There’s a certain type of sci-fi story that we all know: visitors from beyond make contact with humans and teach us something important about who we are and where we’re heading. It’s in 2001, Arrival, and Independence Day—well, maybe not the last one so much, but you get the idea. One of the great things about Gattaca, Andrew Niccol’s 1997 masterpiece, is that it doesn’t need an outside other to deliver a powerful, moving message about humanity; instead of aliens, we get a meditative, deeply introspective examination of the human spirit that’s limited strictly to humans. The result, I’d argue, is one of the greatest sci-fi movies ever made.
Gattaca’s story is both simple and brilliant: in the future, genetic manipulation allows parents to do what all parents are driven to—give their children the very best they can. In this case, that means genes that’ll make them healthier, smarter, stronger, and allow them to live longer lives. Two children are born to the same parents: Anton (Loren Dean), who underwent genetic modification, and Vincent (Ethan Hawke), Anton’s older brother who was conceived without his genetics being altered. Anton is smart, strong—a nearly perfect human specimen. Vincent, according to genetic testing done right after his birth, is at risk for a number of health issues and likely won’t live past the age of 30. He’s known, in this world, as “in-valid.”
Despite all of his disadvantages—which are only magnified by the near-perfect people who occupy his world—Vincent refuses to allow science to control his destiny. He refuses to believe that there isn’t more to who he is than what can be learned from genetics testing. Vincent has a dream to work at Gattaca Aerospace Corporation and become a navigator on a manned trip to Titan. Vincent’s biology says he can’t make that kind of trip, not to mention hold such an esteemed position; but Vincent’s willpower—his soul, his spirit, whatever you want to call it—says otherwise.
What follows is the story of Vincent’s elaborate attempt to become part of the team traveling to Titan. He forges a partnership with Jerome (Jude Law), a man whose genetics have been altered, like Vincent’s brother, and is therefore qualified to work at Gattaca. A murder mystery unfolds—bringing Vincent’s brother, who is a police investigator, back into his life—and there’s a race against the clock as the noose tightens around Vincent, desperately trying to avoid being discovered for who he really is. He has to elude his brother just long enough to board the rocket to Titan—the goal for which he’s sacrificed everything in his life.
The film’s sci-fi noir backdrop gives it a visually stunning quality; the set, the costumes, the overall design all add a wonderful, artful element to the movie. Gattaca looks and feels terrific. And while the story is somewhat pedestrian, it’s made into so much more by the meditative qualities that vaults Gattaca into the ranks of Asimov, Bradbury, Le Guin, and other sci-fi writers who used the genre to examine—with a clinical deftness—what it means to be human. On the surface, these luminaries seemed to have been staring into space when, in reality, they were peering into the human soul. And that is the thing that Gattaca achieves with unparalleled grace.
Now, I don’t want to veer too deep into a tangent, but it’s worth noting that I believe that there’s something unquantifiable within all of us. Again, call it what you want: a soul, a spirit, a life force, cosmic energy, whatever. But there’s something embedded within each and every one of us that transcends our DNA, our physiology—all of it. And whatever this thing is, it defines us more than anything we can see with our eyes and examine under a microscope. Gattaca is an inspiring affirmation of this quality, and the film’s message of triumph, of willing yourself to prove “I can” when everyone and everything else says “you can’t” will always be a powerful one.
There’s a moment at the end of the film where Anton discovers Vincent. They return to a place they visited as kids, a lake where they used to play chicken—meaning they’d swim out until one of them quit. The one who quit, always, was Vincent.*
(*Writer’s note: It’s been pointed out the Vincent once beat Anton, right before he left home–this is correct, and on oversight on my part.)
Now adults, the story is different. Vincent swims out past where Anton is willing to go, and in his exhaustion to try and keep up, Anton nearly drowns. Vincent saves him—like Anton saved Vincent when they were younger. Back on the shore, Vincent reveals how, after all these years, he was finally able to best his brother:
“I never saved anything for the trip back.”
It’s a line of profound beauty and meaning, and it perfectly captures Vincent’s journey of willpower and determination.
Gattaca is a movie rich in many themes, including bioethics and genoism. But like the story itself, what’s most profound, most moving, is Vincent’s journey—the human story that explores our limitless potential in the face of any adversity.
Michael Moreci is a comics writer and novelist best known for his sci-fi trilogy Roche Limit. His debut novel, Black Star Renegades, is set to be released in January 2018. Follow him on Twitter @MichaelMoreci.
This has always been on the top of my list of sci-fi movies. I can’t get anyone else to rewatch it with me because everyone else only remembers the slow pace and weird story, but this hit me just as I was really getting into human biology, genetics especially. I have always loved the effort and meticulous dedication on display in the movie.
It has given me hope many times over through my adult life too. A true representation of what the genre’s ideals.
