Why Blade Runner 2049 is a Cult Classic | Movie Review

This article contains spoilers!
So, unless you watched it or don't intend to watch it (but you should), proceed at you own risk.

The 2017 dystopian Sci-Fi thriller Blade Runner 2049 is perhaps one of the best movies of its genre in the past decade, if not ever (according to some fans).
Directed by Denis Villeneuve, Blade Runner 2049 is a visually stunning, meme generating, and philosophically rich sequel to the 1982 classic Blade Runner. Starring A-Listers Harrison Ford reprising his role as Rick Deckard, Ryan Gosling as K, a replicant (lab bred obedient slave) tasked to the professional "retiring" of older disobedient models of his kind, and Anna De Armas as JOI, Officer K's AI hologram love interest.
In this article, we'll explore the reasons that make this film stand out, even among other notable entries in its era of Sci-Fi.

“And blood-black nothingness began to spin. A system of cells interlinked, within cells interlinked, within cells interlinked within one stem. And dreadfully distinct against the dark, a tall white fountain played.”
― Vladimir Nabokov, Pale Fire

Philosophy in Blade Runner 2049

Social Commentary

The writers of Blade Runner 2049 imagine a grim future for the city of Los Angeles. Where society is divided into classes, earth is ruined, and everybody besides the ruling class seems to be miserable. Here are some social analytical paradigms glossed over by the movie.

Jared Leto as Niander Wallace. All copyrights owned by Alcon Entertainment.

• Social Conflict Theory

  The writers were deliberate in highlighting that this fictional society is held together by conflict rather than harmony. They achieve this by separating this world's people into distinct classes in conflict over material and symbolic resources, namely:
  1. Caplitalists
     Represented by Wallace, Tyrell, and the lady sitting with Luv specifying an order of slaves.
     Not unlike their real-life counterparts, capitalists are portrayed as having immense political, social, and financial sway. As they constantly try to acquire more resources and power. Niander Wallace the owner of Wallace Corporations was the writers' favorite tool to demonstrate this.
     We see Wallace using old-fashioned monopoly tactics by attempting to acquire Dr. Anna Stelline's operations.
     We also see him commissioning Luv on an illegal mission to acquire the lost technology of procreating replicants, so that he can play an even more pivotal role in the human dispersal into new worlds.
  2. Working Class Humans
     Seen as Human LAPD employees, orphanage child laborers, street vendors, maintenance workers, and working other jobs.
     Humans are not exempt from laborious and low-status work. The presence of a human working class alongside replicants underscores exploitation and inequality.
  3. Replicants
     Sapper, K, Luv, Mariette and the other prostitutes, and many more.
     Replicants are artificial beings created by the Tyrell Corporation (and later, the Wallace Corporation) to serve various purposes, primarily focusing on labor-intensive, dangerous, or undesirable tasks. Reminiscent of our disgraceful real timeline history with slaves, replicants are viewed as property, not persons. They're also seen as disposable sub-humans, as observed when Wallace murdered the prototype replicant, after he sexually harassed her, during his stomach-twisting ego trip.
  4. AI Senient Beings
     Like Joi, Agent K's Artificially intelligent girlfriend. These beings are outside the struggle for power And resources. They only serve as emotional support and are advertised as such.
     Wallace owns technology too. In an emphasis on capitalist greed, parallel to how big tech are always expanding their operations, to further grow their capital gains.

• Cultural Hegemony and Ethical Norms

  “The discipline imposed on citizens by the bourgeois state makes them into subjects, people who delude themselves that they exert an influence on the course of events.”
  ― Antonio Gramsci, The Antonio Gramsci Reader: Selected Writings 1916-1935

  Blade Runner 2049 provides a profound commentary on cultural hegemony, illustrating how the ruling class maintains control over society through ideological dominance and subtle coercion. This concept is vividly portrayed through the obligatory recitation of sayings by replicants, reminiscent of the ritualistic prayers in Islam and similar practices in Christianity.
  For example, Islamic prayers consist of obligatory daily recitations, and in Christianity, the recitation of the Lord's Prayer during services can be seen as a parallel.
  In the film, replicants must regularly undergo baseline tests that involve repeating specific phrases to ensure their compliance and emotional stability. This practice normalizes their subjugation and reinforces their inferior status.
  
