Alexcremers thinks of it as twist for plot sake with the intention to surprise lowly audience who want plot.
I never said this. In fact, we were talking about 'subtle and ambiguous' versus 'explicit and obvious'. Your standpoint is that the former is not a virtue but a problem but you failed to explain why. It's called 'chaacing'. You do it all the time. If I said it's black, you would say it's white. If I said it's white, you would say it's black.
In any case, I've never heard someone say that they actually like it when things are spelled out to him. I believe Hampton Fancher, the writer, once said, "It's the question that is interesting, the answer itself is boring". I can identify with that. 'Ambiguity' means 'multiple possibities', which leads to a more layered and rich experience. The questions in
Blade Runner were probably the reason why it became one of my favorite movies. What makes this movie great and timeless is the endless stream of ideas, thoughts and emotions people are extracting from the mood and atmosphere. On the surface, it's a simple story, but underneath it lies a vast world of allegory and metaphor.
Blade Runner dropped these ideas like land mines all over the movie and left them there for the viewer to step upon, to ponder about. It took me several viewings before I even picked up the 'Deckard might be a replicant' suggestion. It thrilled me to no end that I had discovered it on my own. A new perspective was born. Needless to say I was shocked when I saw the DC in 1992. The subtle suggestion was replaced with a blunt statement that required nothing from the viewer at all.
And about the narration, I often have the feeling people are just saying they hate it because they heard it's the right thing to do. It's a simple story and unless you happen to think that "Sushi, that's how my ex-wife called me" is exposition, the voiceover doesn't add or detract that much. What the voiceover does do is give the film a different vibe. The narration adds to the Film Noir atmosphere. The text itself is only a part of the story. And while the story certainly holds everything together, it's the storytelling itself, the imagery, the palpable mood, the strong atmosphere and the many underlying themes and questions that makes
Blade Runner. 'Explicitness' (that what you want) only works against that.
The funny thing is that you are commenting on a version of a film that you didn't see.
