[Quiet Man Cometh]

Most of those reasons I would say don't necessarily prove he's a replicant (there are other possible reasons) but a few stick out. I guess like the original screen writer I don't consider answering that question to be all that important. I think if what he was mattered more, there would be a little more to it than a unicorn.

That "kinship" line always got me, because it was never clear to me what he actually said. What is 'kinship' or 'kingship?" Both to me have applicable but different possible meanings. I've been wanting to know what the script actually said.

"Ridley Scott said so" is probably the only solid argument, in my opinion. The rest of it is as ambiguous as the conclusion if you take that detail out.

[trystan830]

also, when i read Androids, i thought Deckard was human. i thought that way when i saw the movie too, so i'm willing to bet that i've only seen the US theatrical version. the question the movie ends with is that is Sean Young's character (Rachel) a replicant?

[Moonshadow]

Well in the beginning of the movie when Rachael takes the Voight-Kampff test given by Deckard at the Tyrell Corporation, Deckard says to Tyrell "does she know?" Then they discuss how many questions it took to determine that she was a Replicant.
I am dying to see the sequel because perhaps those questions will be definitely answered, especially the one about Deckard. But Rachael was definitely one because Tyrell said so in the movie.

I remember the test was to determine if the replicants had empathy, which they did not possess, they could implant memories, but they could not make them "human".

[trystan830]

yeah, i want to see the new movie too.

and yes, i need a rewatch - i thought Deckard saying "does she know?" was at the end of the movie.... o_O

[Moonshadow]

Damn I'm pretty sure it was the beginning, because I have seen the theatrical release and the Director's Cut about 20 times total. But not for a long time, so ... gotta rewatch it.

This is the one I have, plus the blu-ray of the Final Cut.

[trystan830]

movie night!!! :D

[Moonshadow]

Yeah! too bad we cant all meet at my house, popcorn, beverages and a night of Blade Runner!!!

[Quiet Man Cometh]

The VK test isn't to see if Replicants have emphathy. It's already known/assumed that they don't (this is much more obvious in the book with the scene with the spider) and the VK test finds them by testing that empathy. Rachel is a replicant but does not know initially, so her reactions to the questions appear to be genuine, and she almost passes but Deckard trips her up with a surprise question and she doesn't react quite fast enough to prove legitimate empathy.

It's worth reading the book because they approach to empathy is so different. Roy Batty's character is dramatically different, as is Deckard. Deckard is married, and there is a whole religious movement that works from empathy and emotion.

EDIT: there is also an electric sheep. ;)

[Moonshadow]

Good points!
Mechanical animals are a status symbol in a world where all the animals are dead!
I remember that from both the movie and the book.

[Quiet Man Cometh]

Originally Posted by Moonshadow

Good points!
Mechanical animals are a status symbol in a world where all the animals are dead!
I remember that from both the movie and the book.

Not entirely. They aren't all dead, so the real status symbols are the living ones. Again, this comes up more in the book. It's seen in the movie when Deckard asks if the owl in Tyrell corp is real, and when he's talking to the stripper and asking if her snake is real to which she replies along the lines of "do you think I'd be working here if I could afford a real one?"

This is why I find it hard to compare the book and the film. They focus on such different points, that I can't legit say if the movie is better than the book or vice versa, as people often do. There is just too much variance.

[trystan830]

from my hazy recollections, there was only a nod to the animals in the movie. but as we've seen, i could be wrong.

also - road trip!!! *plugs in Moonshadow's city into google maps* i can be there in about 7 hours? so says google maps, anyway! XD

[Quiet Man Cometh]

7 hours? That's less than a day! Used to take me longer than that to get to my specialist.

Edited my above post a bit. So much chatter here I think I've missed stuff.

Now I'm thinking of picking up a copy of "Electric Sheep" again. I gave my copy to my local library before I moved away since they didn't have one.

[trystan830]

and yes, i do agree that a movie made from a book focuses on different things sometimes. the trick of a scriptwriter and/or movie producer is what part of the original book do they want to focus on. i think it's why the longer the story or the more involved the story is, sometimes the more basic the movie is.

after dealing with the fandom of one show (that i still love and watch) the fandom hated when the two characters were split up and they each had their own plot. it was as if that segment of the fandom couldn't handle two plots. gods forbid if they read the Game of Thrones series, or watched a show with a huge ensemble.

but, of course, that's all my opinion on the books to movies and why the movies are different. XD

[Quiet Man Cometh]

I mean moreso than the usual book vs. movie debate. I can still see the parallels between LOTR books and films, and I find it's much easier to compare those two, or I Am Legend book vs. film, but not at all with Electric Sheep and Blade Runner.

[trystan830]

yeah, there are some movies that do justice to their source material. =)

[Moonshadow]

One movie that did justice to the book is Cloud Atlas. I read the book and a week later saw the movie and they can easily stand alone. A beautiful adaptation of a book that consider a classic. One of the finest genre bending books I've ever read!

I really recommend the movie. Like every other David Mitchell book it has to be read fast in order to get in the flow of the story. So watch the movie it was a loyal adaptation of the book.