Is Deckard A Replicant? A Discussion On Blade Runner

I came across a great channel ‘Down The Rabbit Hole’ and a video discussing the fact that Deckard – the police officer played by Harrison Ford – is thought to be a Replicator by some fans.

Check out the video here:

Bladerunner, absolutely love this movie. Mr Scott (director) supposedly crankily said that “if people don’t get Deckard is a replicant they’re morons”, well then I am a moron too as I deem Deckard not a replicant. Here’s why.

It’s a matter of interpretation of some things that can be interpreted both ways. Deckard being a replicant serves no function in the movie and it would actually weaken the story and the contrast of the human going after the replicant(s) that desperately want to be human. And the tension in the scene where the ultimate human altruistic thing to do is the replicant saving the human Deckard who had been hunting him down all the time.

The perceived ambiguity of Deckard’s identity is a (mis)interpretation of Deckard being philosophical questioning the differences between humans and replicants which is being emphasized by the human behaviour of the androids and Deckard’s experiences and thoughts that there is perhaps no difference between replicants and humans on so many levels. He and Rachel shared a connection, a love that he was thoughts replicants couldn’t have. Yet he felt it. He was not talking about himself, he was focused on Rachel, not himself so was talking about Rachel when he said replicants should have no feelings… That would make huning them easy, and now it is not and it hurts it pains him to do so. That pain both the Androids and Deckard feel make the story a deep one, with a metaphysical layer. If Deckard is made to be an Android the story looses a lot of its tension.

The Director’s cut flirts with the idea of Deckard being a Replicant, especially with the piano scene where his hand cramps up, the origami etc etc. The other cuts leave more room for different interpretations a more philosophical approach that I perceive to be there…

Oh sure Scott has the final word on the matter, but the thing is that in the scripts and the movie there are a lot of things that can be interpreted in different ways – Deckard being human or a replicator. Scott takes that mystery away decades after the movie was cut by ‘insulting’ his audience stating that they are morons if they didn’t get the fact that Deckard was an Android.

It is known that Ridley Scott tends to respond with a temper tantrum (overt or subtle) if he gets frustrated. Ridley Scott becomes very irritable and bad-tempered. Could it be that on one of the many conventions mr Scott was ticked off by the umpteenth time people asked if Deckard was an Android that he sarcastically replied “people are morons if they still don’t get Deckard was an Android?” So I and others clearly perceive a philosophical layer the writers put in that mr Scott at some point decades later clearly states isn’t there.

I don’t think that on any of the movie discs and extras mr Scott ever states or it is ever clearly stated that Deckard is an android, it’s never adressed directly and thus open to interpretation, that’s in fact the whole point of the movie. Of course he can change his mind – but I think that’s just Mr Scott being mr Scott.

Lots of books, movies and stories can be interpreted different ways. I as a reader, viewer pick out the things that I get from it. It becomes my version, my truth. Often authors themselves being interviewed get surprised by what readers find in their stories and often entertain those different interpretations. In literature class it was always encouraged to discuss various view points and experiences and interpretations.

The Plane in Cassablanca flies away there’s no room for any other interpretation. It’s sad and it happened. The identity of both humans and replicators in Bladerunner is probed and examined throughout the movie, and the fact that viewers are not of a single mind is to the credit of the writers and the directors. It is meant to be ambiguous. That’s part of the power of the story.

If you want to think Deckard’s the Android that’s fine. It never crossed my mind when watching the movies.

My 2 cents.

Check out the Down The Rabbit Hole channel here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNDtzaR6ujHuGymNPlT2a1A