Why are there 5 versions of Blade Runner?
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- Опубликовано: 5 окт 2017
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Why are there five versions of Blade Runner? Why were there changes that we so important as to warrant four rounds of edits? This video is a brief history of the five versions as well as discussing what the three major differences were and why they are important. 
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I always thought that the unicorn represents his desire for Rachel even knowing that she is not real.
That probably the intention, Scott didn't start with the 'is Deckard a replicant' thing until years later. The dream footage was just filmed for the movie Legend, and no one who worked on the movie or read the original script had seen or heard anything about this 'is he a replicant' crap. Scott just tacked it on later :/
I always thought the unicorn origami just ment gaff was there and they missed him. Like a death card.
Yes, deckard being a replicant was an afterthought .
@@OneUponADime am I misremembering or doesn't Deckard have the same eye glow at one point? Only the replicants have that
@@matthewklein9225 ffffff you may be right, I know there's something about the eyes
The best versions are INTERNATIONAL and FINAL cuts
As few others have mentioned it, Theatrical Cut is the one I grew up with. I remember around 1986 (or was it 1988), I was 10 (or 12) at the time, watching it on tv. I was mesmerized by the visuals and the bleak atmosphere of the 2019 LA. From then on, and for a while, it was how I imagined "the future".
Ford's narration is what gives it that detective, noir feeling. It felt like watching some Bogart's movie, set in the future.
Through later cuts, it's been implied that Deckard is a replicant, too. But, I always thought of him as a human, tired and devoid of all emotions, from the job he's been doing - "retiring" replicants. And, to me, his narration sounds just like that - tired and unemotional.
As said in narration: "Replicants weren't supposed to have feelings. Neither were Blade Runners". But, then Rachel appeared ...
It is one of those movies I'll watch whenever I bump into it on tv. But, as soon as I notice that there is no narration, I turn the tv off and turn my pc on, for Theatrical Cut, I have archived there.
Yes! I love the voice over. It the version I grew up with (the international cut) and learned to love.
I can’t stand the voice over. Ruins the movie for me
There are a couple of other key changes: 1) The additional violence such as Tyrell's eyes being gouged out, this is in only the international cut and the final cut and 2) The enhanced special effects and this is in only the final cut.
What enhanced special effects?
@@kurvos In the opening, the effects were updated and the lightning bolts are more in synch with the music.
Ford's Voice Over narration is a masterpiece. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
Yes!!! 👍👍👍👍
Exactly! Have always loved it. His narration is as dead as his heart.
I like the noir, detective narration.
Yes! I like the voiceover as well.. i only heard it on my theatrical on my vhs (yeah vhs) copy of the movie after it came out. its a little tinkly its not Harrison's grungy voice of today but like said not everyone can be pleased all the time so that's my take on this masterpiece scifi film.
Wow it's rare to find a new good channel. I love your style!
2:40 No, it means that Gaff is giving Deckard a head start in getting away with Rachael before he comes after her
Findecanor Maybe your right. I never thought of that.
...and that him and Rachel are the unique “unicorns that need to run” because both have no expiration dates and both were implanted with a rich array of memories with no previous knowledge of being born as replicants, therefore they are prone to naturally respect human life more and both act much more human with far fewer quirks... far less of a threat to mankind than childhood-less off-world war-ravaged loose cannons on the run that know they are going to die very early deaths due to their programmed genetics and know no real memories other than the recent vicious wars they were tossed into from birth. They both represent the unicorn due to their uniqueness.... and like the unicorn running in the dream, to both get out of Dodge fast. I remember reading somewhere or seeing in one of the official documentaries that Gaff is the source of Deckard’s implanted personality and memories (ie: like Tyrell’s niece was to Rachel) and that’s why he is always staring and observing Deckard with a certain depth of interest, always knows exactly where he is at specific points when looking to track him down, predicts his every move before hand with origami and ultimately cares about him and Rachel escaping in the end.
