Theatrical Cut

Tonight I learned that the voice-over on this version is nowhere near the train wreck I'd been led to believe. Clumsily written at times, sure, but the delivery matches the tenor of the character of Deckard fairly well, and the mere presence of voice over aids in establishing the mood of the film more than I think its detractors give it credit for.

And, well, of course it's a masterpiece.

That's like the baseline for the praise this film warrants. What struck me this time - particularly during the shots of the reflective pupil on the synthetic owl - was the sheer amount of visual sophistication and intricate detail that went into creating this thing. The shot of the owl actually reminded me specifically of the brief moment from Citizen Kane where the cockatoo's eye is rendered transparent during a scene transition. And while I don't think this film re-invents the wheel the same way Kane did, it's certainly worthy of discussion right alongside it as one of only a handful of films that have had such an incalculable influence on everything that followed.