Gattaca Film Analysis

Following the opening scene is ‘The Not Too Distant Future’, which cuts to a low angle shot looking up to the bold, symmetrical lines of the building. In this shot, Gattaca is shaded in black and grey tones, also indicating the power and formality of the institution. As the camera tilts down, the strong lines and colouring remain constant as view of the staff are also brought into the frame. Directors have dressed actors in blue business suits, again, enforcing the concept of formality, conformity and

In the opening scene of the film ‘Gattaca’, camera work and the power of setting engrosses the audience and institutes conflicts. Close ups and wide shots are most frequent for camera work while colours and organisation represent setting.

Within the story of Gattaca, Niccol resorts to the use of archetypal characters and storylines to express his ethical considerations regarding genetic engineering and the status of society. Primarily, Ethan Hawkes character Vincent is portrayed as the films protagonist, with him taking on the role of the underdog that must rise up against the overwhelming obstacle that is society. To explore Vincent’s character, Niccol uses the archetypal storyline of rebirth were to achieve his dream of going to

The film Gattaca is a dystopian film directed by Andrew Niccol which is released in 1997. The movie portrays a society not far from now where people have lost the hopes and believes on their own human fate and will. In this society, most people are the products of genetic engineering and their worth is measured only by their DNA contents. The film also portray the life and relentless struggles that the main protagonist , Vincent Freeman faces to achieve his lifelong hopes and dreams in the society as the unaccepted kind in the society. Andrew Niccol

The use of greyscale in a typically colorful and lively setting, shows the dullness that comes from living a life of conformity. The city and people bustle and move, but the lack of color reveals the truth, there is no real expression. When color first comes into the video, the people are confused, as if they never saw it before. (See figure 2) The only time color is used is in association with the aliens or Dan.

In the novel, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald the author's repeated use of colors indicate significant events and represent mood, specifically with Jay Gatsby's yellow car, Doctor T. J. Eckelburg's blue eyes, and the gray color of the Valley of Ashes. Together these three, along with other events or objects represented by color, are important in explaining the storyline to the reader **through creating moods and themes**.

The film, Gattaca (1997) is set shortly where genetically conceived babies are preferred to those that are born naturally. The main characters in this film include Vincent Jerome, Eugene, Irene, Director Josef, Detective Hugo, and Anton. Vincent Freeman is among the last children to be naturally conceived. After his birth, the physicians tell his parents of his many limitations, in particular, that his lifespan is estimated to be 30.2 years (Niccol, 2015). Vincent decides to travel to the stars. However, he is categorized by the society as not suitable regarding his genetic composition, and he has turned out to be among the discriminated humans who are only offered menial careers. To proceed with his mission, he assumes Jerome Morrow’s identity since the latter had a perfect genetic composition and was paraplegic due to his involvement in a car accident. Vincent manages to deceive the urine and DNA sample testing after following a professional advice. However, his mission becomes jeopardized when his program director is murdered, and a fresh investigation is tabled.

The novel Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky is filled with many techniques and images that give it meaning. The techniques and imagery used by Dostoyevsky help develop a deeper meaning throughout and assist in analyzing it. One of these techniques is color imagery, specifically with yellow. The color yellow may seem like an insignificant detail but within this novel it serves a great literary purpose. It is a technique that is used frequently which suggests that this was done on purpose and that there is a relation between the different scenarios yellow is used in.

While reading, the reader can notice how the author continuously uses the color yellow as symbolism. We can see that in the color of Gatsby’s car. In addition, we can see it in Doctor T.J. Eckleburg’s glasses and we can see it in Myrtle Wilson’s eyes.

When Irene learns of Vincents true identity and runs onto the bridge, Vincent runs after her, and while he is explaining everything to her there is a tinted yellow hue. The yellow hue creates diffrent armospheres in the movie. Yellow means hope and happiness but it can also mean betryal and cowaridance. Three of these themes which are explored in Gattaca. This scene in particular as Irene is betrayed by the fact that Vincent never told her anything and finds what her did cowardl, however there is hope as Irene listens to what he says and in the end understands why he did what he did.

We can observe the selection of blue color symbolizing melancholy in these scenes. Also, during the film, another color scene, this time yellow, can be seen, reflecting madness, insecurity, and obsessive by these scenes in the jury and streets. The catastrophic events, scenography and audio incremented the tension of every scene and complemented the facial expressions in the characters, creating a circle of the dramatic tension in the movie.

Rather than portraying individuals as a sum of their collective parts, Gattaca shows that it is determination and drive, rather than genetic standing, that makes an individual great. The names of the characters are another way symbolism is used in the film. Vincent’s name is drawn from the latin verb “Vincere” - which means to conquer and win, something Vincent shows he can do throughout the film despite his inferior Genes. His last name “Freeman” also hints to his triumph against adversity, as Freeman was the title given to slaves who became emancipated through their achievements. Jerome’s name is also significant as it represents science and the future, his name alludes to “Genome”, the genetic material of an organism.

Benigni uses color in certain scenes to make the audience feel light hearted, and in other scenes feel despondent. In the beginning of the movie Guido and Ferruccio are driving through a valley in Arezzo, Italy. The valley is filled with bright green trees and fields, while the sky is covered in an array of blues. Driving through the valley they pass a village filled with popping colors of the Italian flag. The colors in the beginning set a cheerful tone for the audience. However, once Guido and Joshua, and then Dora bored the cattle car sent for the concentration camp the color scheme changes. The vibrant greens, reds, and blues are replaced with dull greys, blacks, and whites. These colors create a sense of depression, dread, and hopelessness. Benigni intentionally chose to change the spirited colors into monotonous ones because he understands that certain colors evoke particular feelings. The movie can pull the audience into emotion unlike writings can. People can read in books that concentration camps were awful, but a film is able to pull you in and unspokenly give you a taste of the emotions associated with them. Film has the power to show us the atrocities of humanity, but also show us the tenderness and compassion that comes with it. Although this movie has a sad loss, it does not stop the audience from realizing that the beauty of life comes from the little happy moments and the folks that bring them about.

At the start of the scene where they are standing side by side on the shore with the lighting behind them having a red and green tint, however there is more green than red. This is to symbolise Vincent overcoming the barriers of society as he has achieved a job only reversed for valid. This is similar to our society where jobs that were reserved for men, are becoming more open to women each

I remember watching this film for the first time back in 2001 when it was released and having not watched it in over a decade, I feel I can say that this film is still solid. The Others holds up so well due to the film relying on storytelling, atmosphere and sense of impending doom to create its tension. The Others is one of the rare big budget, well cast horror films that seem to pop up every couple of years and I love it when they do. I feel horror often gets the short end of the stick when it comes to Hollywood.