+Findecanor
Thats just silly and forced .. your theory does not explain the choice of UNICORN rather than other shapes ... the unicorn dream connection with the unicorn origami is too glaring to be ignored blissfully, the cognitive dissonance will just eat away at the back of your mind ...
+langrafix
Personally, I think the unicorn appearing both as an origami and inside Deckard's dream is too difficult to ignore or be explained away by any theories other than that Gaff was privvy to Deckard's thought process which points to Deckard's hidden identity as a replicant...
As for why Ridley Scott chose unicorn rather than a sheep (the source novel is called "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep), there are 2 pretty obvious reasons ...
The first reason is that Ridley Scott's next movie Legend has unicorns in the script, so he cleverly include a unicorn scene in BR so that he can use the experience of shooting BR's unicorn scene to prepare himself in advance to familiarise on how to get the unicorns right for his next movie.
The second reason for using unicorn is that a unicorn is obviously a lot more elegant and poetic as a visual symbolism than a sheep ... using a sheep in Deckard's dream easily risks looking a little silly ...
(I also take this opportunity to debunk the widespread myth that BR's unicorn scene was taken from Legend, not its not, Legend's shooting has not even begun so its impossible to borrow any footage from it ... its a fact that the unicorn scene was shot during BR's original production schedule and was supposed to be included in the original theatrical cut but was excluded due to the financier's insistence that it be removed)
Notes
0:47 2:20
0:55 Three Main Differences
1:42 Voice-over (#1)
1:55 Happy ending (#2)
2:50 Unicorn daydream (#3)
2:54 *TL:DR Summary*
I hope Ridley Scott one day releases the 4 hour version of the film.
Re-watched the Directors Cut again yesterday. Still amazing. 2049 was really good too.
Final cut looks more beautiful than Director's cut.
There are 7 versions, and some rumours say there are 8.
there is 14 versions and all so 24 fan edit versions and all so about 50 fan films
rigomortisfxstudios If you include the Japanese bootleg cut and the 7 German versions from a parallel dimension, that brings the total to 58 versions.
@@gregs7519 Actually 116 versions if you watch the lot in Black and White..".Noir"
+James Lumsden-Keys Visual Media
Actually there are still even more very visually impressive unused footages not seen in any of the cuts ... its possible to create another 5 more versions with those in the future, its just not enough if you're a real BR fan...
actually its 249 versions cuz dr strange open the portal to another universe
I had no idea these existed, and I don't know which version I saw! I knew about the unicorn dream, but I don't remember seeing it and I wonder if this is why...
Best never to check so as to maintain the ambiguity of my own character.
Keep up the good work!
You knew about the unicorn dream but didn't remember it because you're a replicant.
@@lauratiso Beat me to it.....by two years....
Great analysis mate!
I like the voice over. It adds to the film noir feeling. the lack luster delivery make Deckard sound jaded
The voiceover version was the one I grew up with, so it will always be the original for me. I saw the Director's Cut in the theater when it was released and it felt weird NOT hearing the voiceover,
Through the years I have gotten used to the Director's Cut, but sometimes for nostalgia I watch the Theatrical or International Cut.
The Final Cut is almost identical to the Director's Cut so I don't really think of them as different versions.
For people who are not really into science fiction, I think the Theatrical version is the best one to show them because it's more like reading a book as opposed to relying on your own imagination.
I'm one of the few people who consider Blade Runner 2049 a masterpiece.
spotted it on a small video store shelf in 85, wondered why a well produced sci/fi philosophic film i had never seen before, slip through the cracks...hhmm curious? 🤔
I'm personally not too fond of the original Blade Runner - the effects are awesome and the actors do an excellent job, especially Rutger Hauer, who outshone even Harrison Ford here - but the story was lacking some serious momentum and narrative drive (it felt slow as hell at times and the confrontations with the replicants - which are technically genetic cyborgs (organic robots created from synthetic DNA) as opposed to regular androids - always felt to me like they pulled back their punches with the impact), plus Ridley Scott is now notorious for lacking the ability to properly tell a good story - I consider "Alien" to be Scott's true masterpiece and the only such example in his filmography, although "Blade Runner" is passable at best.