  Racism plays a critical role in perpetuating the social order within the film. The ruling class manipulates historical narratives, blaming replicants for past instabilities to justify their continued enslavement.
  This tactic mirrors real-world examples where marginalized groups are scapegoated to maintain the status quo.
  Replicants are derogatorily referred to as "skin jobs" and "skinners," highlighting the arbitrary division between those born in a lab and those born naturally. This dehumanizing language reinforces the systemic racism that underpins the societal hierarchy.
  
  Lieutenant Joshi epitomizes the internalized orthodoxy that preserves this social fabric. Her mission to maintain order by reinforcing the social wall between humans and replicants demonstrates how deeply ingrained these divisive ideologies are.
  The baseline tests are a tool to normalize a dictatorship over the minds of replicants. They start by having them recite the quote at the start of this article, in which the human condition is described in the most dull and bleek of terms.
  It then proceeds to test whether they would get triggered by phrases that describe a healthy response to a human experience. Thereby normalizing replicant dehumanization.
  
  The character of Mr. Cotton, who runs the orphanage, brainwashes the children under his care into believing that their labor, producing electronic circuit boards, is in their best interest.
  Cotton associates this labor with honor and masculinity, using both soft power and physical force to enforce compliance. This manipulation ensures that the children see their exploitation as a noble duty, aligning their interests with his own.
  
  In Blade Runner 2049, the interplay of cultural hegemony, racism, and ideological control provides a stark commentary on the mechanisms of oppression. The film's depiction of these dynamics offers a powerful critique of how societal norms and beliefs are manipulated to maintain an unjust social order.

Ryan Gosling as K, and Anna De Armas as Joi. All copyrights owned by Alcon Entertainment.

Love and Identity

Blade Runner 2049 delves deeply into the philosophical concepts of love and identity, challenging our understanding of what it means to be a person and to love.
The character of Officer K grapples with these existential questions through his experiences and relationships, particularly with the AI companion Joi and the memories implanted in him.

K's struggle with identity is poignantly highlighted by the revelation that his cherished memory is not his own but belongs to someone else. This raises profound questions about the nature of self-identity.
If memories, which are integral to shaping who we are, are artificially implanted or borrowed from others, does this diminish our personhood? K's journey forces us to reconsider the essence of individuality and whether having someone else's memory makes one less of a person.
This crisis of identity is central to K's character development and the film's exploration of what it means to be human.

K's relationship with Joi, a holographic AI, further complicates his understanding of love and personhood. K undeniably has feelings for Joi, but he is tormented by the uncertainty of her reality and her capacity for genuine emotion. Joi's expressions of love and her seemingly independent thoughts make K question whether she is a real person.
His fear that she might be preconditioned to love him is amplified in a scene where an advertisement for Joi calls him "Joe," suggesting that her affection might just be a part of her programming.

This brings forth the question: does expressing thoughts and feelings make Joi a person?
K's dilemma reflects broader philosophical inquiries into the nature of consciousness and emotion in artificial beings. If Joi isn't real, is it irrational to love her?
This question extends to the realm of religion, suggesting that loving something intangible or potentially non-existent is considered crazy, but societies seem to normalize this for devout religious people.
However, the film subtly challenges this notion by presenting Joi's and K's experiences as deeply emotional and real to them, regardless of their artificial origins.

Ryan Gosling as K, and Anna De Armas as Joi. All copyrights owned by Alcon Entertainment

Aesthetic of Blade Runner 2049

Fashion

The fashion in Blade Runner 2049's Los Angeles is a mix of futuristic and modern Eastern Asian styles. With also many classic plain modern Western choices for clothing.
The costume designer seemed to have fun with Joi's outfits, ranging from sleek and modern to more playful and colorful ensembles, reflecting her adaptive nature and the fantasy she represents in K's life.
Her clothing often mirrors traditional Japanese and East Asian styles, contributing to the film's visual connection between Los Angeles and Tokyo. We also see her experiment with 20th-century clothing, to play out stereotypical relationship fantasies for K.

The streets of LA are filled with citizens wearing a mix of utilitarian and eclectic attire, a reflection of the city's decaying infrastructure and diverse population. The clothing is practical, often layered, and designed to withstand the harsh, polluted environment.
In contrast, the workers in the LAPD and the Wallace Corporation wear more structured, formal attire that signifies their roles within the power hierarchies.
LAPD officers, including K, are dressed in heavy, functional coats that suggest a need for protection in an unforgiving world, while Wallace's employees don sleek, minimalist garments that align with the corporation's cold, clinical environment.

