As others have no-doubt mentioned: Rutger's speech (which he wrote himself the night before they were due to shoot this scene) is what turns this film from “superb” into a masterpiece that will forever stand the test of time. While I'm inclined to agree with you about 2001: A Space Odyssey being the best science fiction film in history, I have to personally place it on essentially equal footing with Blade Runner (in part because they fulfill slightly different points within the vast sci-fi aesthetic).