Responses to this message:
I have always thought that there was a racial subtext to Blade Runner which equates the replicants to Blacks in present day America. Consider these points: 1.) There are no Blacks in the film. It is much like the crypto-fascist Star Wars in this. Many Asians and other racial groups but no Blacks. This suggests at an almost sublimnal level that the have been replaced. 2.) Replicants do all the dirty, unpleasent, or dangerous jobs. Humans look down on them even though they are the equal (or superior) of humans in almost any way. 3.) When the police Sgt. refers to replicants as 'skin jobs' Deckard explicitly compares it to the n-word. 4.) Roy refers to himself a slave late in the film. 5.) Rachel talks about 'going north' to escape once she finds out she is a replicant. Much like escaped slaves went north to Canada. 6.) In a surreal scene, Pris paints most of her face black shortly before she is killed. 7.) Replicants are restricted to offworld colonies and can be attacked and killed by the police if the stray into the wrong part of town (Earth). Most of these scenes work on a sublimnal level but I think the intent is clear. At least Blade Runner is condemning racism rather than celebrating it as Star Wars does.
Responses to this message:
Post a response to this discussion thread