Now considered a seminal achievement in cyberpunk sci-fi cinema, Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner stumbled out of the blocks in 1982. Made for $30 million, the film barely broke even at the domestic box office before grossing $39.5 million worldwide. In the decades following its theatrical release, the movie surpassed cult classic status to be recognized as one of the most landmark, visionary science fiction films ever made. Since 1993, the film has been preserved in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for its cultural relevance.
Even so, the most diehard Blade Runner fans may not realize that seven different versions of the film were fashioned throughout the years. Steadily refining his unwavering vision with each pass, Ridley Scott finally put his stamp of approval on Blade Runner with his 2007 Director’s Cut, the definitive version of the movie that has since solidified its all-time greatness in the annals of sci-fi cinema.
‘Blade Runner’ Overcame Its Box Office Performance to Achieve Cult Status
Based on Philip K. Dick’s dystopian sci-fi novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Blade Runner tells the story of Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a bounty hunter (known as a Blade Runner) tasked with locating synthetic human replicants and dispatching them. While many have debated whether Deckard is himself a replicant, the story takes place in Los Angeles in 2019, where urban decay is juxtaposed with futuristic high-tech architecture, flying cars, and neon-soaked cyberpunk aesthetics.
Assigned to retire four illegal Nexus-6 replicants hiding somewhere in the city, including Leon (Brion James), Zhora (Joanna Cassidy), Pris (Daryl Hannah), and Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer), Deckard tracks them down through dark, dangerous metropolitan caverns unlike anything seen on the big screen before. A true visual marvel for the ages, Deckard’s investigations become complicated upon learning that some replicants have been implanted with false memories that make it hard to distinguish if they are human or not.
Released in June 1982, Blade Runner underperformed at the domestic box office. The film grossed $32.6 million in the U.S. and Canada on a $30 million budget, ultimately adding another $7 million for a $39.5 million worldwide take. The film fared slightly better critically, with many lauding Scott’s futuristic vision brought to life by Jordan Cronenweth’s vivid cinematography, Vangelis’ haunting score, and Lawrence G. Paull’s arresting cyberpunk production design, which proved far ahead of its time.
Still, some critics thought that the movie was too confusing, philosophical, slow-moving, and hard to follow. Such misgivings prompted several controversial edits mandated by studio executives, resulting in seven different versions of the film.
Seven Different Versions of ‘Blade Runner’ Resulted From Studio Interference
From 1982 to 2007, seven versions of Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner were exhibited in some form. In March 1982, a “Workprint” was presented to test audiences in Dallas and Denver. The 113-minute workprint (also shown in L.A. and San Francisco in 1990 and1991) did not test well, forcing Scott to make changes for the U.S. theatrical release.
The first round of edits led to the second version, a sneak preview in San Diego that was nearly identical to the version that would open in America in June 1982. The alterations made included three additional scenes, including Roy Batty’s intro in a video phone booth, Deckard restocking a weapon after Batty breaks his fingers, and a shot of Deckard and Rachael (Sean Young) happily veering into the sunset.
This happy ending was maintained in the theatrical version of Scott’s impressive movie released in the U.S. on June 5, 1982. This third version also featured Deckard’s voice-over narration, which explains too much and unnecessarily demystifies the movie’s compelling mystery. Since Scott didn’t have final cut power, he didn’t commission the voiceover. Instead, studio executives added it as they felt the audience was too confused without spoon-fed explication. This incensed Scott and Ford to no end, prompting more changes in the coming years.
Released in Asia, Australia, and Europe in 1982, the fourth version of Blade Runner (known as the “Unrated Version” or “Criterion Edition”) retained the voice-over narration but added three ultra-violent scenes, increasing the runtime to 117 minutes.
In 1992, Ridley Scott approved the fifth iteration of Blade Runner, billed as the “Director’s Cut.” At 116 minutes, the “Director’s Cut” applied the notes Scott gave to film preserver Michael Arick. The most drastic changes included eliminating Deckard’s narration, adding Deckard’s dream about a unicorn, and excising the so-called happy ending with Deckard and Rachael. Although a U.S. Broadcast Cut counts towards Blade Runner‘s seven versions, Scott finally fashioned his definitive, uncompromised version with the 2007 release of Blade Runner’s Final Cut.
Ridley Scott’s 2007 Final Cut Solidifies ‘Blade Runner’s All-Time Greatness
Although it took 25 years between 1982 and 2007, Ridley Scott finally edited Blade Runner to perfection in The Final Cut. Warner Bros. released Final Cut in theaters in October 2007 before the film hit DVD, HD DVD, and Blu-ray in December 2007. The definitive 117-minute version is precisely what Scott had always envisioned for the film, marking the only time that he had full creative license and editorial power to arrange the film as he saw fit.
The most significant changes made to the Final Cut include the removal of Deckard’s narration and the purported happy ending with Deckard and Rachael heading into the sunset. The Final Cut also included Deckard’s unicorn dream sequence, which was falsely rumored to be a deleted shot from Ridley Scott’s 1985 fantasy film Legend. Smaller changes involved audiovisual enhancement, including digitally removing spinning wires suspending Zhora, with Joanna Cassidy replaced with her more nimble stunt double.
Additionally, the hypnotic opening shot of the all-seeing eye reflecting city lights was digitally upgraded and slightly altered to have a dilated iris. Improved color grading also took place to polish the movie’s visual splendor. Finally, brief flickers of footage were added, including extra dialogue in Leon’s interrogation scene.
By chiseling the film down to its essentials, adding a bit here, subtracting a bit there, Scott ensured that Blade Runner will forever be enshrined in cinematic history as one of the greatest dystopian sci-fi tales ever made. Not only did the film lay the groundwork for the cyberpunk aesthetic that has often been imitated but never duplicated across the media spectrum, but it also plays just as well today as it did in 1982. The fundamental question posed by Dick’s source novel (do synthetic beings possess a soul?) has never been more relevant than today, given rapid AI advancements.
Beyond the existential themes of Blade Runner, the performances still soar all these years later. Ford’s ambiguous nature as Deckard (is he or is he not a replicant?) is forever crystallized in mystery, while the late Rutger Hauer arguably does his best work as the semi-soulful replicant Roy Batty. The colorful supporting characterizations by Hannah, Young, James, and veterans like Joe Turkel as Eldon Tyrell and M. Emmet Walsh as Bryant, and James Hong as Cannibal Chew, shade the film with unforgettable results.
Blade Runner was wildly misunderstood during its initial release. However, now it’s hailed as a paragon of dystopian, cyberpunk science fiction. The film holds an 89% Rotten Tomatoes score (and a 91% Audience Score), an 84 Metascore, and is ranked #196 on IMDb’s Top 250 Movies with an 8.1 rating. It may have taken 25 years for Scott to edit his unique vision, but the last 20 years have proven that Blade Runner’s Final Cut was the right decision.
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