'The world is not kind to women': Blade Runner 2049 director defends film against criticisms that it uses female characters as 'puppets'
The director of Blade Runner 2049 has defended his film against criticisms of sexism.
Canadian director, 50-year-old Denis Villeneuve, said in an interview with Vanity Fair that the Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford starring sci-fi film is simply a reflection of our modern world.
'Cinema is a mirror on society. Blade Runner is not about tomorrow; it’s about today. And I’m sorry, but the world is not kind on women.'
![No sexism: 50-year-old Denis Villeneuve, said in an interview with Vanity Fair that the Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford starring sci-fi film is simply a reflection of our modern world](http://web.archive.org./web/20190514002659/https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/11/27/02/46B9565700000578-0-image-m-29_1511748124500.jpg)
No sexism: 50-year-old Denis Villeneuve, said in an interview with Vanity Fair that the Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford starring sci-fi film is simply a reflection of our modern world
Blade Runner 2049 explores the complex relationships between humans and machines - but some critics are saying it doesn't do enough to give its female characters a rich inner life.
In her review for The Guardian, critic Anna Smith slammed the big budget sequel to the 1981 film for using and abusing its female characters.
'Mackenzie Davis’s Mariette shows initial promise as a strong character who can give as good as she gets, but she is also a sex worker who is literally used as a puppet.'
![Behind every great man: In her review for The Guardian , critic Anna Smith slammed the big budget sequel to the 1981 film for using and abusing its female characters](http://web.archive.org./web/20190514002659/https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/11/27/00/46B9530200000578-0-image-m-16_1511744350449.jpg)
Behind every great man: In her review for The Guardian , critic Anna Smith slammed the big budget sequel to the 1981 film for using and abusing its female characters
Villeneuve concedes that the first film has problems, saying 'The first Blade Runner was quite rough on the women; something about the film noir aesthetic.'
'I am very sensitive to how I portray women in movies. This is my ninth feature film and six of them have women in the lead role.'
'The [original film] is the biggest dystopian statement of the last half century. I did the follow-up to that, so yes, it’s a dystopian vision of today.'
![The director: Villeneuve [pictured] concedes that the first film has problems, saying 'The first Blade Runner was quite rough on the women; something about the film noir aesthetic'](http://web.archive.org./web/20190514002659/https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/11/27/01/46B9572B00000578-0-image-m-28_1511746674004.jpg)
The director: Villeneuve [pictured] concedes that the first film has problems, saying 'The first Blade Runner was quite rough on the women; something about the film noir aesthetic'
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