Ali Rıza Taşkale

Abstract

It’s impossible to discuss the recent Blade Runner 2049 without touching on its dystopian aesthetics. The film is a contradiction of fascinating aesthetics within a world of decay, the gloomy vision of cyberpunk. Yet, one must not limit the discussion of dystopian cinema to its visual images or its narrative aspects. What is most important is the way in which dystopian cinema relates to ideas. This article critically engages with Blade Runner 2049 from a theoretical point of view, focusing on its key themes, which have diagnostic value for social and cultural analysis. I argue that the film presents a critique of the current world, a nascent rebellion, which opposes corporate capitalism, but it's unable to conceive of a future that moves beyond it.

Keywords

Capitalist realism, corporate imaginaries, post-capitalist futures, dystopian cinema, dystopian aesthetics

From: Critique 2020 48 (1)

Editor: Wang Yi