Both texts Brave New World and Blade Runner (Directors Cut) are science

fiction texts of different time periods, where the composers present a lea! view
of the future" #he$ show a common vision that people have lost their wa$, that
we are ecomin% the commodities, that human worth is measured &uantitativel$,
and that emotions are asicall$ asent" 'lthou%h presentin% in ver$ different text
t$pes, the$ oth show %reat concerns for humanit$"
Ridle$ (cott, in his film Blade Runner ()*+,) presents a world where
technolo%ical pro%ress had reduced humanit$" #his is a world of -os 'n%eles
,.)*, where relationships seemed impossile, hu%e uildin%s dominate and no
sense of the natural world exists" #his is a totall$ man/made environment0 no
trees with endless uildin%s and man/made li%hts" #he natural world and
humanit$ are lost ecause commerce is our %oal here"
1isuall$, a ps$cholo%ical oundar$ is created $ the panoramic shots of the world
which resemles hell" 2ires explode s!$ward, and the world is in a perpetual
dar!ness 3 an endless ni%ht" #he eerie and hauntin% music help create a
d$stopic atmosphere" 4h$sicall$, low an%le shots of the #$rell Corporation, which
stands in sharp contrast with the rundown streets, %ives it a sense of
overwhelmin% powers" #he incessant rain is the onl$ element of the natural
world, ut the fact that it is acid rain reminds the audience that humans have
drasticall$ affected this world with their pollutions"
5n this unfeelin% world, humans are either ph$sicall$ or emotionall$ stunted"
Dec!ard, who is supposed to e the %ood %u$, appears unmoved $ his slain
6os 3 replicants are li!e an$ other machine0 the$ are either a enefit or a
ha7ard" 8eanwhile, the authorit$ fi%ure, #$rell, is shot in low an%les in his lue
usiness suit and hu%el$ oversi7ed %lasses, and therefore made to loo!
powerful" 9e is extremel$ cold/looded, seein% Rachel as an experiment onl$,
nothin% more" #hese clearl$ show that humanit$ is asent in this world of
technolo%$"
5ronicall$, the replicants appear to e more human than human" #he$ develop
more intense relationships than humans" Ro$ is %rief/stric!en over the death of
4ris" :xtreme close/up shots draw attention to Ro$;s face, his mouth set hard
and e$es focused" Near his death, Ro$ is filmed throu%h low an%les to%ether with
ac! li%htin%, %ivin% him hei%ht and a superhero &ualit$" #his intentionall$
conve$s that even replicants have developed a soul, and an appreciation for the
eaut$ of life and nature" Ro$ even uses poetic lan%ua%e (fier$ the an%els fell<
5;ve seen thin%s<all these moments will e lost in time, li!e tears in rain) 3
surel$ mar!s of human consciousness and spiritualit$" 5n this wa$, Ro$ is shown
to treasure the meanin% of life, and thus (cott cleverl$ compares humans to
replicants to show the importance of humanit$"
#hrou%hout the film, technolo%$ is alwa$s shown to override humanit$" 5n
Rachel;s 1oi%t/=ampff test, the machine is presents in the fore%round, in front of
the humans" (imilarl$, it is also s$molic with #$rell;s control over the linds
shuttin% the sun out" 5t shows how even the elemental force is rendered
powerless in this societ$ of the future" 5n addition, the unicorn appears to e an
ima%e of nature, with li%ht, colour, and even tin%lin% sounds" Nevertheless, since
it is onl$ present in Dec!ard;s dream, it shows how nature and humanit$ no
lon%er coexist in this world" (cott carefull$ emplo$s all these s$mols in a
successful attempt to conve$ his criticism of the loss of humanit$ in this world"
5n a ver$ different text t$pe and with different techni&ues, 'ldous 9uxle$;s novel
Brave New World (pulished )*>,), also explores the iron$ that in the pursuit of
scientific and technolo%ical pro%ress" #he world has removed the concepts of
humanit$, such as ?od and sin" 'lthou%h it is presented @. $ears efore
Blade Runner was composed, the$ oth still show %reat concern for humanit$"
9uxle$ introduces the process of Bo!anovs!$" 5nstead of irth, human aies are
mass/produced in ottles" #here is no individualit$ etween them, the$ even loo!
the same" Asin% similes, 9uxle$ descries the hideous faces repeated as thou%h
reflected $ a train of mirrors, and compares humans to ants and ma%%ots"
#hese sutle criticisms create a sense of dis%ust in the World (tate, and stress
the idea that this apparent utopian world is incompatile with human nature, ut
more suited to insects" #herefore, a reversal of the pro%ress is presented"
5n addition to the fact that humans are manipulated in the emr$o sta%e, people
are also h$pnoti7ed (conditioned) and dru%%ed (soma) to e etter controlled"
When -enina recites the slo%an :ver$one;s happ$ now, which was repeated to
her )+.. times throu%h sleep/teachin% (h$pnopaedia) in her $outh, we can sense
the iron$ that it is not the wa$ we see! happiness" Bernard also comments that
the World (tate people are adults intellectuall$ durin% wor!in% hours<infants
where feelin%s and emotions are concerned" #his is part of the d$stopia in the
Brave New World societ$0 that people are suppressed in emotions $ soma and
so hi%hl$ conditioned that the$ don;t have to thin! of feel deepl$" Bnce a%ain,
9uxle$ shows that humanit$ had reall$ een divorced from the natural world"
5n this much a controlled world where no emotional attachment is allowed
(:ver$one elon%s to ever$one else), relationships still stru%%le to exist" 9uxle$
delieratel$ contradicts the sociall$ accepted lust to -enina (old fashioned,
osessive love) for Cohn" Nevertheless, the$ were rou%ht up in such different
worlds that the$ proved to e unale to express the feelin%s for each other in a
mutuall$ intelli%ile and acceptale wa$" 9uxle$ uses dialo%ue to create a sense
of stron% drama (5;d sweep the floor is $ou wants, under%o somethin% nol$)"
#he prolem here is -enina;s conditioned reaction (But we;ve %ot the vacuum
cleanerD)" #he undercuttin% iron$ creates dar! humour and reveals the shallow
nature of relationships in Brave New World"
5n the World (tate, real nature is somethin% to e avoided all the time" 9uxle$
uses satires to descrie the dear little ottle of mine as the sustitute for a real
mother" 9e also fre&uentl$ emplo$s the ima%e of death to reflect the
dehumani7ed world" #he 9atcher$ aies are pale as death" Cohn recalls
ein% driven out of the s!eleton world in dead li%hts" 9umour is also used
when -enina spra$s talcum powder over herself as thou%h she meant to commit
suicide" 5n this wa$, 9uxle$ emplo$s relentless satires and dar! ima%er$ to
descrie the livin% death in Brave New World '2 E>,, that humans are cut off
from their natural experiences which shape our humanit$"
Both texts present a chillin% vision of the future, that humanit$ is lost in the
pursuit of technolo%ical pro%ress, and man;s attempt to emulate ?od"