10 Iconic Movie Moments The Director Didn't Understand
3. Rick Deckard's Unicorn Dream In Blade Runner's Final Cut Demonstrated Ridley Scott's Misunderstanding Of The Sequence
One of the most storied cases in extended cuts, Ridley Scott's Blade Runner has the Director's Cut and the Final Cut to go along with the 1982 theatrical version.
While some changes in both editions were welcomed by fans of the sci-fi classic, one sequence involving Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) showed that the legendary filmmaker did not understand its significance regarding the protagonist's true nature in the narrative.
After confronting Rachel (Sean Young) over her Replicant nature, Deckard dozes off and dreams about a white unicorn galloping through a forest. The sequence takes on a new dimension towards the movie's close when the titular character comes across Gaff (Edward James Olmos)'s unicorn origami.
Many (Scott included) see this as confirmation of Deckard's status as a Replicant but its inclusion goes against the futuristic hunter's arc in all cuts of the picture. It undercuts Deckard's understanding of the numerous complexities of being human, as well as the layered and distinctly human nature of the Replicants he was sent out to decommission without concern.