Intro: Blade Runner

I'm working this thing backwards.

Blade Runner is one of my all-time favorite films, and one that influenced me heavily as a teenager. There is something compelling about the story of someone killing inhuman creatures that themselves speak so heavily of humanity.

Then there is Ridley Scott's visuals. If you want to talk about a completely thought out universe to live in that isn't entirely explained or handed to you - this is the film. Dystopian future, yep. Incredibly densely layered mise-en-scene. And so on.

I wanted to approach the topic from what I described in the syllabus as a "film criticism" section of the course. I think we flip that on it's head, though. Normally the game is new idea, then film, then analyze, but I think in this case, because of the nature of the film, we start with the film. Then give them the opportunity to analyze in a casual assignment.

This is going to be a synthesis of what they've learned in terms of formal criticism, but also a look at new ways to think about films and their social impact.

 We've got this film and then some film history, final projects, then all done. Film criticism was kind of an afterthought, one that I'm glad to include, but I don't want to beat them upside the head with it.