The comparative study of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner allows views into the tension between humanity and the natural world through their unique contexts. Although changes in context lead to changed values being reflected in texts, similar human issues resonate over time and between texts. Mary Shelley, in her gothic novel Frankenstein, writes at a time when the thirst for scientific knowledge that came with the enlightenment age was being displaced by Romantic ideals of nature.Whereas Ridley Scott, in his tech-noir film Blade Runner, with the benefit of time, portrays a dystopic world of environmental decay and social collapse that were pertinent with globalization and an increasingly capitalist society. The comparative study of the two texts depicts these unique contexts as it explores the tension between nature and civilization and acts as cautionary tales for the moral fallibility of the pursuit of knowledge, which comes with a connection to the natural world.
Mary Shelley writes about how the obsession with the pursuit of knowledge can corrupt the human ambition.Mary Shelley depicts Victor as having an idyllic childhood in the landscape of Geneva, which is corrupted by an obsession with science. Victor’s obsession with his project corrupts him, making him arrogant. Victor’s neurotic fixation to “pour a torrent of light upon this dark world” highlights the corruption of his mind through his vain glorious tone.
Through this, Shelley is commenting on the archetypal enlightenment figures that were present during the period. During his path to glory, Victor becomes “shunned by my fellow creatures as if I had been guilty of a crime.”Through his hubris, Victor refuses to question his motives for his project on the creature to create life. This grotesque creation of the creature acts as Mary Shelley’s metaphor for the encroaching Industrial Revolution, as the profound idea that technological advancements were more important that our duty to the environment. Mary Shelly portrays this pursuit of knowledge as being questionable and dangerous, demonstration her Romantic ideals.
Whilst Mary Shelley displays the romantic values that were becoming prevalent during her time, Ridley Scott’s filmic examination in Blade Runner, exploring the idea of a highly artificial environment.Through Tyrell’s reckless pursuit of power, Scott critiques the exploitive nature of companies that were around during 1982. Tyrell’s believes he is the “God of Biomechanics”. The low angle shot of the Tyrell Corporations building perpetuates the idea of Tyrell’s gold-like status among the morally corrupt world. Tyrell’s immoral character is a metaphor for globalization, as companies exploit people and poorer countries without regarding the impact of these actions on society and the environment.
Tyrell’s lust for power and money overcomes him as he neglects his creations and the world around him. This is highlighted through the aphorism of “the candle that burns twice as bright burns twice as fast”, creating a sense of detachment between Tyrell and his ultimate creation, Roy Batty. This is Ridley Scott’s analysis shows how humanity’s connection with the natural world has deteriorated as people, who are meant to be the ‘protectors’ of Earth, abandon their duty towards nature for their own selfish pursuits for power and knowledge.The tension between nature and civilization reverberates strongly through Shelley’s Frankenstein, echoing the tension between romantic ideals and the age of enlightenment. Victor, after creating his creature in fear and disgust, retreats back to Geneva to find solace in nature.
The significance of nature in Victor’s life is shown through the personification in the line “the very winds whispered in soothing tones”. The primordial innocence of the creature reflects the Romantic ideals that were coming to rise at the time.However, these ideals were destroyed by the actions of the people around the creature, reflecting the exploitive nature of civilization. The creature demonstrates this as he says “believe me Frankenstein – I was benevolent, my soul glowed with love and humanity… you my creator abhorred me. ” Victor’s responsibility and selfishness is emphasized through the juxtaposition of “benevolent” and “abhorred”. This is reference to how the Romantic ideals are destroyed by the principles of the age of enlightenment as civilization and science has the ability to ruin the natural beauty of the world, through its negligence and recklessness.
In his film Blade Runner, Ridley Scott also critiques this tension between nature and civilization, with reference the to environmental issues and despotic nature of society. The opening ‘Hades’ scene is a panning shot over the city of Los Angeles in 2019, showing a dirty and industrialised city. These panoramic shots encapsulate the power that civilization holds over nature, and how mankind has destroyed the natural beauty of the world as the motifs of pollution and rain are shown throughout the film, referencing to the environmental issues of smog and acid rain that were occurring during the creation of the film.This shots caution the viewer about the destruction that humanity. The confrontation between Roy and Tyrell highlights the tension between the real and the artificial, as the viewer sympathises with Roy, who is shown as being more moral and righteous, compared to his unethical creator Tyrell, who is unable to help as it is “too late”. The frustrated tones and juxtaposing shots between Tyrell and Roy demonstrates the tension between nature and civilization.
Ridley Scott is suggesting that humanity has to be aware of the vulnerability of nature and should be conscious of the corporate misuse of the natural world otherwise it may reach a point where it is too late to act and there will no longer be a connection between humanity and the natural world. The comparative study of the two texts with their unique contexts allows the viewers to consider the relationship that humanity has with nature, as the texts act as cautionary tales, which relate to society as this tension between nature and civilization is a major factor in today’s culture.
