Like others at first I didn't really get Blade Runner. I guess I was expecting something else from this film, perhaps something more fast paced. After all it was a sci-fi movie starring Harrison Ford, and I had only ever seen him in action movies up to that point. But then a couple of years later I saw the film again and just sat back and watched it without any large expectations. What a different experience.

This time around I purchased the film on Blu-ray (I got this and 2001 for €30, a good deal for two of my favourite films) and what a fantastic experience it was. It was the Final Cut and had been cleaned up and polished to a gorgeous sheen. The opening scene with it's Northern English inspired visuals and the neon drenched cityscapes simply looked amazing in HD, far more impressive than the vast majority of modern movies. And this clarity of picture is very important for this film, Scott has always been a very visual director (even his weaker films look amazing) and nowhere is that more important than in this film. For me Blade Runner is a film to be experienced, you need to immerse yourself in the feel of the film, in it's emotions and the visuals are very important to help you do this (as is the fantastic score), the plot happens in this film but it feels almost incidental, it's the experience an emotion that counts.

The visuals are also very important to one of the main themes in the film and that is eyes. We open with a shot of an eye reflecting the view seen, all six replicants (and the owl) feature a distinctive visual effect which lights up their eyes. Story wise Roy remarks upon the things he has seen with a reverential air. The eyes are also crucial in determining if someone is a replicant during the Voight-Kampff test and when Roy wants to get to Tyrell it's to the designer of eyes that he first goes. And of course Roy kills Tyrell by driving his thumbs through Tryell's eyes. For me this film truly believes that the eyes are the gateway to the soul.

The film also makes a big distinction between the artificial and the real, and the importance of the real. But this is not about the difference between Human and Replicant. Compare the artificial memories and photos of Racheal to the real memories of Roy or the real photos of Leon. Racheal speaks of the photograph and her memories in a cold almost detached tone and Deckard clinically and emotionlessly dismisses them as artificial and unimportant. Roy however speaks of his real memories with a reverential tone, mourning their loss with his death and Leon's photos of his friends (as Roy states) are very precious to him, he risks much returning to his hotel to try and retrieve them. Also compare Roy and J.f. Roy has real friendships were as J.f. mainly just interacts with the toys he creates, both are dying but who has lived more?

Overall I found this an amazing film with a rich full experience. If you didn't enjoy this film the first time out it is well worth a second viewing, just sit back and let it all wash over you and don't forget to watch out for the eyes.