Movie Critique: Blade Runner

Blade Runner is an interesting film that brings us to question our own identity and even, I would argue, our existence. Much like the movie Total Recall, Blade Runner brings about the issues of identity and how our memories, prosthetic or authentic, validate who we are.
The simulation and creation of human life has been a continuing theme throughout the science fiction genre. These ideas date back to films like Frankenstein and have evolved from there. But the point that Blade Runner makes is that memories are what provides the authenticity of human existence. Without memories there is no root to the past and there is no foundation for existence. This does not necessarily validate the existence of a past life, but rather pushes to validate the present existence of the individual. We see this in Blade Runner when Rachael shows Deckard the photo of her and her mother.  She shows that she did exist as a human previously and that is what has brought her to the point she is at in her life. Deckard disregards this as faked and that these memories of her mother were implanted. Later we see her playing the piano as she explains to Deckard that she does remember lessons. Deckard responds by validating her present existence and says, "You play beautifully." This statement ties together the entire point of this notion of existence. It does not matter what has happened in the past or whether or not these memories are accurate, rather it matters how we handle the present.
Deckard later realizes this near the end of the movie when there is a hint that he himself is not even human. Even if he has been a robot for his entire existence, it does not stop him from making the right decision and saving Rachael.
This movie is very similar to Total Recall. It brings to question the idea of authenticity and how our present identity, whether it is real or not, is affected only by the decisions we make.