The first one is another in the BFI Film Classics series on Blade Runner by Scott Bukatman. It is a thorough exploration of the themes of the film and touches on story, cinematography, philosophy and metaphysics to name but a few - an excellent read.
The style is quite academic - it has 103 footnotes in its 86 pages - which renders it a slow read if the contents are to be absorbed (at least this was my experience!). However, the wide range of references to other films and to books was invaluable and I have purchased some of them to help me deepen my understanding of what Ridley Scott was aiming for when he made this iconic film. I now want to watch the film again. For me, one of the deepest questions the book raised, was when it compared Asimov's notion of what is to be human with that offered by Philip K Dick who wrote the book Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? on which the film is based. For Asimov it is the capacity to learn, develop and evolve - Artificial Intelligence, whereas for Dick an android is incapable of displaying empathy as this is the most definingly human of characteristics. What do you think?
The second book I concluded (for the second time) was Neuromancer by William Gibson which was in large part the inspiration for much of The Matrix. So much of the world Gibson constructed was translated to The Matrix.
I never need an excuse for watching this film - but if I felt I did, I just got one!
Reading about films can be fun too - try it.
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