Within the past week we have all learned that there is truly a lot of time in a day, especially with them being 24 hours and all.
There’s so much to do.
We can watch a movie, read a book, pray, play a video game/board game, watch YouTube, tweet and even chose to do homework.
Point is, there is a lot of time in a day, which is true for movies too.
“Blade Runner: The Final Cut”
Take Ridley Scott’s neo-noir classic, for example. This version of the film, which is my favorite of the seven available, is an hour and 57 minutes long. In that time, we see Rick Deckard, a blade runner played by Harrison Ford, doing his best to round up four rogue replicants (a.k.a. bioengineered humans).
With most of the movie centering around the world and atmosphere of Scott’s imagination of 2019 Los Angeles, it’s an easy movie to catch a nap too.
Through Deckard’s attempts to order noodles from a street shop, to Roy Batty (played by the late Rutger Hauer) spouting old poems to frightened civilians, this movie wants to immerse you in this world, and it’s not in any hurry.
The pauses between dialogue contributes to the film’s slow pace as well. Ford and Sean Young, the latter of whom plays a replicant named Rachael, share a scene where it feels like neither responds within 20 seconds of each other.
Even the film’s score is indicative of the pacing. Every twinkle from Vangelis’ iconic score seems to wallow in the scene, attempting to fill all of the space possible, every moment full.
I’ve come to realize that films described as “slow-burns” are some of my favorites to watch. When they are like “Blade Runner” I feel like I learn so much about them. Movies that take their time in establishing the rules of the world and the characters that inhabit it are becoming harder and harder to find.
I feel like in a loosely connected way, this idea can apply to our lives as well. Over the past week, it’s been a time-consuming effort in using time wisely. There’s so much free space for the moment, so, why not learn more about the characters around us?
