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Blade Runner Essay

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Blade Runner Essay
Category One – Context
Context investigates a text’s personal, social and historical context. Blade Runner, directed by Ridley Scott, was first released in 1982. At this time, computers were at an all-time high in popularity and productivity, businesses were booming and the environment was being ignored for financial profits. All of these values had an impact on the way Blade Runner was written and directed.
Blade Runner was released right in the middle of the ‘Computer-Age.’ This was the period in which computers were at their peak in popularity, and were moving away from the industrial sector and more into people’s households. This technology clearly influenced they way in which Blade Runner was directed, due to the amount of technology used in the film. Some examples of this technology include voice identification, video calling, and the Voight-Kampff machine.
Blade Runner was being filmed at a time where the global economy was booming, and the American economy was the most-powerful in the world. This is evident in the film, as the world of Blade Runner is filled with advertisements and commercials. There is also a rise in markets and small shops, indicating a huge economy and revenue potential.
This commercialism gave way to a lack of environmental care, and this is also part of the context of the film. Financial profits were the focus in the late 70s, early 80s, and therefore the environment was sacrificed to make more money. Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner takes this to the extreme, creating a worldspace that is virtually void of nature and animals.
The film’s social and historical context has clearly shaped the way in which Ridley Scott has directed the movie Blade Runner.
Category Two – Characters
Rachael is an experiment of Eldon Tyrell. She is a replicant who has been implanted with the memories of Tyrell’s niece, in an attempt to help her cope with situations and develop her emotions in a more realistic way. If this experiment is successful, Tyrell

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