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• 1 media/sean-young.jpg 2017-11-30T07:28:53-08:00 Blade Runner 19 Exploring Rachael as a humanoid using Frued's definition of uncanny, the uncanny valley, and related scholarly sources image_header 2017-12-07T11:16:23-08:00

  The uncanny valley does not stop with Ex Machina in terms of humanoids. The 1982 film Blade Runner is yet another film that explores the boundaries of the uncanny valley and humanistic robots. One aspect of the film centers around Rachael, an AI or a ‘replicant’ as the film calls her, who does not know she is in fact an android. This leaves viewers with a sense of uncomfortability because Rachael looks and acts extremely human like. In fact, even viewers of the film do not know she is a robot until she fails a lengthy personality test.

  The question of whether a cyborg is alive or not is a common theme within this film.

  Stephanie Lay’s short blog post Uncanny Valley: Why We Find Human-Like Robots and Dolls so Creepy, claims audiences will always be able to notice the difference between what is artificial and what is not because humans “will also become more sensitive and will always be able to tell that something is not right” (Lay 1). Lay’s mention of the feeling of being ‘not right’ is in direct relation to Freud’s ideologies of what is uncanny- one will be able to tell what is unfamiliar within the unfamiliar when approached with the unnerving feeling of autonomy- “uncanny sensations is created when there is intellectual uncertainty whether an object is alive or not” (Freud 8). The question of whether a cyborg is alive or not is a common theme within this film; Stephanie Lay’s claim can be seen as true for Blade Runner due to the fact that before viewers were granted access into Rachael’s mind through the personality test, there was a feeling of ambiguity amongst other characters in the scene. It was clear to viewers that other characters within the film were aware or at least skeptical of her true identity; this creates feelings of uncertainty of what is to come or become of Rachael.

  Rachael is put into the uncanny valley slope for two reasons: her incredibly realistic human body and her advanced personality. Rachael’s body is entirely human- there are no characteristics within her mannerisms or appearance that would indicate she is not human. One of the most compelling arguments made about Rachael has to do with her mind; Rachael has emotions, memories, and can form her own thoughts and opinions. Stephanie Lay explains that the uncanny feeling relies on whether or not people believe “that near-human entities possess a mind” (9). Lay then goes on to explain “robots were only unnerving when people thought that they had the ability to sense and experience things” (9). The idea that Rachael’s mind is so advanced is uncomfortable for viewers because it crosses a fine line between whether or not she really is human.

  She has transgressed into a woman who is both fictional and alive.

  Rachael can recall memories from a childhood that were programmed into her, can manipulate her body language, and is almost if not completely aware of her surroundings. Donna Haraway addresses this phenomenon in her Cyborg Manifesto by explaining that “a cyborg is a matter of fiction and lived experience” (Haway 291). Due to Rachael’s ability to recall a (fictional) childhood, she has transgressed into a woman who is both fictional and alive. In one way, she has lived these experiences, while in another both her memories as well as her existence is fictional because she is not truly a human. Her existence within reality then becomes an argument regarding if she is a in fact a robot or not, but also when does society categorize robots as human. The unclear boundaries between Rachael’s humanness creates the uncertainty and fear that is the uncanny.