete this goal. One genre of film that often challenges the viewer is science fiction. Considered to be the pinnacle of science fiction movies, Ridley Scott’s “Blade Runner” questions our definition of what is human. Based on Philip K. Dick’s book Do Androids dream of Electric Sheep?, Blade Runner’s portrayal of a dystopian future, with large class/wealth disparities and intelligent AI, certainly does its job of making you think. The replicants struggle to deal with their “humanity” and harsh treatment by humans. Though
In the movie, Blade Runner, the city and people are very similar. They are both very different and mysterious. The characters are not very well explained at first so give that mystery feel to them. The city is very dark and different that other normal cities which make the city also look mysterious. The director did this to add depth to the film and have the unknown so you can interpret your own ideas into the movie. The city and the people are all characters in a film. They are the parts of the film that tell the story. The characters all play important roles. Without all of them the movie would not be the same. It could have the same storyline but with different people and a different city it becomes a new film. The city helps show the hidden meanings in movies that the characters don 't say. If they did say these things the city showed it would be a long boring movie. In books these meanings are normally written but because there are no words in movies normally, the director must show these thoughts. He will normally show this through the weather of the city or just they way the city is acting. The city may be a busy city with cars running around everywhere or really quiet with no one on the streets. The movie’s characters and cities are both needed to create a scene that has depth and is interesting. If neither of these are visible then the film could not have been written very well. Both the city and people should be similar to have the film make sense.
Blade Runner is about creating artificial life in a laboratory to produce replicates which have been made for specific purposes off planet. All of them had the same human drives such as motivations, greed, ugliness and everything else all built in; however, their life span is limited to no more than four years.
Blade Runner presents artificial beings as mortals with enhanced mental and physical capabilities juxtaposed to Westworld’s androids that are presented as immortal beings reborn after death with new personalities and memories. Ironically, in both texts the perfect and flawless attributes of the artificial beings are highlighted in
Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner stands to be one of the most influential piece of filmmaking throughout the history of cinema. Although considered underwhelming initially by polarizing critics and audience alike, the film gained an immense cult following and was soon regarded as one of the best science fiction films of all time. The film put hard sci-fi into the mainstream, and gave life to Cyberpunk aesthetic all in all by combining the engaging and focused ideas of neo-noir with themes and pacing of early European art-house films. Even today, the themes and the question the film poses garner a great deal of discussion.
Both films chose to set themselves in places that exist in our contemporary society but in varying degrees change them. In Blade Runner’s case futuristic Los Angeles looks nothing like the city the audience is familiar with. Scott makes assumptions about where society and culture is headed. The city is hugely diverse in terms of the ethnicity of the population and has a large Asian influence, Japanese in particular is both seen on signs and heard in many scenes throughout the film. Unlike Kubrick, Scott created new technology for his future world, in fact the film centers on the creation of artificial intelligence or AI as our protagonist Rick Deckard a “Blade Runner” hunts down androids how have come to Earth from the off-world colonies. The androids or “replicants” are banned from Earth and are killed or as the film terminology goes are “retired” if they are discovered. These androids are highly advanced and to the naked eye appear human. Eyes are a key in this film as the test to discover if someone is an android involves studying the movement and contractions of the eye while asking a series of questions that are meant to elicit an emotional response. Several shots in the film are close-ups of the human or android eye. This film brings into question what defines humanity as the androids our protagonist aims to hunt down are on a search for the purpose of their existence and harm others in their desperation to remain alive. As he is hunting androids Deckard falls in love with one, one who did not even know she was a “replicant” until he told her. This raises even more questions about the morality of what he does and whether the actions of the androids on the run are
When thinking of science fiction stories and films, their concepts and ideals seem far out of our own world. The beauty of science fiction films is the ability of them to take the audience to a different world to excite the feelings of awe and wonder, making us leave the realism and probable behind. These alterations from ordinary life and reality may take away from authenticity, but science fiction can prove to resemble more of our society when analyzing the societies and advancements created in these films. All the sights, sounds, characters and narrative details in Star Trek (2009) portray a conservative and liberal perspective towards a future society, where other movies in this genre mainly stick
it is useful to recall one of Arthur C. Clarke 's more famous ideas, which is
A Study of Bladerunner In June of 1982, Warner Brothers released the highly anticipated Harrison Ford film Bladerunner. The film was directed by Ridley Scott, who earlier had a hit with Alien. Both films are science fiction films. The characteristics of the science fiction genre are quite broad. The main things science fiction films have in common are things such as the technology being far superior than today e.g. flying cars and bizarre, otherworldly imagery.
The movie Blade Runner is one of the best films that supports the techniques of a science fiction film. It really explores the concepts of the future mainly targeting “robotically” made people, called replicants. Thematically it takes you to a place where humanity itself has a great impact on technology and their society.
Of the numerous books Philip K. Dick wrote in his lifetime a couple have made it onto the silver screen. One including the movie “Blade Runner” directed by Ridley Scott, was adapted by the novel, “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep”.. The question of humanity is shared between both works, but the differences between the novel, and the movie a represented quite differently. Topics that can be both followed in the novel and film incorporate, humanity and the atmosphere that the plot takes place. Science fiction, the main genre is portrayed in different ways throughout the book and movie.