 I think Blade Runner 2049 is everything a sequel should be. It's a continuation of the themes found in the original all the while introducing new ideas. It both stands on its own and enhances the previous film. I wanted the movie to feel like a familiarity with the first one and add its own identity. Much like its predecessor, 2049 is obsessed with one central question. What does it mean to be human and, to a greater extent, what it means to have humanity? This can be found from the very first scene. Agent K is sent to retire Sapper Morton. The first thing that's worth pointing out is his first name. Sapper is probably a reference to Edward Sapper, an anthropologist and linguist who helped develop the Sapper-Worth hypothesis, which states that the structure of a language determines a native speaker's perception and categorization of experience. This is a concept that was explored in director Denis Villeneuve's previous film, Arrival. In the context of the film, it means that who we are is ultimately shaped by our experiences, with language being just one part of that. This helps to explain a lot about Sapper's character. He used to be a soldier, but after seeing a miracle birthed from a replicant, he now lives a simple life as a farmer. But you haven't always been a farmer, have you? You're a bag. Military issue. Seeing the miracle completely changed him. He became something new. Because you've never seen a miracle. Something beyond his programming, which, according to the film, means he has humanity or a soul. Throughout the film, this is what Agent K searches for, to be more than what he was created for. Early on, he was a mindless killer. He had no appreciation for life, and life had no appreciation for him. Fuck all skin jobs. He is always treated as a thing. The same way that he treats other replicants, his programming told him it was okay to kill, as long as they have no soul. I've never retired something that was born before. This begs the question. What is a soul, and what does that mean? To be born is to have a soul, I guess. But that isn't true, and over the course of the film, Agent K comes to realize this. When he thinks that he could be real, that he has a soul, he starts to fail the baseline test. You're not even close to baseline. Whereas before, he passed it. He is still the same replicant that he was before. The only thing that changed was his perception of self. He starts to go against his own programming. Over the course of the film, he develops into a real being. He feels true emotion, anger, love, and hopelessness. Even though he isn't the miracle, he still is able to develop a soul. He goes against his programming, and ultimately lives the life that he wants to live. He sacrifices himself so that others can feel love. Dying for the right cause is the most human thing we can do. Although Joy may be the catalyst for Joe to develop and grow a soul, she never does that herself. Her entire purpose is to feed the desires of her owner. Would you read to me? You don't make you feel better. You hate that book. She encourages Joe and tries to make him the best version of himself. She helps realize how much potential he has and how much he can achieve. I always told you, you're special. Her dying words are reinforcing how much she is programmed to care about him. I love you. But of course, it ultimately means nothing to him. After her death, Joe sees an advertisement for her. So much of what he thought was real, what he thought made her unique, proved to be pre-programming. Everything from certain phrases she used to use Was a day. What a day. To what is most heartbreaking, the name she created for him is all part of her programming. You look like a good Joe. When he realizes this, it is one of the last things that is able to push him towards free will and away from his programming. Throughout her entire life, love was told that she was special. Wallace named her. He named you. Must be special. And gave her the responsibility to run his empire and the power needed to do so. Because of this, she holds herself to standards that she cannot always match. She wants to succeed, to be able to do everything that Wallace asks of her. So when that means doing the impossible, we see who she really is. Somebody who's afraid to fail. It's why we see true fright from her in this scene when the cruiser is about to crash. Not because she is worried about her own life, but instead because she feels like she will fail Wallace. Similarly, in this scene, she feels true anger towards Lieutenant Joshi. Because she isn't giving love what she needs. She doesn't think on her own. Everything that she does is fearing that she will no longer be Wallace's number one. It's her programming that allows her to feel true emotion, but ultimately it's just that. Her doing what she was created to do. I'm the best one. One of the most interesting characters in the film is Wallace. He is the obvious counterpart to Tyrell from the original Blade Runner. Wallace is trying to fill the shoes of Tyrell to achieve what Tyrell did, and despite enormous improvements to the replicants in some areas, he fails to accomplish what Tyrell could. I cannot breathe them. So help me, I have tried. And that comes from a simple lack of understanding. He simply doesn't understand this concept. The light that burns twice as bright burns half as long. Wallace isn't evil. He just sees everything in the big picture. And because of that, he fails to understand the intricacies of life. It's why he didn't know Rachel had green eyes. Her eyes were green. To him, the value of human life means very little compared to the endless possibilities of human exploration. That is how I took us to nine new worlds. A child can count in nine odd fingers. The reason that Tyrell was able to create replicants was that he had an appreciation for the smallest details. It's part of why he played chess with J.F. Sebastian. Wallace rejects the self-imposed rules that Tyrell gave himself, and because of that, he fails to achieve what Tyrell did. Much like Tyrell, Deckard also has self-imposed restrictions. He holds himself back. He doesn't allow himself to see or interact with his daughter. Sometimes to love someone, you gotta be a stranger. He knows that the two of them together would lead to imminent danger for her. I didn't want our child found, taken apart, dissected. From the first movie, Deckard knows the significance of living. How important it is to everyone's evolution of humanity. To having experiences and living a fulfilling life. Yet he chooses not to live a substantial life so that his daughter can live in safety. It's true sacrifice. The kind that shows a greater understanding of life. The same kind that Joe goes on to make. I want to end this video by taking a look at the final scene because much like the film's opening scene, it helps reveal the film's main message. We see a contrast. Joe lying in the snow accepting his death while Dr. Anna Steline is inside her chamber watching artificial snow fall through her hand. Within this is a very interesting metaphor. Anna, who was naturally born, doesn't experience anything real. Whereas Joe, who was created, is the one experiencing life. He is existing whereas she is not. As the Sapper Worf hypothesis states, we are shaped by our experiences. In life it doesn't matter where we come from. All that matters are the decisions we make and the way we choose to live our lives. More human than humans. Hey everyone, thank you for watching. I hope you enjoyed. I'm still making my way through a lot of great movies from 2017, but so far Blade Runner 2049 is far and away my favorite film of the year. It offers so much to discuss. It's full of symbolism and purely on a technical level, it's one of the best films of the past few decades. If you want to see more, be sure to hit that subscribe button. I have a new video coming out every Saturday. I also put a link to my first video on Blade Runner, that is the 1982 movie, so be sure to check that video out if you haven't seen it yet. Thanks for watching and I will see you next week.