Blade Runner

Rick Deckard is considered to be the best Blade Runner. Could this be because he also happens to be the most advanced replicant ever created and can easily identify others of his kind? In the instance where he is seen playing the piano and then daydreams of a unicorn running towards him, his facial expressions seem to suggest the possibility of the visual being a memory/dream that was implanted into his brain. Then, immediately after Rick retires Zhora, he appears to be revulsed at the sight of her corpse, and his reaction may suggest an underlying sense of regret at, possibly, having retired one of his own. Further, in the scene where Leon attacks Rick (see below), he asks “My birthday is April 10, 2017. How long do I live?” to which Rick replies, “4 years.” Leon then counters, “More than you!” This could be interpreted as another hint at Rick being a replicant. Throughout the movie, Rick seems to be involved in a personal conflict, questioning his belief in being a human. Nevertheless, at the end, when Rick discovers an origami unicorn crafted by Gaff, he is reminded of his earlier dream and his countenance seems to convey that he has come to realize that he is a replicant. However, prior to the events of the movie, we are told that the replicants were created in ‘the early 21st century’ and were used for slave labour. They rebelled, resulting in them being made illegal on Earth and Blade Runners were appointed to ‘retire’ them. Considering that Rick is a Blade Runner, surely all of this could not have happened within 4 years, the lifespan of a replicant, suggesting that he is, indeed, a human? The existence of this contradicting thought seems to align with the theme of the movie – the struggle to identify what makes a human, human.