The 1982 movie Blade Runner, directed by Ridley Scott, blends science fiction and film noir into a masterfully crafted thriller that delves into the subjective realm of being “alive” and “human.” Set in the post-apocalyptic world of Los Angeles, the story reveals that humans have taken artificial intelligence and genetic engineering into a whole new level of realism. Artificially grown beings, known as Replicants, rebel against slavery and flee to Earth. This action results in the formation of an elite group of police known as Blade Runners, who use a test that calculates emotional responses, which are the only thing that Replicants can’t process correctly. The Replicants confront the selectivity of what it means to be “human” throughout the film causing the protagonist, Rick Deckard, to question both himself and the established rules of humanity. “Being alive is a matter of subjectivity and not of biological/technical definitions,” (Casimir pg. 2) establishes that it is the eyes of the beholder whom decide if a machine is “human” enough to be alive. Blade Runner sets up this idea by blurring the lines between man and machine by challenging the viewer’s connotations of humanity. The movie also presents a persuasive argument by differentiating the emotional ranges felt by both the humans and the Replicants. …show more content…
machine. “The cyborg becomes a metaphor of the blurring of any dichotomy, but I would argue that it stands also for (…) a crisis in the representation of the living or what it means to be “alive.”” (Casimir pg. 2) Since being “alive” and “human” are subjective terms, the film masterfully interweaves an intricate story by incorporating emotional complexities displayed by both humans and replicants while challenging the viewer to consider whether the designation of “human” could also apply to artificially intelligent beings capable of independent thoughts and