As for "Blade Runner 2049" I agree - that movie IS a masterpiece and then some. That film's director wiped the floor with Scotty boy...
Amazing content, good video. I'm looking forward to your future work
Great video! Just watched Blade Runner (theatrical)for the first time. Having never watched any other versions before, my interpretation of the unicorn origami at the end symbolized Rachel's uniqueness, even as a replicant. Awesome movie, by the way :)
at the ending credits, the aerial mountain footage is the same footage as the beginning of The Shining
Orange County they are not used on the movie (Shining).
But they are taken from that movie.
Unused scenes. :)
Youre videos are brilliant mate. Keep making more!! 💕
Another good video essay channel thank god
Cool! Hope you will get best of the youtube
Thanks! I'm finally going to watch the final cut soon, and than I will come back to this video
Love your channel but when are you gonna tell us how you would fix the ice lake fight in game of thrones. I really liked how you fixed the timeline and general absurdity of the wight capture and am hungry for more
Hey dude thanks for the spoiler warning I’m gonna watch the 2007 movie and I’ll be back !
It's been 1 year :(
Yeah, man. Did you like it... or LOVE it?
@@felipemartinez9140 it's been 2
He never returned
Oh I totally forgot to reply , yeah the movie was awesome definitely on my top 10, but I still have to watch the new one, did you guys like it ?
Technicallly the workprint was shown in theatres in the early 1990’s though Ridley Scott disapproved of it.
The final cut was the first blu ray I ever got and it truly is great. I’d recommend this version.
Darth Jar-Jar Same here. Got the 4K Blu-ray and was blown away with the Final Cut of Blade Runner.
Doesn't anyone remember seeing the rhinoceros sculpture on the shelf in Deckards room? He seemed to have an obsession with rhino (the real life animal to the fabled unicorn). Dig a little deeper and you'll see the link between the two since ancient times.
Deckard was just a worn out exterminator. He was not a replicant. Roy Batty would have called him out if he were one. The dialogue pointed that out in a few scenes.
- Batty addressing Deckard in the finger breaking scene:
"Proud of yourself little man?"
- Batty to Deckard in the dying scene:
"I've seen things you PEOPLE wouldn't believe..."
Fascinating stuff. Thanks for clearing that up! I think I've only seen the version with the bad voice over.
Ashley Olsen yeah most people have seen the theatrical cut, because that’s what plays on TV, Netflix etc.
My favorite will always be the International Theatrical Release. I liked the Gum Shoe Detective narration, and disliked even the concept of the Unicorn Dream, as it entirely changes Deckard. In the originals, we don't even contemplate as to if he's human or not... Also ending it at the elevator makes it end empty and wanting. After all that darkness, a happy ending seemed a lot more open to future endeavors.
This is really good!!
I disagree with the assessment that the origami unicorn's only significance is to imply Gaff is nearby wthout the unicorn daydream. Every other Gaff origami has metaphorical significance and in the workprint edition the unicorn origami is no different. It implies an element of human imagination and human creation, suggesting that Deckard may be artificially created. I dont think it needs to directly reference a memory implantation to make the audience question if Deckard is a replicant. If anything, the unicorn daydream makes the answer TOO obvious. Personally, I prefer the workprint.
What a beautiful post - I love you.
Gaf's line at the end says "Good Work You Did A Man's Job" meaning Deckard was a replicant. Best SI Fi EVER..
Thank you! I have always seen bits of this movie but I just saw the final cut I wasn’t sure if I saw the correct one lol
Great video!
The photo you used for the international cut, read in katakana "Director's Cut" from ディレクターズカット。
I actually like the final monologue where he says "the replicant loved life even mine" really added to the emotion of the scene but I prefer the more ambiguous ending where they just leave in the elevator end film. The happier ending spells things out too much.
