2. GATTACA
BACKGROUND

3. ‘film noir’ Came to prominence in the 1940’s
Involved a criminal investigation or a male becoming embroiled in a murder engineered by dangerous, sensual and dangerous women
Black and white, grimy, shadowy urban locations
Subdued lighting which masks a criminal world of corruption and dubious morality

4. ‘film noir’ The Underclass
Men who roam the streets are lined up in a shadowy, squalid compound and bodily scanned for their identity

5. ‘film noir’ The mystery and thriller
Romance which is indicated as early as the opening scene

6. Science fiction genre
As a science fiction genre it breaks its boundaries at times
It has something to say about the context and concerns that preoccupied the Western World at the time they were released

7. Science Fiction
Hypothesise on future worlds in which humans are no longer in control of what they have created
Contemporary views are displaced onto the future
Science fiction is as much about the present as about the future

8. Science Fiction deals with
The unknown
The impact of forces outside the human realm; far fetched world that are unlikely to exist

9. Science Fiction deals with
The marvellous
The marvellous makes awe at its inventions in the service of perceived human needs

10. Science Fiction deals with
The fantastic
The fantastic deals with the possibility of changes to society and culture wrought by technology, with its simultaneous promise and menace
Utopias
Dystopias
Post –apocalyptic worlds

11. Science Fiction deals with
The uncanny
The uncanny deals with the technological alteration of the self, exploring our unconscious, repressed fears

12. Science Fiction deals with
Cautionary tales
Many science fiction films are cautionary tales, warning us of the possible consequences of unfettered, immediate science and progress
Science fiction often argues an ethical position that makes you think about what kind of worlds you want to live in

13. GATTACA is no exception
William Gaylin: I not only think we will tamper with human nature, I think mother nature wants us to
Recent developments in medical science and the ways computer technology has defined our world. Eg., medical imaging, key hole surgery, hair and saliva samples
The capacity to manipulate DNA; cloning not always with benign results
‘In vitro’ birth selecting a sperm and donor cell with ‘desirable’ genetic traits
2002; The Raelian sect is testimony to unfettered experimentation

15. GATTACA GATTACA takes its name from the DNA blue print for all life
The spiral of deoxyribose nucleic acid is encoded with all the genetic information for that living thing.
The spiral is made up of interlocking chemicals; guanine, adrenine, thymine and cystosine.

16. GATTACA
Scientist give these chemicals letter symbols to identify the written code
P and S for the phosphate and sugar rim
G, T, C and A for the nitrogen blocks
It is the nitrogen elements which vary, and therefore define genetic make up
Since the P and S blocks are constant, only the nitrogens are written down, using the letters G, A, T, and C. A sequence might be: GGAATTAACCAA.
Hence the name of the society based on genetic perfection: GATTACA

17. DNA is a scientific and social issue in our society
How the concept of human can be defined?
What does individual identity mean?
What personal values might be admired most in a society where eugenics (scientifically – controlled population breeding program) was practiced?

18. GATTACA
This film is clearly expressing concern about what will happen is scientific tools are used without social or ethical constraints
Opening quote: Consider God’s handiwork; who can straighten what He hath made crooked? Ecclesiastes
Humans are discovering a God-like power to alter the world but may not have the moral understanding to see where such tinkering might take us

19. Central Message There is no gene for the human spirit
In spite of genetic engineering there is still room for human error
What measures has the world of GATTACA in place for those who are second best?

20. STRUCTURE AND SETTING IN GATTACA
How does the structure, setting and cultural context work in the film to develop its themes and ideas?

21. Structure
GATTACA has a character driven plot, with a lengthy flash back accompanied by voice-over narration. Huge time jumps are involved and vital information about Vincent are given in a speedy way. Events then rush together in a few days before the Titan mission launch
Note the confessional voice I am not Jerome Morrow

22. Structure: sub-plots

23. Structure: motifs
Motifs are recurrent visuals and sound clues which have a thematic meaning
Vincent cleans himself, shaves, sloughs off rough skin
Repeated shots of urine and blood samples
Hair scenes
These all underline the body as the identifier or betrayer in this society
Water scenes: moments of struggle and triumph and struggle over nature represented at a subliminal level by the sea

