Bladerunner_and_Frankenstein

One of the main protagonists in Frankenstein is Victor Frankenstein, whose actions Shelley uses to instil very important messages. Frankenstein is an ambitious and egocentric scientist who is on a desperate quest to find the secrets to creating life. Frankenstein finds himself so immensely immersed in his work, that it cuts off his relationships with others, as well as causing his health to also suffer. Frankenstein was written during the “the enlightenment” period, where progress and scientific methods and approaches were starting to dominate and become valued, as well as the mentality that with reason and rationality, anything could be achieved. Despite this, Shelley writes the story as a reminder that an over-ambitious or obsessive nature will inevitably lead to one’s downfall if not careful. When Tyrell was met by Roy Batty, one of his creations, for a prolonging of his life, Tyrell simply responds by calling him a “prodigal son”. By further ignoring Roy’s requests, Tyrell says that “the light that burns twice as bright, burns half as long”, commenting on his achievement of a human that is “twice” better than the humans that God has managed to create. Tyrell’s selfish and self-absorbed nature can also be seen in his implantation of memories into “experiment” replicants, to allow them to have a “cushion or pillow for their emotions”. This is not an act of kindness however, but a procedure to try and ensure replicants are more predictable and easier to “control”. In Blade Runner, Scott reminds us of the consequences of possessing too much pride, or hubris, through Tyrell’s losing control over his creations, as well as his brutal and horrific death. Through the character of Frankenstein and Blade Runner, it is evident that though ambition and individuality may achieve great things, no matter the context or time, excessive pride and ego will always lead to one’s premature failures or downfalls. In Frankenstein, Shelley presents the idea of creating life using the body parts of the dead. This concept may have arisen due to the many controversial scientific experiments being taken place at the time, or possibly from the many recent and numerous failed pregnancies Shelley was experiencing. Regardless of her inspiration however, it is evident in her text that she disapproves of the boundaries being pushed too far. Having scientific boundaries being pushed could have been a reflection of her views of the experimental and ambitious scientists of the time, such as Erasmus Darwin and Luigi Galvani who tried to reanimate and bring dead animals to life using electricity. This method was most likely where Shelley has adopted her method of trying to “infuse a spark of being” into the monster. The hideousness of the monster could also be accounted for by Shelley’s intention of writing a ‘gothic’ story, which was made popular through the romanticism period, with the genre having the characteristic of reflecting an evoking one’s deepest and extreme fears. The negative outcomes resulting from delving into and pushing boundaries too far can be seen in the monster’s desire to explore unknown knowledge and information, only to be shocked and discouraged by the corruption of humanity. Walton is also punished for his spatial explorations into the unknown, only to come across a number of strange experiences. Using science to push the boundaries, Frankenstein also ends up suffering and having to pay for his selfish desires and curiosities, starting with the death of many of whom he cared for. This concept of how humans tend to create and do things unthinkingly and imprudently, only to lose control of the creations, is also present in Blade Runner. Blade Runner was created during a time where computers were starting to move from scientists and technicians’ laboratories into families and businesses. Similar to how Frankenstein was created during a time of great technological change due to the Industrial revolution, Blade Runner was also, being produced during the ‘computer age’. Both texts forewarns of the negative effects of relying wholly and significantly on science and technology. The creation of the genetically engineered humans, called replicants, are designed and created to work as slaves. This backfires, however, and the replicants escape, on a quest to find their maker, killing numerous people in the process. There is also clear evidence of a world destroyed by environmental and economic exploitation and massive industrialisation, leading to a diminished humanity, and a lack of a sense of community, as seen by the many isolated people walking in ironically overcrowded streets, all caused by the effects of science and technology. The texts present both of the composer’s similar message, forewarning man of terrible consequences if a constant obsession and experimentation with science and technology is allowed. When we try to push the boundaries with immortality, for example, it will always be dangerously reckless, and harmful, due to man’s flawed and short-sighted nature, as reflected in the title—Blade Runner. Roy, one of the main replicants of the story, is seen to weep and yell in anguish over Pris’ death, as well as saving and sparing Deckard’s life in one of his last moments on Earth. During one of the final scenes where Roy gives his final soliloquy of how all his memories will be “lost in time, like tears in rain”, Roy finally accepts his death and dies, releasing a dove into a blue sky. This is symbolic of his freedom, and how he has, in his short time on earth, learned to love and live in every moment until his dying days. As he was freed, Deckard and everybody else were still left in a gloomy and miserable world, emphasised by Deckard’s shuffling backwards into the shadows on his elbows. The motif of the eyes is also a constant and recurring theme in the movie. The eyes represent a number of things. It is a constant reminder that humans are constantly being watched, and there is no avoiding it in such a technological world. This is highlighted in a constant image of Tyrell’s owl's eyes. The owl being a nocturnal creature, emphasises that one may be watched at any time of the day or night. It also symbolises humanity, as the eyes are often considered to be the windows into our souls. This blur in the line of what makes a human is also foregrounded early in the movie, when a close up of Leon's eyes are shown at the start of the movie. This makes us question Leon's humanity. Are his eyes windows into a soul, or something artificial' Through the use of different techniques, Shelley and Scott have expressed the importance of nature and how a lack of it may lead to dire consequences. In Frankenstein, much of the story is set amongst nature and its beauty. It is seen as having a pleasantly irreplaceable effect, as seen in how Frankenstein “wept like a child” at the sight of how the “summits [were] clear” and the “sky and lake [were] blue and placid”. He also says that the “inanimate nature had the power of bestowing on [him] the most delightful sensations." Even in the case of the monster, whose existence was sad and pitiful, found solace in the beauty of nature, as he had “allowed [himself] to be borne away” by “these sensations”. It helped him to forget his “solitude and deformities” as he was so thankful “towards the blessed sun which bestowed such joy”. In an interesting contrast, the setting of Blade Runner has virtually no existence of nature. Blade Runner was made in 1982, during a time where people were starting to become more and more cautious and fearful of the negative impacts humans were starting to have on the environment. This was mainly due to writers such as Rachel Carson and A. Toffler who predicted and dealt with the possible issues of climate change ad overpopulation. Both these issues are present in the text's imagined world of a constant down pouring of dismal rain, as well as overladen streets with people, advertisements, and neon lights. Even most animals are fake, as seen in Rachael's response of, "Of course it is" in reply to Deckard's question of whether Tyrell’s owl was “artificial”.