SAM SPADE

Spade has the qualities of a very capable detective and does quite well at his job. He takes in everything around him and is constantly thinking. Many times when Spade is talking with someone, especially when he is trying to extract information, he repeats either their response and occasionally some of his own statements.By restating them it gives him more time to process the information he just received and figure out how to get the information he wants. He is very talented at getting what he wants and twisting a situation so it meets his needs.
When Spade gets back home after going out to see Miles's body the police come to question him. Spade doesn't give them many answers, but they give him some. After his outburst at them he calms down and apologizes then begins to ask them questions. "I'll be reasonable Tom," he [Spade] promised. "How did I kill this Thursby? I've forgotten'" (pg 22). The police proceeds to divulge how Miles had been killed. Spade asks his question in a bit of a joking form, but he assumes they will give him the answer he's looking for. Spade sarcastically asks how he killed Thursby since the murderer remains a mystery at present. Yet when he asks this ridiculous he doesn't get a response that would match this question. Both of the police officers give him facts that will eventually help him pull his case together.
Another one of Spade's talents at being a qualified detective is being a good listener without making it look like he's interested in what's being discussed. While Brigid and Cairo are conversing Spade doesn't miss anything. "Spade, propped on an elbow on the sofa, looked at and listened to them impartially . In the comfortable slackness of his body, in the easy stillness of his features, there was no indication of either curiosity or impatience" (pg 68). Spade feigns the appearance of only half listening to what the two were talking about probably in the hopes that they would feel more relaxed and reveal more information. Not only is his face void of any emotion, his body also gives off an air of not paying full attention.
Spade picks up on minute details that most people wouldn't see or be able to piece together. With his ability to take the power in a situation and get more information than he gives out, along with being able to pretend he is uninterested in a conversation while not missing a word of what has been exchanged are only two of the components that make him a worthy detective.

Resolution of Blade Runner

The movie Blade Runner was extremely different from the book Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. I didn't really like the movie Blade Runner. I think I was expecting something that was closer to the ideas in the book, rather than just using some of the same characters and the concept of androids. Most of the time it's dark and raining giving the movie an overall grim feeling. In this movie Deckard isn't married which changes his relationship with Rachael a lot. In the novel Deckard goes back to his wife and finds out about his goat being killed by Rachael. Instead it's implied that he runs away with Rachael. Since I read the book before I saw the movie it's hard for me to trust Rachael. It seems like she may have just been going along with him to avoid being killed. There doesn't seem to be a way to figure out if Rachael actually fell in love with him or is only looking out for herself. In the book she was a very devious character and used him. It's up to the viewer to decide whether they trust her or not though.


Another interesting event that takes place in the final scene is Rachael stepping on the silver unicorn and Deckard goes back over and picks it up. It seemed like a sign or a clue from the director about him being an android or a human. It's still quite unclear whether he's an android or not. The origami unicorn did seem like a prominent sign. Ghaff had been making origami animals throughout film and he also works with the company. Earlier in the movie Deckard had a dream about unicorns. It seems like it was more than just a coincidence of the unicorn paper animal. Maybe it was Ghaff's way of letting Deckard know that he is an android (assuming he is one).
I'm not sure I completely believe it. If he was an android, why wasn't he as strong as the others? He could have been an old android. It still leaves me with another question, how is he still alive and been living for quite a while. Scott, I'm sure, does this on purpose to make his viewers question it, and come up with their own ideas on what he is. I like it when books and movies really make you think and leaves you pondering the ending.

An Element of Film

In the movie Blade Runner Ridely Scott uses different ways of filming to enhance the film. During a chase scene between Deckard and Szhora (a Nexus-6 android)in the movie the way this scene was filmed made the viewer feel more like they were a part of the scene. The camera was shaky and jumped back and forth between the two people. Instead of shooting a regular view of Deckard, it would be shot through the crowd, as if Szhora was seeing him. It gave the viewer a sense almost that the camera was also looking for the other person. There were also different views of the extremely crowded street with cars stuck in gridlock and people standing in tight groups making it difficult to maneuver one's way through the street also producing a feeling of panic. When Deckard finally gets close enough to the android to be in shooting range the cameras flip back and forth between them quickly to show the building tension. Then when he does shoot her she moves in slow motion and Deckard in normal time to make it seem more intense. It slows down even more as she begins to crash through the the glass and fake snow, eventually landing on the hard floor of the store showing that she was definitely dead.

Another scene that the filming technique intensifies is Deckard looking at the photo on his television and blowing it up to scrutinize the details in it. Every time he zooms in on the picture the camera also gets closer to his face. There is no music playing at all, the only sound is the clicking each time he enlarges the image. By flashing back and forth it gives a feeling of apprehension. The viewer doesn't really know what Deckard is searching for in this photo, but the way he's looking at it makes it seem extremely important. Camera angles and different shots can change a scene drastically. Filming is only one small part of creating a scene and eventually a movie. Music in my opinion is just as important, a movie wouldn't be the same without the scary music or joyous music to set the mood. There is also lighting, and the actors (can't forget about them) and the setting. A film needs all of these factors for it to be good.