Blade Runner vs Frankenstein
It is not an easy task to compare Blade Runner and Frankenstein to find the difference between them as they are interconnected and, at the same time, when one is the source for the other. They are interconnected because Frankenstein is a novel and Blade Runner is a film inspired by it. The comparison between the two is a bit difficult, especially, when the novel has been written in an entirely different era. Frankenstein is a novel written by Mary Shelly way back in 1818 while Blade Runner is a Hollywood movie that was made in 1982 by Ridley Scott. Though there are obvious similarities owing to the same subject matter, the manner in which Ridley chooses to describe the events and his directorial touch makes Blade Runner somewhat different from Frankenstein. This article will attempt to highlight these differences between Blade Runner and Frankenstein for the benefit of the readers.
More about Frankenstein
The novel Frankenstein written by Mary Shelly is structured as a nest of stories with narratives inside each story. These narratives give a different perspective to events taking place in the story. Critics have often chosen to refer to Frankenstein as being Gothic in style. It is also referred to as one of the first examples of Science Fiction genre. This novel has inspired many movies in Hollywood, but one with the most resemblance in structure and substance is of course Blade Runner. In all movies made on this novel, the scientist playing God in a laboratory is a common theme. The novel Frankenstein has a subtitle called ‘The modern Prometheus.’ It is a reference to the Greek myth of Prometheus. Then and there, the author has expressed how the story is going to play out. Prometheus was punished by Zeus for giving fire to humans. Just like Prometheus, Frankenstein too goes against the God’s will by bringing the dead back to life. So, he too suffers as he loses his loved ones to the monster. He too dies of exhaustion.
More about Blade Runner
Ridley Scott directed this sci-fi film. Blade Runner is set in a futuristic LA in 2019. Deckard is one of the Blade Runners belonging to the violent group as he begins to hunt down the replicants (artificial humans) one by one. Another group of replicants tries to find their creator to save themselves from Deckard. Replicants appear more humans than humans themselves, and we see Deckard being challenged by the thought that he himself might be a replicant.
What is the difference between Blade Runner and Frankenstein?
They both belong to the genre of science fiction. Both Frankenstein and Blade Runner share the same premise that if scientists were capable of creating artificial life then the relationship between these androids and the rest of human beings would be an uneasy and tense one. The creators would understand their folly. Once they understand this, they themselves seek to destroy these artificial human beings. When facing that threat, the creatures would react violently and oppose their destruction.
• Frankenstein is a novel written by Mary Shelley while Blade Runner is a film directed by Ridley Scott.
• In the novel written by Mary Shelly, the scientist is Victor Frankenstein. He is the one who creates Frankenstein. In Blade Runner, the creatures are made by Tyrell Corporation.
• Both Blade Runner and Frankenstein beautifully show the creation of humanoids and the dilemma of the creator.
• Instead of choosing to depict the replicants as enemies, Blade Runner tries to put the blame on the ‘monster within’. Frankenstein finds his own creation as an abomination and tries to put an end to it.
• Frankenstein book says that people should be punished for playing God. The scientist pays for his sin as the monster kills all his loved ones. While humanity is punished for trying to go against nature in this manner, in Frankenstein, in Blade Runner, humanity is trying to find out whether they can replicate humanity through these replicants.
Images Courtesy: Frankenstein via Wikicommons (Public Domain)
