this post was submitted on 04 Sep 2024
374 points (99.0% liked)

196

16489 readers
1480 users here now

Be sure to follow the rule before you head out.

Rule: You must post before you leave.

^other^ ^rules^

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
374
Rachael rule (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
 
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[โ€“] [email protected] 7 points 2 months ago (1 children)

There was ZERO ambiguity about this

Okay, you had me up till this point. There was definitely ambiguity. That's sort of the whole joke of the Voight-Kampff test (and the movie at-large). Discerning humanity isn't trivial or obvious. You can argue that the movie reads better if Deckard isn't a replicant, but the screenplay is deliberately ambiguous with the intent of putting the viewer in Deckard's shoes.

And not merely to ask if this particular character is a replicant, but to ask whether there's any value in hunting for them or any real means of drawing a distinction at all. What is the point of trying to "detect for humanity" if not to find a population we can ethically treat as less-than-human?

The sequel tries to delve into that question a bit more deeply, but gets high on its own auteur supply along the way. What is the purpose of hunting replicants, really? Is there any real social good in sorting "real" humans from artificial ones? Or is it just a hysterical impulse that will lead to our collective self-destruction?

[โ€“] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago

Fair enough. I think it's safe to say that my reply was a little heated. You are, of course, correct. I will edit my comment.