Comparative Study between

Frankenstein and Blade Runner

Mary Shelleys Frankenstein (1818) and Ridley Scotts science fiction film Blade
Runner (1982) expresses the contextual concerns of the post-industrial and
post-modern era respectively. Shelleys novel operates as a Gothic experience as
the conflicting paradigm of romantic idealism and shows us the dreadful
consequences of ambition, caused by the decline in morals and values employed
through the blind pursuit for knowledge. Blade Runner functions as a postmodern period and explores this notion in a futuristic and dystopian setting. Both
texts epitomises the dehumanisation of their own society, and exemplify how the
monster in man is reflected through the superficiality of society, where isolation
is brought upon an individual who does not abide by social norms. Although the
two texts differ in cultural and social spheres. It can clearly be seen that Scotts
Blade Runner reiterates the values and perspectives present in Frankenstein,
while also modernising these ideas. They both serve as a warning to their
respective audiences of the dangers of mans over reaching ambition, making
them question the possible impact of technological progress.
Central to both texts is the emphasis on the destructive repercussion on the
quest for knowledge of unrestrained moral guidelines. Victor and Tyrell depict
these notions as they demonstrate the dangerous implications of science
through their creations. Victors dangerous acquirements of knowledge blinds
him from reality where he thought how much happier he would be after the
completion of his immoral creation in hopes of achieving glory and victory.
This consumes him and leads him to usurp the role of god and thus creating life,
ultimately blinding him from the implications of his immoral actions resulting in
the demise of his family and himself. The imperative voices and exclamation in
William is dead! demonstrates the shocking events that follow. The first death
foreshadows the death of others who are close to Victor, as he is the creator of
the monster who has not played the role of ownership through nurturing
resulting in disastrous consequences. Victor is child-like as he is nave and
unsuspecting, however after the death of several family members Victor
metaphorically states that Men appeared as monsters thirsting for each others
blood. This exemplifies Victors dehumanisation as he loses the ability to
comprehend the value of life.
Likewise this concept is also explored in Bladerunner, as seen through the
characterisation of the self-absorbed Tyrell, who challenges the natural order.
Scotts dystopian world is depicted through the panoramic view of the decaying
city of fallen angels compiled with the mournful non diegetic synthesised
Vangelis music. The wide and long shot angles of the dark, polluted cityscape,
illuminated by faint artificial neon lighting and intermittent plumes of flames at
the beginning of the film reveals the environmental impact due to the
technological advancements of Scotts time. This provokes suspense and creates
an atmosphere of danger, effectively alerting us to the terrible fate that awaits
our planet due to advancing technologies and tampering of nature. Tyrells
statement, Commerce is our goal and more human than human encapsulates
his vision and reveals that money is the driving force behind the creation of
replicants which are just moneymaking commodities, nothing more and nothing

less. To convey this lack of foresight, Scott effectively characterises Tyrell as

wearing very thick glasses. The motif of eye recurs throughout the film especially
in Void Kampf tests. This alludes Tyrells blind pursuit of knowledge and his lack
of compassion for the replicants he created which reflects Victors lack of
responsibility towards his creature. In the end Tyrell is murdered through the
crushing of his eyes to make us aware of the blindness to what is actually
happening to the replicants and to the world. Consequently through the
comparison of texts, we can appreciate the respective contexts of both texts
opening our eyes to the possibilities of a future world where, through
technological advancements, scientists and industrialists have gone too far.
Both Scott and Shelley reflect concerns on what it meant to be human, the
romantic ideals of Shelley's time were connected to the natural world whereas in
Scott's dystopian world there are no signs of nature. Characters in Frankenstein
are highly immersed in their world, the natural world allowed characters to
articulate their emotions and experiences through pathetic fallacy, "The serene
sky filled me with ecstasy." Understanding and incorporating nature in ones life
is symbolic of humanity. Such as the innocent monster showed human
characteristics as his life and knowledge is guided by nature in which he
describes knowledge through the use of simile as It clings to a mind when it has
once seized on it like a lichen on a rock. Correspondingly, the replicants were
innocent beings who took certain actions in order to survive and achieve their
goal in gaining a longer lifespan. It's the replicants who accurately represents
what humanity values, where Tyrell and Deckard highlighted by close up shots on
their unchanging facial expressions are emotionless and heartless capable of
gunning down innocent sentients with little remorse. The maker denies the
replicants of their humanity as they were called for "retirement", the use of
Euphemism suggests that replicants are not 'human' enough to live, this is ironic
as they were made to be more human than human. Given the impression that
humans have discarded humanity in favour of the advancing technological world,
the definition of humanity has become blurred.
Mirroring the idea of the predator and prey in Frankenstein as Victor "pursues
nature", he is now capable of defying Mother Nature and conquer her. Due to the
demise of his family members, Victor becomes in the monster in man driven by
revenge and hatred as seen through the use of biblical power to threaten the
daemon in which he gave life, That I may extinguish the spark which I so
negligently bestowed. Deckard is supposed to be the "good guy" yet it is Roy
who understands the values and beauty of life and saves Deckard from his death
revealing the irony, questioning the nature of Deckard himself. Roy's dying
moments in the last scene where he lets the dove fly away is symbolic of his
gracious acceptance of his death as dying is part of the human experience
allowing for Deckard's existential awakening. Roys humanity is elucidated as he
describes his life, and experiences through the use of metaphor All I have seen
lost like tears in rain, time to die. This creates suspense among audiences as
they are conveyed to sympathize For Roy as his cherished life slowly ebbs away.
Throughout both texts, Shelley and Scott have portrayed two power hungry
characters who play the monstrous role in attempt to eliminate innocent
sentients.

It is evident that both texts are very effective in examining the values, concerns
and tensions of their time. They are able to communicate similar concerns of
their respective societies that serves as a warning and challenge the audience to
doubt the impacts of flaws exposed in each text. Shelley's 'Frankenstein' explores
the dehumanisation of Victor through the creation of the creature and its
interaction with humans within this flawed society. In 'Bladerunner', Scott too
presents replicants who are victims of the destructive repercussions of human
ambition. Both texts, explores the consequences of man playing god, tampering
with nature and causing irreparable damage to nature. Through the comparison
of these texts, it is stimulating to examine the complex influences of contexts,
allowing audiences to reflect deeply on the concerns raised within each text.