As Ridley Scott gears up for the imminent release of his latest film, “Napoleon,” the acclaimed director takes a moment to look back and reflect on his timeless science fiction masterpiece, “Blade Runner.”
With a notorious history of exceeding budgets and imposing exacting demands on his technical crew during the production of “Alien” – $500,000 over budget, to be precise – Ridley Scott had garnered quite a reputation and not a good one at that. This reputation continued to haunt him throughout the making of “Blade Runner,” to the point where the film’s crew affectionately referred to it as “Blood Runner” instead.
A documentary titled “Dangerous Days: The Making of Blade Runner” brilliantly captures the tensions between Scott, producers, actors, and crew members during the film’s production. It even shows Harrison Ford, who frequently appeared exasperated during the shoot, discussing his dislike for the film’s voice-over, which he was compelled to record.
“THE PARTNERS I HAD WERE HORRIBLE…”
In an interview with Total Film, Ridley Scott praises the brilliant work of screenwriter Hampton Fancher on his science fiction classic. “He had a particular cadence to his style that I loved. But I took it from there because he wrote a piece that was set in an apartment, where the hunter keeps his prey and falls in love with her. I said, ‘But what’s happening in the outside world?’ So it evolved from there.”
Scott delves into his recollections of the shoot: “[The shoot] was a very bad experience for me. I had horrible partners. The financiers killed me every day. I had a lot of success managing a business, and I knew I was doing something very, very special.
So I would never take no for an answer. But they didn’t understand what they had. You’re filming, editing, and mixing. And halfway through, everyone says it’s too slow. You can’t listen to anyone as a director. I knew I was doing something very, very special. And it’s now one of the most important science fiction films ever made, feeding everyone. Every damn film!”
Scott reveals that he recently rewatched the film, marking the first time in two decades, and takes a slight jab at critics who once found the film too slow or intellectually shallow: “I hadn’t seen ‘Blade Runner’ in 20 years. Really! I just rewatched it. And it’s not slow. The information and ideas presented are so original and fascinating. They discuss biological creations and off-world mining, which the critics found ridiculous at the time. I say, ‘Let them go to hell!'”
While Ridley Scott’s candid reflection may appear somewhat immodest, it’s undeniable that “Blade Runner” stands as one of the greatest cinematic achievements in history, with an enormous impact and far-reaching influence on the decades that followed.