Lighting Assignment - Blane Burroughs

Film Title: Blade Runner (1982)
Director: Ridley Scott
Cinematographer: Jordan Cronenweth

Logline: A blade runner must pursue and try to terminate four replicants who stole a ship in space and have returned to Earth to find their creator.

The scene depicts a fairly brutal death sequence in the most beautiful way. The city lighting sets the dark noir tone, and the rain further adds to the emotion of the scene. Deckard (Harrison Ford) is chasing a replicant named Zhora (Joanna Cassidy) through the city, and ends up shooting her in the back. During the shooting the scene slows down, as she falls through multiple storefront windows. All of the beautiful neon reflects off of the glass, and all of this aesthetic combined with the amazing music helps to convey the confusion that Deckard feels about killing replicants. They could have done the death scene in a very different way that wouldn't have given it much emotion, and the viewer wouldn't feel for Zhora as much.