I also love the themes that run throughout the film, as it evokes classic FRANKENSTEIN. But therein lies some of my problems. I think they got the protagonist and the antagonist mixed up. And on top of that, they then screwed up the lesson Harrison Ford’s character is supposed to take away from the adventure.

BLADE RUNNER’s synopsis is simple enough: Rick Deckard is assigned to hunt down rogue androids. The robots haven’t come to destroy us in a fit of destruction; no, they just want to be us. They want to meet their creator, have their lifespans lengthened, enjoy their (implanted) memories and find their own sense of destiny. The film’s initial release had Deckard a human; subsequent versions reveal Deckard as a replicant himself.

My first problem is that Deckard isn’t an interesting character in any version. As a human, he’s just a blank schlub doing a job. As a replicant, there seems to be no reaction from him at all when he does register the twist.

The real hero (and most compelling character) is Batty. Batty loves his robotic family. When one dies, he mourns. They trust one another; touch, kiss and emote. Batty, unlike Deckard, has a very clear and sympathetic arc: find more life, cherish it; be alive.

This is why I prefer the original release over its various incarnations. If Deckard is a human, Batty’s elegant death means everything. Batty cherishes life so much he’s willing to spare a slave-hunter his own — a person who seems more dead inside than the robots he pursues. By making Deckard an android, Batty’s poetic words in the rain mean nothing; saving Deckard’s life means nothing with Batty’s subsequent death meaningless. The theme of the movie revolves around four simple words: more human than human. What we take for granted, others are willing to sacrifice and die for. If Deckard is human then maybe he can embrace those lessons too.

Batty: “Quite an experience to live in fear, isn’t it? That’s what it is to be a slave.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoAzpa1x7jU