The film “Gattaca” for more than fifteen years of its existence (created in 1997) has already acquired the status of an “iconic piece of art”. The director's chair and at the same time the place of a screenwriter was taken by the legendary Andrew Niccol.
Fascinating story glorifying human willpower and spirit embodied by young talents such as Ethan Hawke (Vincent), Uma Turma (Irene) and Jude Law (Jerome). Let the movie be considered by many as a fairy tale, but “Gattaca”, in my book, is one of the most inspiring pictures showing the way of a person hitching his wagon to stars: both in figurative and literal meanings.
Vincent was born in the world where success and capabilities of a person are measured with a set of genes. The science has gone so far that parents planning to have a child are able not just to “order” sex, eye and hair colour of their future child, but also to remove from his DNA a variety of undesirable genes. In other words, science is capable of improving any human being even before his birth. In such a scientific manner Anton, a younger son of an ordinary American family is born, when his brother Vincent was born in the natural pattern without genetic engineering interventions. In the first minute of his life he was labelled as “not good”, his future full of illnesses was predicted and concrete time and cause of death were determined. No matter how bad he tried to improve himself, how hard he tried to develop his talents, he was doomed to work until the end of his years as a janitor and closets washer. But ambitious Vincent did not put up with the predicted fate. Working hard on himself, overcoming daily obstacles, fighting the system, he advanced step by step toward his dream – space flights.
“Gattaca” – is an optimistic film, which main idea for me is: warm-hearted, purposeful and honest people will always be at the top in any surrounding and under any conditions. As well as the cowardly, foolish henchmen with influence and power on society. But at the same time, there is a couple of more ethical issues contained in the movie. What is the effect of the development of technology on society? What ways an individual will be forced to look for in a society where everyone’s fate is decided by genetics and other scientific discoveries? Problems of cloning and family relations also can be observed in “Gattaca”. A common thread running through the whole film is the concept stating that no matter what person`s origin is. His goal and efforts toward it are the most important things that define his whole life.
Niccol`s movie has an allusion on the modern world where people are divided into sorts, in the world where usually newborns are doomed because of their defects or, what is worse, because o their sex. This state of things resembles segregation on race principle that was conducted by many governments in the previous century. Humanity is destined to repeat its mistakes again and again. It is happening today as well, however, the segregation is carried out on the basis of new forms to which we, unfortunately, have accustomed and are not able to notice anymore.
“Gattaca” – is an extremely vivid illustration of the importance and feasibility of overcoming the barriers erected by us thanks to social stereotypes and prejudices, imprisoning our spirits and making us believe in a hopeless condition. Everyone is either born with some restrictions, or creates them throughout his life – in any case, he must learn to overcome them. Otherwise, a person risks of never becoming the one who he really is
Works Cited
Gattaca. Dir. Andrew Niccol. Perf. J Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman and Jude Law. Columbia Pictures, 1997. Film.