Based off your chart at the end it doesn't look like there's any difference between the 1992 version and 2007 version. Was it just a rerelease or are there other differences that wouldn't fit on a simplified chart like that?
They're pretty much the same but mainly the quality of the video and audio was greatly improved
The Final Cut includes more violent inserts, like the international cut, and those shots are not in the 1992 version.
Also the Final Cut has a different work on colors, and is closer to what Ridley Scott wanted originally (you can find visual comparisons on RUclips). That's why Final Cut is considered THE version to watch.
@@azb2a Apparently Scott still doesn't think it's the definitive cut though. I think he wants to release another at some point.
@@MediaMuse They're very different.
They are very similar but the 2007-version has a number of shots where the special effects were re-done. For example some shots in the opening sequence were redone with CGI where the original shots were of models. Also the scene with Zhora being shot was redone because apparently in the original version it was clear that the scene featured a stunt double instead of the actress Joanna Cassidy. There are also a number of minor differences with certain scenes and both the audio and video have been improved. But still both versions are very similar..
Hey I've watched all your videos, I really enjoy video essay channels and your style on them is very enjoyable as well. I'm in the middle of writing/planning to make a video essay channel of my own taking a more methodical/serious look at story telling in gameplay, since most reviewers/youtubers don't look at them in an academic/critical way. You've had some amazing success very quickly for just starting out, any advice of where and how to publicize myself/channel when I start putting videos out(should be next month) to give my channel a chance?
up all night to get lucky
Honestly I just got a bit lucky that people are crazy for Rick and Morty. Other than that, I'd just make sure you do all the proper SEO and maybe post on the appropriate subreddit(s) and hope it gets some traction there. Beyond that, just make videos that you're proud of, and hopefully they do well :)
Well thanks I appreciate the help, when I upload I will probably comment again or message to see if I can get your opinion.
The voice-over actually adds to the storyline; because, it comes off as/it sounds like a spoken version of a journal, if Deckard had kept one. By allowing you to hear his thoughts, it makes him sound more humane, more human, thereby, at least, decreasing the possibility that he is a replicant in, at least, those versions of the film.
In contrast, no voice-over implies that he is a replicant because he has no humanity to draw from, upon which & fore there to be a voice-over. This is added to by the unicorn dream scene which implies an implanted memory; reinforced by Gaff's origami unicorn, implying that he knows that Deckard is a replicant.
Whether Hampton Fancher and/or Ridley Scott intended the different versions of the film to portray these alternate realities, all of them, is not clear. It is exactly how it turned out though.
Which versions have the poorly dubbed dialogue as Deckard roughs up the store owner (I think it was to get the lead regarding the snake skin)?
What is the name of the song starting at 3:12-3:21?
I need to watch the final cut! I've only seen blade runner once and as soon as Harrison started talking I remember think "ahh so you're just gonna spell it out for us huh? Great."
There are seven versions. He left out the San Diega sneak preview, which included there shots not featured in any other version including the workprint, and the 1986 CBS brodcast, which was tones down.
I like all the versions, but loathe the unicorn scene. It’s so unicorny.
Isn’t the music score different also? I remember seeing a cut of Blade Runner that didn’t have Vangelis music.
The voice over is excellent because of its dead pan flatness and because it adds a layer to the film absent in most movies. Cleaning this film up was a bad idea.
Are there any key differences when comparing the US & International Cuts? International Cut has more violence, but anything else?
well since deckard surpassed the 4 year life expectancy established in the first blade runner he cant be a replicant or am i missing something?
phunkym8 the Blade Runner 2049 is also a replicant.
They are just designed that way.
So they won't develop own feelings and do things that Tyrrel wasn't approved etc.
i like the final the best its my favourite but i think the happy ending works if your going into 2049
What what’s the difference between watching the directors cut and final cut?
There needs to be a version where Roy Batty is leading his combat team in the interstellar war.
There is, it's called Batman.
Jokes aside, The Soldier is considered to be in the BR Universe as is Alien.
