20 Things You Didn't Know About Blade Runner

14. The "Replicant Eye Glint" Was A Technique Pioneered By Fritz Lang

Blade Runner
Warner Bros.

Throughout Blade Runner, each replicant is shown with a red glint in their eyes at some point - seen prominently with the replicant owl in Tyrell's office, but first seen much more subtly in Leon's eyes when he takes the Voight-Kampff in the film's opening scene. Even Deckard's eyes appear to glow like this, hinting at his possible replicant identity.

This was not a contemporary visual effect however, but a technique known as The Shüfftan Process - created by Eugene Schüfftan, the cinematographer who was working for Fritz Lang on 1927's Metropolis, the original urban sci-fi dystopia. The effect was achieved by bouncing red light from a mirror angled 45 degrees from the camera onto the subjects' pupils - incredibly simple, but incredibly effective.

Contributor

A self-taught video editor with nearly 25 years of experience, Joe worked in freelance videography for many years before joining WhatCulture in 2018. During that time, he has expanded his work to include both writing and presenting, and has been at the forefront of several new channel launches including WhatCulture Horror and WhatCulture Star Wars, largely defining their visual identity through the design and curation of their bespoke assets. As a dedicated WhatCulture Gaming staff member, he has spearheaded numerous new content strategies and formats, and has taken the lead on various charitable projects that have raised large sums of money for charities close to his heart. Bluesky and Instagram: @jjpinwheel