Themes from the film, Blade Runner

Genetic Engineering and Cloning:

The first draft of the entire human genome was decoded on 26th June 2000, by the human genome project followed by a steadily increasingly number of other organisms across the microscope to the macroscopic spectrum. There is also embryonic techniques of somatic cell nuclear transfer from a genotype through cloning as some of the problems which figured in Blade Runner and the book, Do Androids dream of electric sheep? which Blade Runner has been based upon has been linked to Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein as it serves as a cautionary tale.

Eyes and memories:

Throughout the film, the image of eyes are used throughout the movie repeatedly, as they provide insight into the themes and characters therein. The close up of the eye at the start of the film, which fills the screen reflecting the landscape being shown. When the eye is seen reflecting the one of the Tyrell corp pyramid reflects the eye of providence. It is also symbolic how the man that design's the replicant eyes (chew), uses the eyes as a way to represent how the eyes are being convyed as windows to their souls and eye contact is used to represent a facet of body language which unconsciously represents intent and emotion.

The Voight -Kampff machine is used in the film to measure the emotions and generally empathy through various biological responses such as fluctuation of the pupil and involuntary dilation of the iris. Tyrell's glasses are also an indicator of his dependence on technology for his power and myopic vision.The glow that is represented in the eyes of the replicants are used to represent their artificiality. Ridley Scott states that he considers the glow to be a stylistic device, whereas Brion James the actor that plays Leon suggests that the pollution within the film was a cause for the glow in the movie.There is also a notion that Rachel's memories have been fabricated and the owl which we see in the scene within the Tyrell corp pyramid, and the owl is seen flickering its eyes with a red tint. This has been adapted from Philip Dick's novel, Do androids dream of electric sheep? to signify how rare real animals are and the owls are used to connote how the owls were the first of the animals to die from pollution, which have forced humans to the off-world colonies. The owl also signifies to the audience that its a replicant of Tyell's creation.

Religious and Philosophical symbolism:

Christian allegory has also been used in Blade Runner, especially with Roy Batty's character. Regarding the replicants superhuman abilities, their identity are created by the Tyrell corporation and have fallen from the heavens (off world), which represents them as fallen angle's. Roy Batty's character is contrasted to that of Lucifer, as they both prefer to rule in hell (earth) rather then serve in heaven (off-world), which is obvious as Roy quotes William Blake from his book. Towards the end of the film, Roy creates a stigmata by pushing a nail into his hand and sacrifices his life to save Deckard, representing him as a Christ like figure. Whereas the dove has been used in the film to demonstrate Batty's should being transferred to heaven. 

Also the scene where Zhora has been shot in both her shoulders, has been used  to represent her as an angel whose wings have been cut off. The serpent which hangs around the neck of Zhora, connotes biblical association of the serpent corrupting man in his performance, (contrasted to serpent which corrupts Adam and Eve.

Environment and Globalization:

The climate of L.A. in AD, 2019 is different from today's climate is different as the industrial pollution, within the film has been used to imply how affected Earth is by the issues of global warming and global dimming. As a result of the pollution on the Earth, real animals have become rare and animal extinction and human depopulation of the planet was consequent to the radioactive fallout of a nuclear war.

Regarding in the film we see a lot of Asian people in L.A. and the citsyspeak dialect policeman, speaks to Deckard states how there has been alot of cultural mixing which has happened. Globalization, is also reflected in the name of Shimago-Dominguez Corporation, whose slogan proclaims "Helping America into the real world". Which indicates mass migration if happening, as their's a status quo that people want to escape.

Cultural mixing within the film, is implied by the scene depicting the chase between Deckard and Zhora. As when we look through the streets of L.A., we see people traditionally dressed as Jews, hare Krishnas and young boys dressed as punks.

Roy Sparing Deckards life:

It has been spectualted by film critics, that Rutger Hauer's character save Deckards life, so Deckard could live with the knowledge of Roy's experience being about to die. When preventing his own death, by passing on his own experience, this ensures that Deckard will remember Roy for the rest of his life.

Deckard: Human or Replicant:

When Deckard dreams of a unicorn in the directors final cut, at the end of the film finds an origami figure which Gaff leaves in Deckards apartment, which implies that Gaff knows of Deckards dream and connotes that he knows about Rachel's implanted memories. Although there is evidence which points to the audience that Deckard is a replicant but there is the possibility that Deckard can actually be human such as:

• Deckards apartment is full of photos which are neither recent or in colour. Replicants are also represented in the film as having a liking of photo's as it conveys their appreciation for a non existent past. 
• The scene where Deckard is asked by Rachel if his ever failed the Voight-Kampff eye test and we receive no answer from him.
• There is also the fact that Gaff has no sympathy for Deckard in the film at all, as he tells Deckard "You've done a mans job after Roy retires and he doesn't intervene when Deckard chooses to leave the apartment with Rachel to let her live. 
• The scene with Deckard and Rachel in the apartment, (after Rachel saves Deckards life by shooting Leon) shows a red tint to Rachel's eyes and as briefly as Deckard comes up behind her, the same red tint is briefly seen in the eyes of Deckard.
• Whereas in his Novel, Philip Dick wrote Deckard as a human and the original screenwriter of the film, Hampton Fincher wrote Deckard as a human.
• Whereas Ridley Scott states that he see's Deckard as a replicant and Harrison Ford see's Deckard as a human.

I would say at first I saw, Deckard as a replicant, with human characteristics which make him more human then that of the average human being, because towards the end of the film were we see Deckard with a red tint in his eyes which I remembered was a connection to Tyrell's owl which is a copy of the original non existent owls and his memories are similar to those of the implanted memories implanted in the replicants but I would say that he starts out as a human but looses his humanity enabling him to become a replicant as the narrative draws on as in a way the replicants are more human then the humans themselves, as the humans gain the role of being god.