The theatrical cut isn't my favorite but it isn't bad. I saw it for the first time only a few years ago after having seen the directors cut dozens of times, and it was fine. The voice over changes the tone of the film a bit but it is still enjoyable. The final cut will always be my favorite though: the film doesn't need a voice over and not having it adds to the mood.
Btw: apparently even the Final cut isn't the definitive version of the film. I seem to remember Ridley Scott saying that even that version doesn't include everything that he wanted to have in the film. Blade Runner sure is a version-afficiendo's dream.
I saw the Theatrical Cut first and I liked it. Then I saw the Director's Cut and I really liked it. Then I saw the Final Cut and fell in love.
I have the final cut, plus Harrison ford hated him being a replicant so he said he was human
No Voice Over - Unicorn - Happy Ending
Scott said he added the voice over because he didn't know what it meant when he watched it with the editor
Ridley said the voice over was not forced he said the film needed explanation when he saw it with the editor
It is interesting that Ford himself considered Deckard to be human. He felt that if Deckard is human and not a Replicant, then the audience would have somebody they could relate to. I agree. In my view both the Theatrical and International cuts are my favorites. I indeed saw Blade Runner at the cinema back in the summer of 1982 when I was 18 and I liked it. I though then, think now, and always will believe that the voice over, the "happy" ending, and the fact that Deckard is human gives everything a depth the other versions don't have. I do admire the Final Cut however, because it does clean up some really bad mistakes found in the other versions. Example - Zora crashing through the glass display windows as Deckard shoots her. We could tell its a stunt actress in the other versions (it just looks... phony). The Final Cut corrected this by making it look like Joanna Cassidy is going through that glass. Maybe on a future release they will give us the Final Cut version, but make the voiceovers as a separate track so those who like it can hear it and those who don't can skip it. Same with the ending. Incidentally there are four endings, Theatrical/International, Directors, and two deleted alternatives, Richter Road (my favorite) and Made For Each Other. We can chose which one we like. Wouldn't that be nice!
How is the happy ending deeper when the message of the film is you should live your life to the fullest no matter how much time you have left or even if you are not even a typical human to begin with. Leaving it so they'll go live life no matter what happens next is infinitely more deep than "we find a miracle cure lol".
@@R0CKDRIG0 Are we talking about Blade Runner because it sounds more like you just described an episode of "The Jetsons" more that BR.
I am still the only person left that hasn't seen Blade Runner. I bought the DVD and I mean to watch it and yet I am lazy thus never doing so.
I actually prefer the work print more than the final cut. The reason being that it cuts the unicorn scene. That scene confirms the theory that deckard is a replicant but I find the film to be stronger if he is not, or already if it’s ambiguous. If he’s human then the movie becomes a parable about what it means to have humanity, with an ironic story of a human man rediscovering that humanity through retiring these “non human” replicants. The fact that the replicants feel more human, more emotional and living, than any of the real human characters, deckard included, is a fascinating idea which really drives the films message home. If you have the unicorn scene in there, all that gets erased unfortunately. This is why he’s not a replicant in the book or in the original script of the film. It was Scott’s idea to make him a replicant, no one else’s
Thanks
What about the criminal theatrical version?
Why would it ever be considered if Dekard was a replicant?? Sounds like that would be a major slap in the face to the entire premise of the film. It also would make 2049 worthless because its far less profound that 2 replicants made a child than a human and a replicant.
If this is the future with interstellar travel, why is Deckard reading a paper newspaper?
The voice over and the happy ending are both in the screenplay.
totally incorrect, both were forced by the producers, specifically after test screenings were done. Do you just make stuff up?
@@dankeplacei thought there was some narrative in the original screenplay harrison saw, thus why he said “i play a detective who doesnt do any detecting, how about putting some of this in scenes”
@@knightfall9394 Ford was forced to do the VO when the producers felt that no one knew what was going on, so Ford tried to do it as bad as possible in hope that it would not be usable.