24. Structure: Niccol’s doubles characters

25. Structure Why has Niccol employed this structural device?
Despite apparent differences all are equally VALID as human beings
That in a society founded on genetic engineering, detection and classification become obsessive

26. Setting
The main locations are all bare, functional spaces. Smooth polished floors, bare walls, glass, vast airy interiors and provide an atmosphere of modernism and minimalism:
The Gattaca complex
The navigation lab
The space centre
Jerome’s apartment
Irene’s house
The police centre
This encodes the idea of society based on principles of perfection

27. Eugene’s/Jerome’s apartment
The circular staircase evokes a number of connotations:
Its grand architectural feature suggests wealth
Allusion to Hitchcock films and thus to suspense
Shape of a double helix; the theme of genetics constantly in the background
Vincent’s ladder

28. Style
Dystopic
Retro look (backwards in time): Cold War of the 1950’s, environment of concrete and chrome
Images of totalitarianism and allusions to Nazi Germany
Sterility: coldly scientific, large uncluttered spaces in contrast to Vincent’s family home

29. Mise en scene
Mise en scene, is the sum total of everything that can be seen through the camera lens at any given moment

30. Mise en scene
Example: when Vincent tears off his own image from the family photograph, Anton, who is in the background fills up the space previously occupied by Vincent. Vincent is effectively erased in this scene. In this case, the camera doesn’t move, but what is in the frame does change as Vincent is torn from the photograph

31. Soundtrack
Disjunction between the vision and the sound; hairs crash like trees. This disjunction points up a key theme of the film; the importance of body parts in a world dedicated to genetic perfection
Think too of the sound effects of the cars in the road crossing scene. The blurred vision matches the sound to capture Vincent’s myopia and present danger

32. Music
The orchestral music sets the tone of sombre reflectiveness, but as Vincent moves close to his goal there is a crescendo in the music
The piano solo carried out with six fingers

33. CHARACTERS IN
GATTACA

34. Jerome Morrow (Eugene) Jude Law
What makes you think that you can be me
We have to get drunk immediately!
What’s Titan like at this time of the year?
I’m going travelling, too

35. Vincent and Jerome One man’s loss is another man’s gain
Jerome: Are you all right? Vincent: Yeah, Do you want to go dancing?
Listen, it’s not to late to back out. This is the last day you are going to be you and I am going to be me
You should be going instead of me. Up there your legs wouldn’t matter
I am proud of you, Vincent

36. Vincent Freeman (Jerome Morrow) Ethan Hawke
Life expectancy 30 years
For the genetically superior, success is easier to attain but by no means guaranteed
We now have discrimination down to a science
My resume was in my cells
I was never more certain of how far I was from my goal when I was standing right beside it
For someone who was never meant to stay on earth, I’m having a hard time leaving it … maybe I’m going home

37. Vincent and Jerome
You can’t quit on me now – I’ve put too much into this
You still don’t understand, do you? When they look at you, they don’t see you any more, they see me
How are you, Jerome? … Not bad, Jerome
I think she likes us
I got the better end of the deal. I only lent you my body. You lent me your dream

38. Anton Freeman (The investigator) Loren Green
Come on, you coward
I bet I could be an astronaut if I wanted

39. Vincent and Anton
You sure you want to do this? You know you’re gonna lose
Are we brothers?
This is how I did it, Anton – I never saved anything for the swim back

40. Irene- Uma Thurman and Vincent
If you pretend like you don’t care, don’t look up
Vincent: see I’m not the only one who looks up when there’s a launch
Jerome, I had you sequenced
If you are still interested, let me know
Jerome, you don’t look well. Why don’t you go home?
You don’t know who he is, do you, Irene”
You couldn’t see, could you? You crossed anyway

41. Lamar (Xander Berkeley)
Have I ever told you about my son?
Unfortunately, my son’s not as good as they promised … but then, who knows what he could do
For future reference – right-handed men don’t hold it with their left, just one of those things

42. Geneticist (Blair Underwood)
This child is still you – simply the best of you
You could conceive a thousand times naturally and never get such a result

43. German (Tony Shalhoub)
Blood knows no nationality

44. Director Joseph (Gore Vidal)
It’s right that someone like you is taking us to Titan
It hasn’t stopped the planets turning, has it?
No one exceeds potential – if he did it would mean we didn’t accurately gauge his potential in the first place
There is not a violent bone in my body