Blade Runner reflects the social, cultural, and political contexts of the 1980s. There were fears of growing economic power in Japan, globalization, immigration, and loss of American culture. Environmental issues were also emerging in mainstream culture. The dystopian cityscape in Blade Runner reflected anxieties of the white middle class who viewed cities as dangerous and chaotic. However, some may find more freedom and anonymity in such an unplanned urban environment. The film also touches on issues of enforced slavery and marginalization.

1. THE CONTEXTS OF FILM

2. SOCIAL CULTURAL AND POLITICAL CONTEXTS IN
THE 1980S THAT ARE REFLECTED IN BLADE
RUNNER:
• Fear of growing economic power of Japan, general expansion in Asia: wide media
coverage of Japanese buying landmark real estate in New York (ironic considering that by
the mid 90s the Japanese economy entered a fairly severe recession which it’s still in)
• Anxiety over globalization, immigration; fears of foreign threats to an “American way of
life;” led to notion that mainstream American culture would be lost amidst foreign
influence (also ironic considering how much we export our own culture and are accused
of cultural imperialism, especially in the digital era
• Fears of social disorder, particularly based in the working classes: that central
government would eventually become impotent in exerting control over urban centers
• Still emerging environmental consciousness; in the late 70s and through the1980s, it
finally began to hit mainstream culture after still being more of a concern of the
progressive fringe through the 60s and early 70s
• Emergence over the past few decades of the mega-city, like Los Angeles or Rio de Janeiro;
cities characterized by huge populations and urban sprawl with no sense of centrality,
planning or defined bordershttp://dc-

3. SO WHOSE DYSTOPIA IS IT?
Blade Runner’s dystopian cityscape generally reflects the anxieties of an affluent,
suburban, white middle class; people who view the city environment as
dangerous, chaotic, unstable, lawless, dominated by “the Other”; considering the
massive movement to the suburbs over the last half century, this characterizes an
awful lot of us
But not everyone will necessarily find this environment oppressive or frightening:
 It seemingly offers a lot of personal freedom
 It’s generally exciting; sort of like continual nightlife; it’s dive-bar heaven, or a
particularly seedy club district
 It allows for individual anonymity; it’s a place to go to lose yourself (as the
replicants try, although ultimately unsuccessfully)
 This notion of a dystopian reflecting the fears not only of a particular time and
place but social group goes along with other concerns of the film, such as the
idea of enforced slavery for a marginalized segment of society (in this case, very

4. • The look and feel of… [Blade Runner was] a change from the
bleak futuristic worlds in the previous period and suggested
that the social problems of the decade could be solved. Many
conveyed a vision of hope, in which – with a little help from our
extra-terrestrial friends -- the future might become a
technological paradise complete with world peace
• Lincoln Geraghty and Rebecca Janicker

6. http://www.aca
demia.edu/164
0968/Represent
ations_of_Dysto
pia_in_Ridley_Sc
otts_Blade_Runn
er

7. CULTURAL FACTORS
• https://filmschoolrejects.com/blade-runner-
influences/?utm_content=bufferd8c31&utm_medium=social&ut
m_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
• Go to the site and summarise the cultural factors
contemporaneous with Blade Runners production e.g.
significant other films, books and art movements

8. POLITICAL FACTORS
• Polluted and overpopulated, its decaying state can be
considered a result of economic excess. Marcus A. Doel and
David B. Clarke write: “In the films representation of
postindustrial decay, the proliferation of waste having come to
serve as an index of accelerated turnover time of a new phase
of capitalism”

9. Summarizetheimpositionofrestrictions
onfreedomofexpressionand
institutional,includingproduction,
contexts

10. Summarizetheimpositionofrestrictions
onfreedomofexpressionand
institutional,includingproduction,
contexts

11. Summarizetheimpositionofrestrictions
onfreedomofexpressionand
institutional,includingproduction,
contexts

12. USE THE
READING ON THE
LEFT TO DISCUSS
ANY RELEVANT
INSTITUTIONAL
ASPECTS OF THE
FILM THAT
INFLUENCED THE
FILMS
PRODUCTION

13. FINANCIAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL
OPPORTUNITIES AND CONSTRAINTS
Discuss the
financial
opportunities
that ultimately
led to its own
constraint. Hint-
think about the
over use of
technology and
make links to last
weeks idea of

14. FURTHER READING
• http://www.academia.edu/1640968/Representations_of_Dysto
pia_in_Ridley_Scotts_Blade_Runner
• http://nofilmschool.com/2017/09/blade-runner-lessons-
screenplay
• http://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/news-bfi/features/blade-
runner
• https://thevinylfactory.com/news/visual-analysis-vangelis-
blade-runner-soundtrack/