I loved them all.... though I agree, the final cut is probably the best vision. I did enjoy the voice over, it gives a bit more nuisance to the noir style of the film.
cool
The happy ending just goes against everything shown in the film to that point, so it was never going to fit even if you had a voice over explaining it.
can I buy theatrical cut?
Genchmen dvd 5 disc version should have it
@@malik87breaker there is this set on amazon.com. Where else can I fınd it?
More blade runner talk please?
Harrisons voice issupposed to be down and depressed because if you read the book Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, Deckard is getting crap from his wife and hates his job.
Blade runner was distributed by The Ladd Company
My view is that he isn't a replicant. It just seems too cliche. The idea of a human falling in love with a replicant and vise versa is more deep to me.
Van Cleef Terror of Ariandel "have you tested the voight kampff yourself?".
When i think about it.
He was constructed like that.
Which is why he and Rachel works so well together. Also check out 2049.
It's great :)
the 1982 theatrical version is my version cause its the one i saw with my parents
Happu ending? Really? That's hilarious.
Different versions that you can no longer find anywhere.
Try getting the original with Deckard's voice-over on dvd.
😖
Why was there never a Blade Runner video game?
If you're a die hard Blade Runner fan...does it matter? The more movies the better no matter how different they may be.
Deckard is a replicant. He didn't die in that radioactive place he settled in in 2049
Then why were there bees if it’s radioactive?
@@BL-mf3jp because Bees make radiation, DERP.
A unicorn is a mythological beast that can only be captured by a virgin. Anyhow, it’s a sissy thing to dream about. Sort of like my little pony.
Actually there are 7.
Which 2 is he missing
The San Diego sneak peek version and the edited for TV version.
lol I watched the movie in spanish and that movie only have the voice over and the unicornd dream but no the happy ending
International version is the best. Voice-over is perfectly fine.
said no one ever.
Is there a fanedit of the Final Cut that includes the voice-over ?
Could have given us a few more second with the chart, that was pretty neat but I had to pause and find it again.
Long live PKD
I think it's obvious Decker is human. My two cents.
... in order to make Mo Money, Mo Money, Mo Money
2049 destroys the whole unicorn thing, becuase gaff and rick are both human which makes the original unicorn less sense
IMO (and I'm not the only one) that thinks that Deckard being a replicant makes no sense, and takes away his arc.
so i rent final cut :3
There is no perfect cut. The unicorn thing should be removed. He should not be a replicant. It ruins the story.
Deckard is a replicant it's pretty obvious
0:50 WOW that's a very loaded, inaccurate, missleading and untruthful statement.
Thank you. This guy presents his opinions as facts, it’s very irritating
Voice over is my favorite version gives it more film noir.
I've only seen the original cut with the voice over and happy ending and without the unicorn dream, but for me that's the best. I like the voice overs, at least the Spanish dub is not as bad as the lazy reading Harrison Ford does in the English version, it gives the film a classic noir film touch and also helps the story to be more understandable. The "happy" ending doesn't bother me at all and helps to connect with the sequel 2049, showing us how they run away from the city and hid in the woods... As for the unicorn dream, I hate the idea of Deckard being a replicant and I feel it's completely stupid and unnecessary. The film'w main message change a lot if Deckard is a Replicant, so for me that unicorn scene is definitely worse than the "happy" ending.
There should have been zero versions of the sequel.
Thanks for the breakdown. Another weird thing about the narration is the use of the N-word. It's like an awkward uncle. Who's saying a nice thing, but inappropriately.
At first I thought the unicorn coincidence was something to mess with you, like the top in Inception. He's not a replicant, but it creates drama/mystery. But then what is the point of the coincidence? My theory is that the unicorn is Rachel. She's different than any other. The detective figured it out (It's too bad she won't live!) The unicorn both affirmed that he knew, but that she was also letting them go. He left it in the apartment, he could have "retired" her.
Theatrical cut is by far the best version.
Theatrical is the best. 1000%