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Krishnas. Along with car noises including sirens, glimpses of Zhora and Deckard in between people, railings and transport creates a sense that the streets are overcrowded. Heads or objects come in between these lead characters and the camera, and partly block their action in this shot.

The punks remind us of the 1980's as do some of the neon advertisements such as an Atari' sign seen behind Deckard as he shoots Zhora. The sign is showing another product or service that can be brought, and therefore represents corporate power, capitalism and consumerism along with signs for , Budweiser', Coca-cola', and even Pan Am' that are seen elsewhere throughout the city during Blade Runner'.

The crowd illustrates variety and consequently a fragmented society, they show little warmth towards each other, there are no smiles and no concern for Deckard or Zhora. They do not even react with screams when Deckard pulls out his gun, although that reaction is common in many films if a character pulls out a gun and shoots in a crowded space. Most of the crowd wears dark clothing, the notable exception being the Hare Krishnas who also appear trance like or mechanical in their dance. The grey clothing emphasizes the dark, grim streets with the neon signs that provide its only light, David Harvey suggests that: The chaos of signs, of competing significance and messages, suggests a condition of fragmentation and uncertainty at street level that emphasizes many of those facets of postmodern aesthetics' (16). The neon signs like the people are overcrowded and represent chaos, and fragmentation. The signs compete for space and for people's money, so they also mirror people in capitalist society according to Marxist thought. If we are to assume that this is the case, then it is competition and individualism encouraged by capitalism that explains why the crowd is so mechanical and distanced from one another. Harvey notes that the crowd are like the third world come to Los Angeles'(17) and this would support that they are victims of both capitalism and consumerism as I have suggested. In Blade Runner' it is Orientals that make the eyes and other parts for the Tyrell Corporation. The link between the crowd and the revolting replicants becomes evident here; both are exploited by the rich and capitalism. The replicants are victims of exploitation or slave labour', as said by Batty, the leader of the replicant gang. This is also evident in the fact that they are considered less valuable than

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