The scene of Zhora’s retirement is a deeply moving and rich scene that is meant to evoke an emotional response from the viewer. As the chase begins, no music plays in the background. Instead, the cacophony of the cluttered and dense city acts as the background noise. As Deckard navigates through the people and the traffic of Los Angeles to find Zhora, his focus is emphasized as he disregards all of the stimuli around him that will not help him find his target. Finally, Deckard is able to locate Zhora and finds his clear shot. As he shoots Zhora in the shoulder, she barrels through a glass window of a shop, running past mannequins and the neon lights that remind the viewer of the flashy consumerism that is pervasive in society. Zhora, unlike the androids in Dick\u2019s novel, shows her survival instinct as she attempts to escape, even after being shot. Deckard must shoot her several times before he can finally retire her. As he finally does, the scene becomes slow motion, allowing the viewer to watch in full detail as Zhora stumbles through an artificial snowscape and finally out onto the wet cement. Slow, melancholy music replaces the sounds of the city, and there is an overall sense that something tragic has happened in this moment. As Zhora staggers through the several rows of mannequins that stare blankly ahead, the viewer is forced to recognize the stark difference between an inanimate object and whatever Zhora is.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The scene of Zhora’s retirement is a deeply moving and rich scene that is meant to evoke an emotional response from the viewer. As the chase begins, no music plays in the background. Instead, the cacophony of the cluttered and … Continue reading