The Blade Runner

The Blade runner (1982) is one of the most influential films in terms of production design.
Dealing with a dystopian future and set in an urban environment, it is a strange mixture of new
technology and old elements that have adapted to the new conditions. This is also one of the
themes of the film and therefore very prevalent throughout the film especially through the
visuals.
Another major theme is the vision of the future and the conception of the impact of genetic
engineering, yet it is not a ‘serious picture’ with this basic idea being rejected in the production
design. With everything looking like it has to be jacked up a bit to be able to work at all.
Set in Los Angeles the film combines its futuristic look with recognisable details from the
current architecture. This has now become a very popular look in science fiction films to show
how the decay and destruction of a dystopian world would affect the one we currently know.
Another aesthetic that was introduced and is now a widely accepted visual of most dystopian
fiction is the use of neon colours and lights. Using this to show a more recognisable future
similar to the commercial districts in Asian in the 80s from cities like Hong Kong. This neon
lighting also added in terms of lighting and how it added areas of sharp darkness in the frame.
Also it sometimes showed unmotivated light sources which adds to the chaotic feel of the the
whole film.
Yet there is a marked difference in the colour palette of the street and the inside of Tyrell Corp.
While the street is densely populated with lots of colours the inside of Tyrell Corp is too
spacious with earthy colours that blend with the colours of the sky and the costumes worn by the
characters, creating an impactful and amplified ascetic and emotional texture.
The film also draws inspiration from German Expressionism, and Metropolis is a heavy
influence on it. One of the most obvious places this is seen is in the tower which has major
similarities to the tower of Babel which is very similar to the massive structure seen in blade
runner with the rich living spaciously above the city streets which are overcrowded and at the
lowest level. Even the structures and the way they have been built follow many of the same
principles showing the many layers of the set from the ground up.
Due to the set being such a huge part of the film it takes on more than just being part of the
background against which everything is happening having as much of a role as the the characters
in concretizing the visuals, feel and emotional context. Not just through the neon lights and
architectural elements but also in the way everything has been placed, one clear example is how
we never see the sky as there is always something blocking it.
Overall this film changed the way hollywood looked at Si-fi, changing the norms of how
futuristic worlds would look. In fact Los Angeles in 2019 does look quite similar to the way it is
in the film.