Blade Runner: Replicants

leading from

Blade Runner

a) The word Replicant
Ridley Scott didn't want to have to do Blade Runner at first because he had just done Alien which also featured an android. He couldn't stand the word any more. It was David People's daughter who came up with the word "replicant". She was studying genetics at the UCLA, and it was a word that they used

 

 

 

b) Replicants in Blade Runner
A replicant is essentially a total human being, an all-flesh culture, that is very advanced and highly perfected. That’s the odd dichotomy of the whole story.

 

 

 

c) Deckard as a replicant
Ridley also considered Deckard to be another replicant. This detective’s job is to be a kind of policeman but also an exterminator, if necessary. His job is to hunt replicants who happen to find their way into the city, but Deckard would be left unaware of the fact that he was one as well, so that he would be interacting with human society with the understanding that he too was a human.

See also :Rick Deckard: human or replicant?

 

 

 

d) Off-world use 

 
They have no right to be there because the replicants were originally developed for offworld situations, military industrial, mining.

They are kind of a second-class generation developed for inhospitable environments and dangerous or boring work.

There may come a time when, if mankind sends astronaut off into deep space and know he'll never come back, they may want to send a replicant instead.

e) Replicants of Tyrell

 
Ridley would tell Rutger and Brion about how the replicants were originally designed, and what duties they would have performed.

It was almost like giving them a plotted history of how science had developed up this particular point and what uses had been found for what had essentially become a second class generation

They were able to key in on that and argue about it. Ridley then knew that he was getting somewhere with them

Ridley had even thought about Eldon Tyrell actually having been dead and kept in a cryogenic chamber awaiting discovery of whatever disease he has died of, and in his place Ridley would have made replicants of himself, he had in mind six replicants, one in London, another in America, with another in Tokyo and so on.

1. Ridley Scott: A replicant is essentially a total human being, an all-flesh culture, that is very advanced and highly perfected. That’s the odd dichotomy of the whole story. The detective’s job is to be a kind of policeman but also an exterminator, if necessary. His job is to hunt replicants who happen to find their way into the city. They have no right to be there because the replicants were originaly developed for offworld situations, military industrial, mining. They are kind of a second-class generation developed for inhospitable environments and dangerous or boring work. There may come a time when, if we’re sending an astronaut off into deep space and know he'll never come back, we may want to send a replicant instead. (Blade Runner Souvenir Magazine)
2. Ridley Scott: I spent time explaining to Rutger and Brion how the replicants were originally designed and what duties they would have performed. Almost like giving them a plotted history of how science had developed up this particular point and what uses had been found for what had essentially become a second-class generation. They started to key in on that and argue about it. As soon as you get an actor arguing about something, then you know you’re getting somewhere.  (Blade Runner Souvenir Magazine)
3. Genetic engineering has become one of Earth's biggest industries. When most of the world's animals became extinct, the genetic boom hit big by creating a line of artificial animals for use as pets. The industry was soon supplying genetically engineered humans, called replicants, to the Earths colonies as slave labor and to the military for use in deep space.
   
   Tyrell Corporation, the top replicant.manufacturer, recently introduced the Nexux 6 model— the "ultimate'’ replicant with super-human strength. These replicants. however, are virtually identical to real humans, causing a major problem.  (Blade Runner Souvenir Magazine)

4. Replicants are outlawed on Earth but some manage to return and try to pass as human. That's when the police call in the Blade Runners, special detectives who use an elaborate type of lie detector (called the Voight-Kampff) to tell the difference between humans and replicants. It is the Blade Runner's job to track down the replicants and eliminate them. (Blade Runner Souvenir Magazine)
5. The police have received an emergency report—four Nexus 6 replicants haver returned to Earth after taking over a space shuttle by killing its crew. The police cams n sends for the one man best able to find them; Rick Deckard (Blade Runner Souvenir Magazine) 
6. Starburst: Did you feel a link between the two films while you were making Blade Runner?
   
   Ridley Scott: Oh sure. We made obvious comparisons. In fact that was one of the reasons why I didn't want to do Blade Runner to start with, was because I'd just done a film with an android in it and that was another reasons why we changed the word 'android', I couldn't stand that word any morel It was David People's daughter who came up with the word "replicant". She's actually studying genetics at UCLA, so it is a word that they use. (Starburst_Magazine #51 (November 1982-11) 
7. Ridley Scott:In fact there was a development in the story, where Tyrell was dead and kept in a cryogenic chamber awaiting discovery of whatever disease he has died of. He'd certainly make replicants of himself. In fact, if I were him. I'd make six! One in London, one in America, one in Tokyo and so on! That's why the pyramid occurred. I drew the pyramid and the approach to the Tyrell Corporation, because I always storyboard things. Then Doug Trumbull took that over and developed it to what it is. Trumbull instigated setting up his unit again for the film and brought in a really excellent guy named David Dryer who was the special effects director. (Starburst_Magazine #51 (November 1982-11)