ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book focuses on the three principal philosophical themes in the film, namely death, empathy, and what it is to be human. Blade Runner is a film that has been cited as an example of how cinema can function as a philosophical medium. The chapter looks at the history of the making of the film itself, the history of its critical reception, the influence that it has had on the development and understanding of cinema, and the different ways in which it has been interpreted by commentators. Cyberpunk readings are one type of interpretation of the film to be found in the critical literature. Deborah Knight and George McKnight argue that it is the distinctively emotional aspects of memory that are central to the humanity and to human agency.
