Blade Runner and the Cyberpunk Genre

I'll admit that I'm more of a fan of the Steampunk genre but it's sibling, the Cyberpunk, has melded its way into my list of favorite literary and media genres. There's a lot go rest qualities present within the Cyberpunk genre and with the way society and technology is advancing it feels appropriate that it's become so popular. 

            Overpopulated cities filled to the brim with advanced technology, sentient robots, cyberspace, you name it Cyberpunk’s got it when it comes to science fiction tropes and elements. While most genres explore the what-was, is, and should never be, cyberpunk explores the what-could-be and the possible future, whether it be within the coming decades or the very far-off. The genre is amazing in this aspect and has brought about the creation of masterpieces like The Matrix, Ghost in the Shell, a multitude of sci-fi noir films, etc. Each brings with it a look into the future of humanity and its relationship with the technology and society it produces and how far it goes. The genre inspires one to also question this relationship and the ever popular “ what makes us human” issue.

            Now if I had to choose one thing to represent the Cyberpunk genre as a whole I’d immediately nominate Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner. Although not the first big hit when it came to the genre it certainly made the genre more noticeable and popular. The entire film is jam pack full of cyberpunk tropes and really pulls them all together to create an incredible science-fiction film. The vast expanse of 2019 Los Angeles is basically cyberpunk city with its cramped and overpopulated space, advanced technology, corporate takeover, and let’s not forget the Replicants, a race of sentient robots created for basic labor which have started to rebel against humanity and wish to find independence and be allowed to experience emotions since they see themselves as human. The whole film is just a visual and metaphorical beauty of scifi and cyberpunk. It also raises some really good questions like what makes one human or to what degree does one need to reach to be considered human? And it’s no surprise That Blade Runner succeeds at doing this since Ridley Scott was the one who brought it into creation. Ridley Scott is a basic master of cyberpunk and sci-fiction and really knows what he’s doing when dealing with these two genres.