Tears in Rain

Science fiction lost one of its true icons.


Yes, Rutger Hauer’s career pushed way beyond the genre’s restrictive barriers, and included everything from period pieces (Cyrano De Bergerac) to war films (Soldier of Orange) to thrillers (Nighthaws, The Osterman Weekend) to horror (The Hitcher, which I haven’t seen). He played the first vampire king slain by Buffy (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), a crime lord matching wits with Clark Kent (Smallville), and acted as the head of Wayne Enterprises (Batman Begins).


But really, did he ever play a more singular character than Roy Batty in Bladerunner.


I’ve talked about my obsession with this movie, in all of its iterations, many times, so I won’t repeat it here. My love of that movie knows no bounds, and it is in part due to Hauer’s performance as a replicant whose desire to live despite a locked termination date. It’s equally menacing and tragic. Few things move me to tears like Rutger Hauer’s speech at the movie’s end.


Rest in piece. Time to die.