This is my twelfth watch of Blade Runner. Including the US Theatrical cut, International Theatrical cut, Director’s cut and, of course, the Final Cut. I’ve seen the epic play out from a laptop, to a home TV, to a cinema screen, to an IMAX showing.

Each time, I see a glimpse of something not quite real, and view the film from a different angle (quite literally at times given my luck with seating). And it’s not just me who has changed in this relationship. Blade Runner lives and breathes.

I recall watching the film in 2017 and being baffled by the ending (Director’s Cut). I had the fortune of a chance rewatch in 2019 to commemorate the future-present day. Over the years, the ending of the final sequence of the Director’s Cut has been somewhat of an implanted memory. In fact, it remains my favourite iteration of Blade Runner.

Now enough reminiscing. My most recent opportunity to experience the film was with the presence of Sir. Ridley Scott at the BFI as a part of a retrospective season.

Scott’s memories enriched my reserve of trivia knowledge I have accumulated in the hopes of being a pseudo-specialist in Scott’s filmography. For example, whilst I had known the title was borrowed from the William S. Burroughs novella titled ‘Blade Runner’, I hadn’t known this was bought for $4000 at the time.

Further, the film is known for its transposing of Hong Kong onto the L.A. landscape.

Simultaneously projecting the contemporary boom of Tokyo and, particularly, Hong Kong as the blueprint of the megacities of a technocratic future. Scott contextualises the film’s geography with a visit to Hong Kong years before shooting. He recalls the introduction of polystyrene into Hong Kong and the harbour being littered with Junks (ships) and junk.

Despite this assessment on the rapid adoption and disposal of new plastics, this process of ingestion and decomposition fuelled Hong Kong’s unparalleled level of commercial activity. Scott describes the then-metropolis saying, ‘It was incredible!’

With the retrospective popularity of Japanese cyberpunk ranging from Otomo’s 1988 Akira to Shinya Tsukamoto’s 1989 Tetsuo the Iron Man, it is easy for current day viewers to see the L.A. of alternate 2019 to be a reimagined Tokyo. But it was always the neon decorated Hong Kong that was retro-fitted (or maybe future-fitted) to be the future City of Angels.

For those who have seen Herzog’s 1982 Fitzcarraldo, the ‘Making of’ documentary arguably carries equivalent artistic merit. The conflict of egos between director, actor and a people displayed in a somewhat medieval caricature. A sense of hysteria permeates the cinematic psyche of the film.

Similarly, the production of Blade Runner was mired with script re-writes, delayed shoots, logistical setbacks and egos scraping together. Despite this – or maybe because of this – the making of the film and its various forms adds to the mythos of a continually gestating future.

Watching Blade Runner means taking part in that future.

When the moderator asked the audience at the BFI, ‘Who has seen the film?’, nearly all hands were raised.

“Who hasn’t seen Blade Runner?”

A few hands go up.

“MORONS!”