Tears In The Rain, by Tyler Smith

BLADE RUNNER (1982)
Directed by: Ridley Scott
Written by: Hampton Fancher and David Webb Peoples
Starring: Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young

I recently compiled a list of some of my favorite screen villains. Usually, I find myself drawn to the villains who are not obvious caricatures, but are complex characters, whose motives are not always bad. I tend to like characters who, like those of us who live in real life, are just trying to life their lives according to what they think is right. The complexity comes into play when someone or something gets in the villain’s way, and he must decide how to deal with it. It’s usually around this time that this character is established as a villain.

Which brings me to one of my favorite movie villains: Roy Batty, from Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner.

The film takes place in the near future, when robots are created to do manual labor on other planets. These robots are dead ringers for real humans, except they are much stronger and more durable. The Tyrell Corporation, which manufactures these robots called “Replicants,” continues to improve them until they are so human that they begin to question their slavery status. Why should they be treated different than humans? After all, just like humans, they have personalities and emotions and memories. A group of Replicants revolt, killing several humans. The revolt was led by a particularly strong Replicant named Roy Batty.

Throughout the film, we follow Batty as he kills his way to the head of the Tyrell Corporation. Batty, as played by Rutger Hauer, seems like a cold-blooded murderer. He has no qualms about hurting any person that gets in his way. However, as Batty finally infiltrates the corporation, we see what his purpose truly is.

The Replicants, as it turns out, only have a four-year lifespan, and Batty knows that his is almost up. As he is eventually told that there is no way to stop the process, we see the anger inside him. However, we also see the desperation and hopelessness. Roy responds to this news as one would expect: he kills somebody.

During the climax of the film, Roy is confronted by Deckard, the detective who has been tracking him down throughout the film. Roy, obviously physically superior to Deckard, enjoys toying with the man. However, he starts to feel his system shut down. Finally, as Deckard hangs off the side of a building, about to fall, Roy stands over him.

Surprisingly, Roy grabs Deckards arm and pulls him to safety. He sits with Deckard in the rain. In one of my favorite scenes of all time, Roy says the following line:

I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in the rain. Time to die.

And, with that, Roy slumps over, dead. Its a strange moment. Why did Batty save Deckard’s life? My view is that, knowing that he only had a few minutes left, Roy chose to give life instead of take it. As he was slowly losing his own life, he realizes just how precious life is, and chooses to act on that.

Or maybe, in a decidedly human moment, Roy just decided that he didnt want to die alone.

There are several themes in the film that I like. Among them, how memory impacts who we are. This theme pops up in such other films as Memento and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Another theme that I find particularly poignant is the question of what makes us human.

Roy Batty, a non-human, clings to life so dearly that he is willing to kill for it. He has experienced amazing things, and it has left him wanting more. He has a genuine thirst for life. But, its going to end, and theres nothing he can do about it. That helplessness leads to impotent rage, and he thrashes out at humans; at us. We have so much longer to live than he, and we dont even appreciate it. Many of Roy’s victims in the film seem oddly at ease with their impending deaths.

Violent, unrepentant killer though he may be, Roy Batty teaches us something; the preciousness of life. It could be over at any moment, so let’s try to get the most out of it.

This is a lesson that some Christians would be wise to contemplate. So many of us are so focused on Heaven that we sometimes forget that, at the moment, we’re right here on Earth, where we can laugh and cry and connect with each other. We should embrace the life that God gave us now, instead of just treat it as if it’s merely a thing to be tolerated until we die.

We’re here now, and there’s so much to see and so much to do. And we should cherish every moment that we’ve had, whether it be bad or good.

Okay. Sorry I got a little mushy there. Like I said, sometimes movies speak to me in a way that has nothing to do with camera angles and set design, although this film certainly has amazing cinematography and production design. But, I’ll let you discover that for yourself.