constitutes the essential human being, and how
we
distinguish and define t/his essential human
being from that which only
masquerades as human.
The second is the tragic theme that if you
fight
evil, you will become evil, and that this is the
condition of
life.
The Ridley Scott film is set in the early
part of the twenty-first
century, when virtually
all the animal population - particularly
the
pets - have become extinct. (Although this is
not adequately
explained in the film). As a
result of this catastrophe, genetic
engineering
of artificial life forms and humanoids has
become the
most productive and advanced industry
on the planet. These replicas of
mankind - they
are referred to as androids in the novel - are
the
finest products of genetic engineering,
compiled as much from flesh and
blood as from
plastic and electronics. They are
perfectly
constructed in the laboratories to perform
arduous,
subservient tasks for their human
creators. They also have a built-in
limited
life span to prevent any renegade replicant
escaping their
human captors. |
These creatures, especially the 'Nexus-6'
replicants, are
virtually identical to their
human counterparts, with superior strength
and at
least equal intelligence. It is the task of the
blade runner
units - a special police force - to
track down any renegade replicants
who have
escaped their human masters and are trying to
live under
the pretence of human beings on Earth.
In this time - 2019 - the Earth has become
so polluted and
congested, that the populace are
encouraged to migrate to "off world
colonies".
The reasons for this pollution are not really
explained
in the film, but in the novel the
radioactive dust and pollution was
caused by
"World War Terminus", also referred to as
"W.W.T.".
The film revolves around the character Rick
Deckard, who was a
former blade runner brought
out of retirement, who must track down and
kill
four renegade Nexus-6 replicants.
The main intellectual theme of the novel and
the film is that Rick
Deckard, in killing the
androids or replicants, male or female, becomes
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