Bladerunner: Was Deckard a replicant?

[I, Brian]

Here's the argument:
(from http://www.fast-rewind.com)

Deckard was a replicant:

1. 6 replicants are apparently referred to - the four who jumped ship and must be hunted (Rutger Hauer et al), plus Rachel. Who was the sixth? Did Deckard have false memory implants?

2. Deckard is obsessed with photographs, as are the replicants (tho' theirs was for personal history, not crime scene investigation ).

3. In the Director's Cut, there is apparently a scene of Deckard with eyes glowing like Rachel's and the owls.

4. How does Gaff know about the unicorn dream if it's not an implant?

5. Why hasn't Deckard taken the Voicom test?

6. Ridley Scott allegedly said he was!!


Deckard was not a replicant:

1. Replicants were illegal on earth - so why would the police use one?

2. Deckard was much weaker than Roy.

3. Why would Bryant trust a replicant if he hates them?

4. If Deckard has memory implants, why make him want to quit?

5. Harrison form allegedly said he wasn't!!

[foxxglove]

I haven't read the book (do androids dream of electric sheep) in awhile but it was pretty clear in it that he was not a replicant. However as the movie is loosely based on the book it could have been this was Scott's intention. I never thought so, just because he wasn't that strong.

[I, Brian]

I never considered it either - but apparently it's been something of a discussion. I'm going to have to dig out either the script or the DVD to see where the supposed reference to the six replicants comes in, and see how much that could infer Deckard as one.

[Morning Star]

Oh yeah, geez, this is the chicken-egg question of sci-fi. I am still in two minds about it, as there is supporting evidence for both.

[Foxbat]

I definitley feel that the film implied that he was a replicant - but left it loose enough in order that places like this could debate the subject.
Now that's what I call forward thinking

[Whitestar]

Originally Posted by I, Brian

I never considered it either - but apparently it's been something of a discussion. I'm going to have to dig out either the script or the DVD to see where the supposed reference to the six replicants comes in, and see how much that could infer Deckard as one.

Yes, it's official. Deckard is a replicant. When the film was rereleased in theaters in the early 1990s with the Directors Cut version, director Ridley Scott had the "happy ending" cut, the Deckard narration removed, and a scene added containing a unicorn running through the forest, the latter comfirming that Deckard is a replicant. Check out the link right here:


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/825641.stm


Whitestar

[Michael]

And there sure was an entire precinct full of replicant police in the book!

[I, Brian]

Thanks for the link, Whitestar.

Shows how observant I am!!

[Morning Star]

That's the film version I have as well. The paper unicorn for me was always the strongest piece of evidence.

EDIT: One question though, does this mean that he himself is on borrowed time? I mean, was his lifespan the same as the others?

[Princess Ivy]

I was bugged by this, so I watched it last night
Six replicants escaped, five made it to earth
One died trying to break into the company
Decker killed the other three
Roy died on his own
Rachael never was in space, ever!
Decker was obsessed with LEON's photos, not his own.
and at no point did i see an implication that he was a replicant.
However, the paper unicorn, and attitude of Gaff, indicated to me that Gaff may have been a replicant!

[Morning Star]

I also felt that Gaff may have been a replicant. However Ridley himself has now stated that Deckard is a replicant...unless he just threw that into the mix for a laugh.

So now I have to wonder (unless I missed something) was Deckard really a great Bladerunner? I mean, if he is retired and is known for his skill, then surely he must have lived longer than 4 years? Or was that all a lot of malarkey? Geez...my head hurts...ALSO, why was Deckard not as strong as the others? Was he created to be less strong and more human (thus having been granted the longer lifespan, as he was less of a threat.)

If somebody has any insight into this, I would really appreciate it.

[Princess Ivy]

the implication i think may have just been that he had memory implants, but i just don't see it. I quite agree with you, in order to have the sort of police ranking, first an officer, then a bladerunner, then retired, he would have had to have been older than four. I think more thown out to keep discussions like this one going, than any real truth to it.

[Morning Star]

I mean...it just doesnt make sense, unless I am expected to believe that they created Deckard, specifically and recently to hunt down the escaped replicants and dropped him off in a crummy apartment...

Then I would also have to believe that his boss (forget his rank, captain or chief or something) was in on it?

[Princess Ivy]

as well as the company boss as well, yet he appparently doesn't know decard personaly, and is meeting him for the first time when he studies rachael.

[Morning Star]

Or so he claims, unless we are expected to believe he was also just pretending?