In early October, a reboot of the 1982 cult classic Bladerunner came to theaters by the name of Bladerunner 2049. This much-anticipated film acts as a continuation to the original movie, where the audience gets to find out where the original protagonists are now and also find out how the world handles a coexistence with the "Replicants".
However, when the film flopped in the box office, people started to analyze the storyline. What was so off-putting to the audience? Evidence shows two common reasons for people's dissatisfaction: They made the storyline pretentiously and unreasonably long, and, perhaps their biggest wrong doing, was their devaluing of women.
Even with the many women in the movie, this movie severely failed the Bechdel test. Coming from a storyline way in the future with numerous technological advances, the lack of social advances is shocking given how futuristic the universe is supposed to be! Many "Women", including the holographic girlfriend the protagonist possesses, are used as slaves and/or sex toys. They aren't real people with any real input. Even with the women that are real, no women (or robotic women) in this storyline is given any purpose but to serve the men in the story.
Some could translate that the movie is making a statement on how society treats women. Maybe how the lack of awareness on that front could cause a permanent state of misogyny throughout our society.These could be contemplated. But I don't buy it.
Like screenwriter Aaron Hildebrant expressed, it's easier for these writers to write about there own gender, race and sexuality, So they choose to stick to their perspective. However, this is an injustice to the rest of our society!
You can still make complex, 3-dimensional female characters while still portraying a message of gender inequality in our society. Accurate representation of women could've been factored in the storyline, they just chose not to.
To read more about the flawed writing of Bladerunner 2049, Click here.
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