Biocultural Analysis Of Gattaca

‘Gattaca’ (1995) directed by Andrew Niccol, follows the story of the underdog Vincent, who is challenged by genetic discrimination against ‘in−valids’ like himself. Through an elaborate identity switch and the help of

In a society where genetic superiority and engineering to create the ‘perfect’ person is a priority over all else, it would be a normal assumption that society would be a better place and people would be much happier, but in Gattaca it is quite the opposite. From the beginning of the film we see haunting images of the uniformity and soulless behaviour of the Gattaca employees. All people regardless of race, gender, class or age should have an equal opportunity to strive to their full potential if desired, but the society of Gattaca represses the potential of many capable people simply because they are

In director Andrew Niccol’s Gattaca, a science fictional representation of the near future portrays how genetic enhancements and offspring selection involving humans can alter how society functions. Eugenics is now the primary means of genetic engineering, where a family geneticist uses in-vitro genetic designing for a couple’s future baby. In fact, natural conception is outdated and almost obsolete. This did not stop Vincent’s parents from having a baby without any pre-constructed genetic enhancements. When Vincent was born, he was given a 30-year life expectancy with a 99% chance of future heart issues. Vincent’s younger brother, Anton, was born with the commonly practiced genetic selection. Anton exceeded Vincent in numerous aspects of life, including education, athletics, and social status. The two brothers used to play a game called “chicken”, where they would swim out to the ocean, and whoever turned back to the shore first was considered the loser. One odd day, Vincent and Anton decide to play chicken, but suddenly Anton begins to drown. Vincent realizes he finally beat his brother, but has to save him from drowning as well. Vincent ended up running away from his house and family after this incident. As Vincent grew up, he became fascinated with science, specifically, the cosmos. Despite his growing passion, Vincent had to work small jobs for a living. He ended up as a janitor in Gattaca, a large space and science institute. Vincent was certainly interested in the

The science fiction cinematic piece Gattaca by Andrew Niccol was released in 1997. It addresses the moral and ethical concepts regarding genetic engineering and the social order strives in the pursuit of biological perfection. The idea of perfection and genetic engineering is portrayed with a dystopian world were genetic discrimination is the foundation for society that takes place in “the not so distant future”. To address these ideas Niccol, uses archetypal characters such as Vincent as the underdog and Eugene as the supporting character to convey the psychological challenges and boundaries that have an effect on how the characters live their lives and interact within the world they live in. The films idea of genetic engineering causes the viewer to consider the ethicality of such technology and how its superiority can result in a world were individuals are bound by social restrictions and discrimination due to the presence of a scientifically engineered race of human beings.

“Gattaca” is a movie about a man named Vincent who is born into a “new” society that uses genetics as the make-up for what social class you are given and will remain in, no matter what you do. Vincent is a “godchild”. He is born the “natural way”, without any genetic altering and his future is set for him as soon as he is conceived. His place in society is at the bottom of the social class and with all his “birth defects”, he seems to be placed even lower. He has poor eyesight and heart problems among many other things and is only given a life expectancy of around thirty years of age. He is denied the basics of life such as medical care and education. When his brother, Aton, is born through genetic

Set in a world governed by genetic engineering, Andrew Niccol’s 1997 film, ‘Gattaca’, portrayed the drastic consequences given to the populace in “ the not too distant future”. The protagonist of the story was a man who challenged the system with the help of a disadvantaged Valid. Vincent Freeman (Ethan Hawke) was born the natural way, his genetic test at birth, stated that he had bad eye sight, heart problems and a “life expectancy of 30.2 years”. Given a pre-determined life as a perfect Valid, Jerome Eugene Morrow, had aspired to be the best, until a suicide attempt left him permanently paraplegic. Both these characters overcame adversity, helped each other along the way, and succeeded in their dreams one way or another.

In the film Gattaca directed by Andrew Niccol the power of the human spirit is exemplified as the prominent theme, presented through the characterisation of Vincent Freeman, the protagonist of the film. Vincent is a young man living in a world which discriminates against one’s genes, and unfortunately for Vincent he possesses “Inferior Genes”. Through the verbal techniques of dialogue and narration and the visual features of camera angles and lighting Vincent’s inferiority is exposed. Through some of these same techniques as well as the technique of

