Introduction
This paper aims to propose a discussion on science fiction movies and presents comparative analysis on two science fiction movies ‘Blade Runner’ and ‘Wall-E’. Both these movies have entertained audiences and made them acquainted with various innovative ideas of future world. There are various differences, as well as similarities in both these movies and both of them depict a glimpse of the world that is influenced heavily by the science. ‘Blade Runner’ is a granular science fiction that may have various differences with the movie Wall-E but on the basis of genre of both these movies, this paper proposes to analyze how these movies can be co-related.
Description/ Summary
Blade Runner film is an old science fiction movie that was released in year 1982. The film is directed by Ridley Scott and written by D. Peoples and H. Fancher. Story of Blade Runner is inspired by the novel “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?”. Rick Deckard who is the lead character in the movie is played by Harrison Ford. The movie shows future and Los Angeles in 2019. The plot of the film is knitted around replicants developed by using genetic engineering. The replicants are developed by Tyrell Corporation and indistinguishable from other humans. The use of replicants was ban on the earth and they were produced only to perform dangerous work in colonies located outside the earth.
Rick Deckard a retired police officer in the film performed the job of Blade Runner who was responsible for identifying and destroying replicants who came to earth. Deckard received information from a video on how to recognize replicants according to their emotions shown towards different questions. Deckard was informed by his former supervisor that four replicants have illegally come to earth, and he is responsible to destroy them. Four replicants in the movie Leon, Roy Batty, Zhora, and Pris played by B. James, R. Hauer, J. Cassidy, and D. Hannah respectively. The movie progresses showing Deckard identifying replicants and killing them one by one.
The film Wall-E is an animated science fiction movie that was released in 2008. The film is directed by Andrew Stanton and produced by Pixar. The story of the film is developed around Wall-E a robot. The robot is designed and developed for performing the work of cleaning of abandoned waste. The film is pure science fiction showing love, humanity and message of protecting earth. As movie progressed, Wall-E falls in love with EVE who is also a robot designed to perform some tasks in outer space. The film shows that in future technology will be superior and capable of developing robots that will exhibit emotions like human (Styanton and Knight).
The film shows that in year 2805, the earth will be filled with garbage due to mass consumption of variety of products promoted by Buy ‘n’ Large (BnL) a mega corporation. BnL decided to clean earth by transferring population to automated starliners and allocating responsibility of cleaning to Wall-E robots. However, BnL decided to close its plan and shutdown all the robots except one. This robot develops emotions due to long life experience of seven hundred years. Wall-E shows Eve his collection of plant and other artifacts that were stored in a truck. Eve stored plant in her and went on standby mode, but recovered by her ship. Wall-E along with Eve travelled to ‘Axiom’ by hiding in her ship.
The movie progress further showing how Wall-E and Eve together helped captain and unit in recalling the incorrect conclusion of the BnL Corporation, and GO-4 directive regarding no return to the earth as planet cannot be saved. In Axiom Wall-E unintentionally released malfunctioning robots. Angry Eve brings Wall-E to escape pod in order to send him on the earth, there they find plant. Wall-E escapes with the plant. Captain said that humankind should go back to the earth and perform work to restore their homes.
Analysis
Empathy is one of main common themes of both the movies. Love, feelings, compassion and emotions segregate machines from humans and this fact has been reiterated at times in both the movies. Rick Deckard’s life is spared by replicants Roy Batty and Rachael in Blade Runner. Rick Deckard expresses his surprise in these words, “I don't know why he saved my life. Maybe in those last moments he loved life more than he ever had before. Not just his life anybody's life my life” (Ford et al.).
Both movies, ‘Blade Runner’ and ‘Wall-E’ are science fiction movies. Wall-E is a computer animated science fiction movie while the movie, ‘Blade Runner’ portrays human replicants. ‘Wall-E’ is a comedy that entertains audiences on a lighter note while ‘Blade Runner’ is an action science fiction that presents science and technology in an apprehensive manner and indicates a number of things that keep pondering in the mind of audiences. Both of these movies depict threats of science and technology and suggest excessive use of technology has made machines perfect. It is suggested that machines have succeeded in gaining the power to think and even conspire against humans (Ford et al.).
Since both movies ‘Blade Runner’ and ‘Wall-E’ are science fictions, there is no portrayal of nature in both these movies. Blade Runner depicts nature in lesser amount though. In a scene, environment of the city lightens up all of a sudden when Roy Batty is going to kill Rick Deckard and Deckard’s life is spared. Audiences do not get to see any tree and greenery in movies. There is no portrayal of families and human emotions in movies ‘Blade Runner’ and Wall-E.
Though humans are portrayed in the ‘Blade Runner’ but lack of lighter moments and portrayal of families make the movie as gloomy. ‘Wall-E’ portrays robots and there is no portrayal of laughter and humans in the movie. Technology is one of the main themes in both the movies and both of them are for a specific category of audience. ‘Wall-E’ got enormous predilection of children however ‘Blade Runner’ earned a huge support from all class of audiences.
Humans have been portrayed as fighting for their sustenance and they appear victorious at the end of the day. ‘Blade Runner’ gives a message that hunting replicants is not the ideal solution to deal with them and a reasonable solution must be churned out to deal with such threats to humans. Wall-E, on the other hand, suggests the humanity that in order to ensure our continuous existence, humans should stand and realize our mistakes instead of escaping from the reality. The movie suggests that turning eye from real life threats is not in the interest of humanity on the planet earth (Woollaston).
‘Blade Runner’ portrays few individuals who are making efforts for saving the humanity. ‘Wall-E’ has a bigger horizon and presents the idea of saving humanity from extermination from the planet earth. Both these movies appear suggesting human beings that they should not be dependent on the technology that they become unable to save themselves when technology backfires at them. ‘Blade Runner’ presents its ideas in a comparatively serious manner while Wall-E presents these ideas in a comic manner. Animated version of Wall-E is one of reasons that give it a comic nature.
Reflection
The Blade Runner is purely based on science fiction while showing action in the film. The film functions on different narrative & dramatic levels. The film embraces philosophy of humanity, religion, science and moral consequences of genetic engineering on our society. The film shows how human knowledge and excellence of genetics can be harmful for religion, humanity and on overall society. ‘Blade Runner’ also shows how technology can impact environment by comparing past with present, showing future and using religious symbol and classic drama themes. ‘Wall- E’, on the other hand, portrays an imaginary picture of the world in an agonizing way. The movie compels humans to think over various issues in the interest of the humanity.
Conclusion
After observing both movies ‘Blade Runner’ and ‘Wall-E’ and their analysis, it can be concluded that both these movies are successful entertainers in science fiction genre. There are a number of similarities and differences in both these movies and both of them portray a picture of the future world. Both movies present technology as a threat and indicate that it may appear as one of main threats for the human existence on the planet earth. Humans have been portrayed as winners in both these movies who sustain due to their smartness and excellence. The movie, ‘Blade Runner’ is one of the best science fiction movies and ‘Wall-E’ appears influenced by the ‘Blade Runner’.
Works Cited
Blade Runner. Dir. Ridley Scott. Ford, H., Young, S., Walsh, E., and Hannah, D. 1982.
Wall-E. Dir. Andrew Stanton. Styanton, A., and Knight, E. 2008.
Woollaston, Victoria. "Can you train your brain to be KIND? Blade Runner-style 'empathy workout' could make you more altruistic." 29 May 2014. dailymail. 25 November 2014 <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2642940/Can-train-brain-KIND-Blade-Runner-style-empathy-workout-make-altruistic.html>.
