Blade Runner Book Vs Movie Essay

The movie ‘Blade Runner’ directed by Ridley Scott was loosely based on the book, ‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep’ by Philip K. Dick. For a movie being based on a book, it followed the original even less than most adaptations. Many parts were changed due to translation issues, from book to movie; some were completely removed. By removing these certain scenes from the movie, Ridley Scott darkened the mood to make it more appropriate for a film. Some of the removed components were: the animal subplot, the fake agency and Mercer.
In the book, the main subplot is Rick’s desire to own a real animal, and this desire gives him another goal to focus on instead of just on retiring the androids. In the movie, he has no such motivation. He only agrees to the mission because he is basically blackmailed. In the book, after every android he killed, he spent time thinking about what he could use the money for, instead of simply drinking. Without a justifiable reason to kill the androids, it makes it seem like simple slaughter, which darkens the overall feel of the piece. By making the main character a darker person Ridley Scott made him more mysterious, which makes the audience engage with the character more than normal.

This scene ended in the killing of one android and Rick getting advice that was very important to the plot. The advice allowed for him to catch and retire the three remaining androids. The removal of this scene in the movie allowed for him and the audience to spend more time thinking about what he is actually doing. As a result of this, the audience realize that he is doing something bad, and as a result makes the entire piece seem darker. Due to how the scene unfolds in the book, it is revealed that Rick has feelings towards female androids, which is a bit lighter than the heavy handed contemplation of the