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blade runner
January 2009 
Blade Runner: Roy Batty
Marmalade
Roy Batty, played by Rutger Hauer.
Replicant (M) Des: BATTY (Roy)
NEXUS-6 N6MAA10816
Incept Date: 8 JAN., 2016
Func: Combat, Colonization Defense Prog
Phys: LEV. A
Mental: LEV. A
Roy Batty is the leader of the renegade Nexus-6 replicants. He is very intelligent, fast, and skilled at combat, and yet still learning how to deal with developing emotions. With an A Physical Level (Superhuman strength & endurance) & an A Mental Level (Genius level intellect), he is probably the most dangerous of all the fugitive replicants. He is a combat model used off-world for military service and is said to have participated in every off-world battle and conflict from the fighting at the Tannhauser Gates to Massacre on the Venezeualan Moons. He leads a few of his fellow replicants in the hope of self-preservation. The "prodigal son" of Eldon Tyrell, Roy returns to his "father." First seeking a longer life, then asking forgiveness. With an extended life out of his grasp due to the errors of his own kind, and his 'questionable' actions deemed 'extraordinary', Roy ultimately destroys his maker, however.
Secret Cinema
By Eric G. Wilson
Page 80:
"What empowers Roy to escape the conundrums of Deckard and Rachel is his sense of identity. While Deckard and Rachel brood over whether they are human or machine, Roy casts himself as fallen angel."
Roy shows his resourcefulness by locating Chew, a genetic designer that did some work for the Tyrell Corporation. When they meet Chew in his lab they immediately set an aggressive tone and Roy begins by paraphrasing a poem by William Blake:
"Fiery the Angels fell,
Deep thunder rolled around their shores,
Burning with the fires of Orc."
The original lines are:
"Fiery the Angels rose, & as they rose deep thunder roll'd
Around their shores: indignant burning with the fires of Orc
And Bostons Angel cried aloud as they flew thro' the dark night."
This is the first direct reference to an angel in the film. Roy clarifies his self image by changing "Angels rose" to "Angels fell" in conjunction with the theme of rebellion in this classic poem. It also indicates that Roy will be on Earth for a short time because Earth is a transitory point for angels, the equivalent of limbo or purgatory. Being compared to an angel is only one facet of Roy's connection to the Gods. Roy has many similarities with the demigod Hercules. They both have powerful father figures and chaotic stepmothers, Hera for Hercules and technology for Roy. They are both cast out by their fathers for reasons beyond their control and they have similar physical abilities, violent pasts, and are heroes to an underclass.
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Roy is designed to be perfect, but he is flawed in two ways. First, he reflects his makers desire for power and control. Second, Sebastian who is a genetically flawed human says that there is some of him in Roy.
Roy has been to the stars in the body designed by Sebastian. He tells Chew what he has seen with the eyes that Chew had made. He has been many places, and Sebastian can't even leave Earth. He came down from the stars as if a fallen angel. And after killing his maker, we see the stars for the first time in the movie.
Roy comes back to find Pris dead, her tongue protruding. He tenderly kisses her and returns her tongue as if to give her some dignity in death. He eludes Deckard for a while, but eventually gets hold of Deckard's right hand breaking two of his fingers. His own right hand spasms signalling his own nearing death and also symbolizing his connection with Deckard. He stabs his hand with a nail to stop it from seizing up and some reviewers see this as representing his having some aspects of a Christ-like figure. Roy then follows Deckard to the rooftop where Deckard tries to escape by leaping to another building.
Secret Cinema
By Eric G. Wilson
Page 83:
Bearing in his hand a white dove( the annunciation, the virgin conception, the birth of spirit from matter), Roy easily makes the jump. He stands above the desperate Deckard and reminds him that this state --- this hovering in terrified limbo between death and life --- exemplifies Deckard's existence so far: "Quite an experience to live in fear, isn't it? This is what it means to be a slave." [...] Roy sits as well, and leaves Deckard with his last wisdom.
Significantly, these lines are not dogmatic, teachings to be faithfully affirmed or skeptically denied. They are accounts of aesthetic experiences, memories of especially beautiful and horrifying moments of an intense life: "I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those mometns will be lost in time, like tears in the rain. Time to die."
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Access: Public
For me, Roy is one of the most powerful and haunting characters in the movie. This is a stunningly powerful and accurate analysis. Makes me think of the following lyrics (I generally think and feel in lyrics or music)
Sting - When The Angels Fall lyrics
So high above the world tonight
The angels watch us sleeping
And underneath a bridge of stars
We dream in safety's keeping
But perhaps the dream
Is dreaming us
Soaring with the seagulls
Perhaps the dream
Is dreaming us
Astride on the backs of eagles
When the angels fall
Shadows on the wall
In the thunder's call
Something haunts us all
When the angels fall
When the angels fall
Take your father's cross
Gently from the wall
A shadow still remaining
See the churches fall
In mighty arcs of sound
And all that they're containing
Yet all the rugged souls
Looking for their lost homes
Shuffle to the ruins
From the levelled plain
To search among the tombstones
When the angels fall
Shadows on the wall
In the thunder's call
Something haunts us all
When the angels fall…
These are my feet
These are my hands
These are my children
And this is my demand
Bring down the angels
Cast them from my sight
I never want to see
A million suns at midnight
Your hands are empty
The streets are empty
You can't control us
You can't control us anymore
When the angels fall …
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Oh Ben, I feel everything so intensely these days. Tears are in my eyes again thinking about the tragedy of Roy, of what he represents in our world… so many people who take this stance of fallen angel… and then die…
Lovely lyrics
Yep, the tragedy of Roy and the sadness of what he represents. Rutger Hauer almost steals the show with his performance.
It is sad the stance Roy takes, but it seemed predictable for who he was and how he was made. He was condemned to a short life and he couldn't accept the reality of it until near the end. He fought back instead of waiting to die. His act of revenge seemed futile and really was just a reaction to his desperation… and, despite his high intelligence, a result of his lack of emotional control as he has the emotional development of a 3 year old.
There is another view on his situation that I came across. Roy's relationship to Tyrell is similar to our relationship to our own Maker. It is cruel that Roy only has a 4 yr long lifespan, but its cruel that all of us have a limited lifespan. Like Tyrell, why does God create us just to die? Like Roy, few of us are consoled by the idea of burning brightly in our short time of life.
he does almost steal the show. so on fire!
yes, predictable, too true.
do you feel life is too short? there are days when i feel like i have all the time in the world, almost feel guilty at how much time i have enjoyed already in 43 years… i think i will be happy to rest when my time comes! i take neil young to heart when he says better to burn out than to rust :)
I don't know if life is too short. I'm too focused on living my life, getting from day to day, just doing my thang. Although, I can say that I don't have much desire to grow old and become incompetent… physically and mentally.
I read this view about the shortness of our lives in a review of Blade Runner. I don't remember exactly what the author said. But I think the idea was that we have no choice in the matter. Maybe its not a big deal that Roy died after only 4 years as he did live intensely and did lead an interesting life. But the point is that he didn't have a choice. A heartless demiurgic figure designed him to die just as he was beginning to learn to live. That is the conundrum of life. We gain the wisdom in our old age that we could've used in our youth.
well, yes, seems late i know to get the wisdom then… i guess it's all about whether you trust and accept God or constantly kick against the goads. i am learning to trust and let go of trying to run the universe :)
i sure don't want to lose my mental competence, not so worried about physical but i like my mind! it's a real worry because all the women in my grandma's generation went senile. i hope because i am mentally so active i will stave it off :)