Music

The music of Blade Runner 2049 composed by Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch is instrumental in deepening the film's dystopian atmosphere.
Zimmer's score is characterized by its heavy, resonant tones, reminiscent of Vangelis's iconic work in the original "Blade Runner." The music is both haunting and expansive, enhancing the sense of isolation and existential dread that permeates the film.

In addition to the score, the film's sound design plays a critical role in immersing the audience in its world.
The grim, industrial sound effects—such as the distant hum of machinery and the eerie silence of desolate landscapes—reinforce the bleakness of the environment. These auditory elements are carefully woven into the film, enriching its themes of alienation and the struggle for identity in a world dominated by technology.

Cinematography

The cinematography of Blade Runner 2049 crafted by Roger Deakins, is nothing short of breathtaking. Deakins' use of light and shadow, coupled with his masterful composition, creates a visual experience that is both beautiful and unsettling.
His choice of color palettes—ranging from the cold, metallic blues of the city to the warm, dusty oranges of the desert—enhances the emotional tone of each scene. You would think that some scenes in the movie, like the famous Joi ad scene (the one in the section image) came out of the A24 obligatory color scheme, but that's not the case.

Deakins also makes extensive use of wide shots and slow pans, allowing the audience to fully absorb the dystopian world he captures on film. These deliberate, measured camera movements contribute to the film's meditative pace, inviting viewers to reflect on the profound questions it raises about humanity, memory, and existence.
The cinematography not only serves the narrative but also elevates the film to a work of art, making Blade Runner 2049 a visually stunning exploration of a future steeped in despair and beauty.

Mackenzie Davis as Mariette (a replicant prostitute). All copyrights owned by Alcon Entertainment

Relatable Themes in Blade Runner 2049

The Lore and Its Sense of History

The lore of Blade Runner 2049 is rich with a sense of history, where characters frequently relate their experiences to pivotal events like the Blackout. For instance, the Blackout (a massive event that wiped out most of the world's digital data) serves as a key reference point for many characters, who often reflect on how it shaped their lives. Older replicants, like Sapper Morton, have lived long enough to recall the events of the original Blade Runner film and the ensuing revolution, adding depth and continuity to the narrative.

The film’s lore also possesses a consistent and convincing culture, where every detail feels authentic and grounded in the world it portrays. The cultural aspects, such as the street markets, the language mixes, and even the way people interact, all contribute to a believable and immersive setting. This cultural consistency makes the world of Blade Runner 2049 feel lived-in and real, enhancing the audience's connection to the story and its characters.

Relatable Characters and Their Struggles

The characters in Blade Runner 2049 are deeply relatable, particularly in their experiences of rejection and longing. Mariette and Luv, for example, both exhibit raw emotions when faced with rejection. Mariette’s subtle yet palpable hurt when K doesn’t reciprocate her affections, and Luv’s intense reaction to not being the “best” in Wallace’s eyes, reflect the universal human experience of rejection and the pain it brings.

K’s character resonates strongly with many men in the modern world, as he embodies the sense of alienation and oppression that parallels our own society. His feelings of being trapped in a system that doesn’t value him, and his struggle to find meaning and connection, mirror the experiences of many who feel marginalized or overlooked. The film also explores themes of love and infatuation, particularly through the human tendency to seek salvation in love. K’s infatuation with Joi, Mariette’s longing for connection, and even Deckard’s complex love story, all highlight the deep human need for a perfect connection.

The characters’ constant yearning for physical intimacy and attention is another relatable theme. Joi and K’s attempts to simulate physical touch—whether through clinking glasses, standing close together, or the holographic overlay with Mariette—underscore the lengths to which people will go to feel connected. For K, his intimacy with Joi is the only thing keeping him sane in a world that otherwise isolates him. She is the one person with whom he can let down his cultural defenses, making their relationship a critical anchor in his life.

The Urge to Find Meaning in Life

Blade Runner 2049 explores the fundamental human urge to find meaning in life, often suggesting that true meaning comes through sacrifice. The writers delve into the idea that life’s purpose is intertwined with the willingness to give up something precious. Freysa’s quote, “Dying for the right cause is the most human thing we can do,” encapsulates this theme, emphasizing that the pursuit of a meaningful existence often requires profound personal sacrifice. The film presents this as a universal truth, urging viewers to consider the deeper purposes behind their actions and the potential sacrifices they may need to make to achieve them.

Ultimately, Blade Runner 2049 stands as a thought-provoking continuation of its predecessor, inviting us to reflect on our own lives and the societies we inhabit. It’s a cinematic experience that remains with the audience long after the credits roll, reminding us that the search for meaning and connection is as timeless as it is essential.