The film GATTACA and the short story, “Nine Lives,” exemplifies the ethics of altering human life at the genetic level, through techniques of genetic engineering. Throughout GATTACA, the ability to create improved, even superior forms of human life as a positive development through eugenics is shown as well as arousing questions about the moral implications of such engineering. The main protagonist in GATTACA, Vincent Freeman, battles with the discrimination of being an “invalid” in a world of “valids” and comes to realize that he is not an inferior being in the midst of an altered humanity. In “Nine Lives,” a lone survivor of the ten genetically engineered clones of John Chow struggle come to understand itself in relation to unaltered humanity and its individuality for the first time in its life. A dystopian society is produced when unaltered humans and genetically engineered beings coexist and interact with one another due to nefarious social practices such filtering menial jobs only to “invalids” in GATTACA and the emphasis in the value of clones and their worth to society as collective work group rather than focusing on each individual’s contribution to society. The film GATTACA exhibits the adverse nature of eugenics while “Nine Lives” stresses the importance of individualism instead of collectivism and fend off the need to be reliant on others to feel welcomed in society.

Eugenics is defined, in some way or the other, as the process of reshaping the human race by determining the kinds of people who will be born. As such, there is much debate in the field of eugenics, with authors, like Philip Kitcher, who support laissez-faire or a minimalist approach of eugenics in which eugenic decision-making should be limited only to avoid neurological illnesses and in which parental free choice is valued. Gregory Stock’s essay, The Enhanced and Un-Enhanced, presents otherwise by supporting the position of maximalist eugenics, allowing individuals the full extent in the selection of genes. On the other hand, the film, Gattaca, raises major ethical problems by illustrating a dystopian society resulted by extensive

The first scene is the chief actor uses a urinal bag which made me image what happened to him, is he has a disease? Turn out that he is using that for cheating, to change and deny himself. One of the most important points, he was born in a century that defines people by their blood, their inherited gene. In the movie, the leading actor said that gene prejudice is prohibited by law, but no one really cares the Law (Gattaca ). I can not image how hopeless when he said this sentence. Yet, I believe that is what happened with us now, in America. The discrimination from a race, the skin color is denied by law, but people do it anyway. Gattaca describes how a gene is important and it influences people, and also gene is not important as how we look at our self.or you can say ( the gene is not the only thing to determine yourself). If people believe their self and pay effort to it, they can do it. Other outside element influence people and will change their opinion. However, if we put enough effort, we will be a success.

The story of Vincent shows in Gattaca that there is possibility of beating the genetic engineering system. Vincent is one of the last naturally born babies born into a sterile, genetically enhanced world, where life expectancy and disease likelihood are ascertained at birth. Myopic and due to die at 30, he has no chance of a career in a society that now discriminates against your genes, instead of your gender, race or religion. Vincent an invalid, dreams of working within Gattaca and making it into space. He combines with Jerome who was disabled in an accident to take his identity and live his life to enter the Gattaca Corporation. Vincent is selected for his lifelong desire, a manned mission to Titan.

Gattaca brought about some interesting points on human evolution and human ingenuity. We live in a world where babies are left to chance and genetic metaling is frowned upon, but in Gattaca that idea is flipped. Society judges those who are left to God as inferior. How can one be judged for the decision of their parents? Science is moving into uncharted territory, where we might be able to create “super humans” as depicted in the movie. Gattaca revealed both the pros and cons of genetic engineering in science.

Where could similarities possibly exist between a book set in the timeline of the 1950’s during a fictional atomic war and a movie set in the future where humans can be genetically modified? The answer is all throughout both the novel and the film. The book Lord of the Flies by William Golding and the movie Gattaca by Andrew Niccol possess many similar themes, one of which includes Social Darwinism and its survival of the fittest mentality. At a first look at the book and the movie the two may seem entirely divergent from each other but through searching deeper into both’s thematic elements, they show clearer signs as to the similarities that each possesses. Of course as mentioned before, they show a correlation between what is Social Darwinism.

The film that I enjoyed the most is Gattaca. Gattaca focused on the reproductive technology, ideology, and ethics in society. They modified the eggs with technology to make them perfect and have no complications. The eugenics wanted to improve the human species by altering the eggs of the mother. Vincent had changed himself completely and “made” himself into a new person to get passed the genetic testing. In the last scene where Vincent goes to space, the doctor had known he was evading the security tests and let him pass and told him to live his dream. Nowadays people are not discriminated based on their genetic disabilities. They are considered to be equal as those who have no problem. This film is an artifact of culture because discrimination

Gattaca is a movie that contains a very interesting society. As in all societies, discrimination exists and it is primarily between two groups. The valids, as they are called here, are the dominant group who oppress the group known as the invalids, which is the group consisting of the less privileged individuals. However, in this society, privileged and less privileged does not refer to the individuals in terms of wealth or power, but instead, in terms of genetics. Here, discrimination has been reduced down to genes, and this determines your place in society.