BLADE
RUNNER - THE DIRECTOR'S CUT
STARRING: Harrison Ford,
Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos, M Emmet Walsh, Daryl Hannah
1993, 112 Minutes, Directed by: Ridley Scott
 Description: This
version is so much better, mostly because of what's been eliminated (the
ludicrous and redundant voice-over narration and the phony happy ending) rather
than what's been added (a bit more character development and a brief unicorn
dream). Star Harrison Ford originally recorded the narration under duress at the
insistence of Warner Bros. executives who thought the story needed further
"explanation"; he later confessed that he thought if he did it badly they
wouldn't use it. —
Amazon.com
Steven Spielberg started it with his Special Edition version of Close
Encounters of the Third Kind. Director James Cameron made a habit out of it by
releasing Aliens - Special Edition and Special Edition
versions of The Abyss and Terminator 2
- Judgment Day. (No doubt we’ll be seeing a special edition of version of his Titanic
hit one day as well.) And George Lucas made a bundle out of it with his Star Wars - Special Edition.
But directors have been
releasing versions of their films that are different from the ones seen on the
big screen initially for quite a while now. Sometimes they are longer,
better, merely adds or removes this or that scene. Most of them find a home on
the video shelves although a few of them made limited, if not major, release in
cinemas.
This particular version of
Blade Runner isn’t only available on video, but made
it to the big screen as well a few years ago. It is the version of the
film that Ridley Scott would have released back in 1982 if he could have and
its release has a convoluted history and finally made it our way because of the
huge cult following the film has garnered since its original release. (It was a commercial
disappointment upon its initial release.)
The changes made are:
- Dropping the Chandler-esque
voice over by Harrison Ford
- Adding some moments to the
love scenes between the Harrison Ford and Sean Young characters
- Fleshed out a few other
scenes
- Providing what Scott
himself describes as a “somewhat bleaker ending”
- Inserted a short dream
sequence involving a unicorn
The changes made to the movie
aren’t that considerable at first glance, but the sum of it adds up and in the
end this particular version of the film differs substantially from the original
cut.
It is a much improved film
and if you haven’t seen either versions then this is the one to check out.
If you have seen the original version, well, then I’m afraid that you’ll have to
see it again. Yes, it’s that good . . .
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