Lady From Shanghai/Blade Runner comparison

In the scene in which Grisby is asking Michael to kill him a light take on mortality  is shown, which Welles takes throughout Lady From Shanghai. Grisby explains in detail how he is going to fake his death and essentially cheat the legal system. showing Welles' interest in law and politics. The scene is shot in a very deep focus, allowing us to see the entirety of Grisby's office and displaying Welles' auteur style which stems from his past in theatre. As a whole, though in the scene Michael does appear sceptical of killing Grisby, the idea of death and mortality is not in any way presented as an emotional theme, which is representative of the movie as a whole.

Though both scenes focus on death and mortality and both scenes include the protagonist and antagonist of the two films, they are significantly different.

In contrast, Roy's death scene in Blade Runner displays a much more human overlook on mortality. Roy is shown visibly upset and injured, explaining his mortality and the difficulties of life to Deckard. This scene, again in contrast to LFS is shot mostly in a close-up of Roy's face and in shallow focus (which Ridley Scott clearly preferred), making it a much more concentrated and personal scene for the audience.