In Blade Runner 2049 cinematographer Roger Deakins utilizes a lot of move in/move out shots to show the vast sprawl of the dirty squaller that has become LA, SD, and Las Vegas in 2049. For instance the opening sequence mimics the original Blade Runner with an extreme long shot of the city then moves closer and focuses on our protagonist (Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford, respectively). He used a hybrid blend of classical and contemporary shooting styles that harken back to the original movie while also building on his innovative computer controlled rigs to shoot and make the lights of the cityscape feel bustling and alive. Two sequences that really stand out are the opening tracking shot of K arriving to investigate the protein farm, it sets the stage for the barren wasteland inhabited by the rejected replicants of society seeking to evade destruction by a society that now views them as a liability. The other is the Las Vegas sequence which is dripping in noir and brilliant orange and blue lighting that brings life to the once bustling city. These sequences use space and time to build a world that is both familiar and alien all at the same time.
The film does follow a classical 3 act structure, first following our McGuffin protagonist, K, as he does his menial detective job. The inciting incident is when he finds that the bones that were buried in Sapper Mortons front yard are a replicants bones, and that she had a child (something that was thought to be impossible). This set K off into act II where the rising action takes place. He finds that Wallace is interested in investigating as well for nefarious purposes like creating a replicant disposable work force. The movie compartmentalizes information and for the most part we are learning revelations as K does. He begins to think that he is not a replicant made, but one born, and this changes his entire outlook. Act III dispels that notion and we find out along with K that he was wrong, he is not special, he’s a replicant just like the others. But act III shows us that it is not some lineage or prophecy that can make the protagonist a hero, it is the actions of the protagonist himself. K goes and saves Deckard from being taken to Wallaces off world location where they had planned to torture him for information.
I really like your describes of some of the more complex shots in Blade Runner. I never saw or noticed the comparison between the opening shot of Blade Runner to the original Blade Runner.
Hello Joseph, Blade Runner is one of the films in this course that I would Like to watch but I just have yet to sit down and do so. I didn’t know there were multiple movies of Blade Runner. Of course I will start with number one. I like your analysis of camera angles in the beginning scene. I would have added the colors to the scene to invoke emotion. I noticed the picture looks like a fiery scene of red orange and yellow and one could do an analysis of the colors of the film. I would add transitional sentences between the paragraphs to create an easier read.