Present time
Another significant point is the costumes worn by both humans and replicants. Firstly, the humans evoke the past by wearing traditional 1940’s styled clothes, this includes a suit with a tie, hat and long jacket just like what the gaffer wears. Deckard wears roughly the same, with a detective suit consisting of a traditional trench coat and mafia hat. Rachel, who is supposedly human, has an ancient hairdo and long skirt like again from the 1940’s.
The replicants wear totally different clothes; they wear futuristic, avant-garde, artificial fabrics. They mostly have unconditional designs like leather and PVC. Priss represents the future replacing the old, as she can be seen wearing a punk style short skirt and tights. Roy wears a futuristic long coat made of leather. All Zora wears is breast plates, short pants, big bondage boots and is covered with a plastic bag. This is totally unlike the fashion in our present time, although it might be something of the future.
There is plenty of light used during Blade Runner, with a combination of natural light and back lighting. There are no shadows, Scott only uses light available this is obscure and creates a mystery kind of atmosphere and suspense. It is like stories from the 1940’s and 50’s. The backlighting used comes from the back towards the figure, it is almost another version of shadows. This backlighting also creates ghostly images.
Some of the other light comes from above, like when Deckard is coming up from the elevator. Most of the light comes from the neon lights from advertising, neon lights are very strong and effective in a dark environment, and this is why Scott can just use natural light in his film. Critics may say this is not first-rate as the film is too dark throughout and much more light is needed, the audience may feel that the whole movie is unpleasant and dull if it is in the dim continually.
In the first version, a lot of voiceovers are heard of Deckard speaking but fortunately, this was taken out in the Director’s Cut because the viewer would get tired of the same non-emphatic voice of Deckard, it also slows down the main parts of the film. Voiceovers are non-diagetic sounds, as well as the continuous soundtrack which is performed by the large Greek composer, Van Gelis. The soundtrack is a slow beat, it is the kind of beat that stay in the viewers mind for a long time, there are also bits of Arabic music in the film which together creates a supernatural atmosphere. The diagetic sound comes from rain falling, smoke going off, adverts and the little voices always taking place. The most diagetic sound comes from the overlapping all the cultural languages from the different nationalities, it can be heard most in the whole film.
In the concluding contemplation of the whole use of Misen Scne to create an effective atmosphere in Blade Runner, I would say, observing the use of streets, buildings, costumes, sounds and lighting are successful in creating an overall effective atmosphere in the story of Blade Runner. Ridley Scott has added and removed the correct sets of the film, although the lighting could be slightly improved there is still an effective use of Misen Scne throughout Blade Runner. The atmosphere created is of a mystical kind, making people want to view on into the fantasy world of a Deckard or any other Blade Runner! How does Ridley Scott use Misen Scne to create an effective atmosphere in Blade Runner?
