Frankenstien and Blade Runner Comparative
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- Category: English: Novels
- Date Submitted: 08/01/2011 04:48 AM
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* Analyse how Frankenstein and Blade Runner imaginatively portray individuals who challenge the established values of their time.
“Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.” – Albert Einstein
Mary Shelley’s gothic and romantic novel “Frankenstein” and Ridley Scott’s science fiction noir film “Blade Runner” both explore similar ideas, relative to the context in which they were both made. Both Scott and Shelley use their texts as a cautionary tale, warning human society of their inevitable downfall through greed, the exploitation of nature and the influence of science are slowly taking over the role of religion. Through the use of visual and auditory techniques, Scott demonstrates how nature and religion are absent in a world overrun by consumerism and technology while Shelley similarly uses imagery and allusions to hint at the consequences humanity will suffer if they attempt to better God through the manipulation of science and the exploitation of nature.
Humanity’s rejection of the natural world in favour of the unnatural pursuit of technology advancement to stretch life is a major concern in both Frankenstein and Blade Runner. In Frankenstein, nature is an important aspect of a person’s life and beliefs. Shelley conveys Victor’s desire to conquer nature through the quote “new species would bless me as its creator…many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me.” The monster is then used as a metaphor for the unavoidable consequences due to the exploitations of nature. Shelley uses Frankenstein as a warning against the rising industrial revolution. Likewise, Scott uses Blade Runner to warn society against the exploitation or nature through the rise of consumerism in the 1980’s, hinted in the film through the aerial shot of the large Coca-Cola sign. Also, the long shot of a dark dystopian Los Angeles in 2019 after the opening credits, is...
“Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.” – Albert Einstein
Mary Shelley’s gothic and romantic novel “Frankenstein” and Ridley Scott’s science fiction noir film “Blade Runner” both explore similar ideas, relative to the context in which they were both made. Both Scott and Shelley use their texts as a cautionary tale, warning human society of their inevitable downfall through greed, the exploitation of nature and the influence of science are slowly taking over the role of religion. Through the use of visual and auditory techniques, Scott demonstrates how nature and religion are absent in a world overrun by consumerism and technology while Shelley similarly uses imagery and allusions to hint at the consequences humanity will suffer if they attempt to better God through the manipulation of science and the exploitation of nature.
Humanity’s rejection of the natural world in favour of the unnatural pursuit of technology advancement to stretch life is a major concern in both Frankenstein and Blade Runner. In Frankenstein, nature is an important aspect of a person’s life and beliefs. Shelley conveys Victor’s desire to conquer nature through the quote “new species would bless me as its creator…many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me.” The monster is then used as a metaphor for the unavoidable consequences due to the exploitations of nature. Shelley uses Frankenstein as a warning against the rising industrial revolution. Likewise, Scott uses Blade Runner to warn society against the exploitation or nature through the rise of consumerism in the 1980’s, hinted in the film through the aerial shot of the large Coca-Cola sign. Also, the long shot of a dark dystopian Los Angeles in 2019 after the opening credits, is...