I thought this one was pretty good the first time, but I’ve never gotten around to rewatching it. I really should. It’s something that used to be quite rare in Hollywood, a hard-SF movie — a story built around the social and philosophical ramifications of a plausible scientific idea.
I love this film, and I hope it endures as the masterpiece it is. One quick note on the article though, if my memory serves, Vincent did beat Anton once–just before he left home to eventually find his way into Gattaca. At that time, he saved Anton, and that was an event that baffled and bothered Anton for years afterward. The race at the end was a callback to that event, Vincent proving again that it wasn’t just a random fluke, it was, as you have quoted, because “[he] never saved anything for the way back.” It is such a beautiful story, and I hope new generations discover and love it as I did.
On another point, I also liked how the film showed the psychological impact on the people assumed to be superior due to their genetics, like Jerome and Anton. They couldn’t really comprehend failure, because they had been raised to assume they were entitled to endless success. Anton’s one small failure against Vincent bothered him for years, and Jerome’s reaction to his own failure was much more self-destructive.
I actually didn’t discover this movie until much later (within the past 6 years maybe) but I definitely agree that in some ways it’s a movie about the idea that are more than just the sum of our parts.
Also a favorite of mine. Love the stylized utopian look of it, the thoughtful plot, some truly poignant moments, but mostly the acting by a well-chosen cast. Even the small parts are perfectly cast, like the tech who gives Vincent his urine tests.
The quiet support of the Doctor at the finale is one of my favourite moments in film, when you learn that he has become an inspiration for someone else to fight the system as well.
@@@@@3. Allie
Allie is correct. Vincent did beat his brother once when they were kids. Adult Anton makes excuses for it and that’s part of why he challenges him: to prove it was a fluke.
I love this movie. It’s definitely time for a rewatch.
This movie has always been on par with Blade Runner for me. Both movies question what it is to be human, but from different perspectives. In Blade Runner the Replicants wish to be seen as human, and strive to understand what it means to be human. This film portrays humans as a species that strives to be more than human. Mere humanity is seen as a detriment and is something to be feared and pitied. It also managed to do it without being too heavy handed. It allows the audience to formulate their own opinions and conclusions. I love films like that.
I’m glad to see this movie getting some respect. I love every aspect of it – from the set design to the wardrobe to the stunning soundtrack by Michael Nyman. The movie also, at least partially, inspired some serious legal reform in the United States – the movie was cited by some Congress people as being part of the impetus behind the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act, which outlawed some forms of genoism in employment decisions in the U.S.
I honestly think this is one of the best movies to come out in the last 20 years. I even think Andrew Niccol’s other major sci-fi movie, “In Time”, is also pretty good.
I watched this in an 8th grade science class (during the Genetics section), but we weren’t allowed to see the ending because of what happens to Jerome, so we were tasked to “write our own ending”. Mine, iirc, was particularly sappy, with Anton and Vincent reconciling, and Irene (Uma Thurman) also getting to go to Titan for some reason.
To this day (I’m 33), I still have not gotten around to watching the “true ending”.
@7 and @3 You’re totally right! I don’t know how that fact escaped me. My mistake–good catch.
A really great movie with an irony that is heartbreaking. Vincent has everything stacked against him but perseveres despite it all, while Jerome has everything going for him but lets one horrible tragedy destroy him.
@croaker – Indeed Gattaca is on par with Blade Runner. Both were revolutionary as sci-fi movies (both also blend sci-fi and noir so perfectly its as if both genres were one all along) and both question what makes us who we are. BladeRunner via a action-adventure thriller, and Gattica as a psychological thriller.
My only problem with the movie, is we aren’t really shown that Vincent is better at, you know, space stuff, the science and engineering skills he will need to contribute to the mission. We have believe that, but there could easily follow a horror movie (not that this movie isn’t one), where the whole mission goes to shit because he is not actually good enough.
Shouldn’t comment when I am tired. I mean, just because he beat his brother in a couple of races doesn’t mean he is good enough to go on this mission, even if he did score high enough on his science and engineering skills. Because you know he has actual physical problems. It won’t help anyone if he dies on the way, perhaps due to low gravity stress on his organs and such.
Sorry, he was actually shown to be bright and intelligent, it’s me that’s not, particularly when I am tired.
@12 The ‘horrible tragedy’ that destroyed him was coming second in a race. It was his depression over this that triggered his first suicide attempt that left him paralyzed.
I always wondered if this was at all inspired by Heinlein’s Delos D. Harriman character arc.
That’s the line that came close to ruining the movie for me.
Vincent should have delivered it and both brothers should have drown, one trying to save the other, then roll credits.
I still really enjoyed the film and think it’s a great argument for the bioethicist profession.
But yeah, that line was the “Earn this.” Saving Private Ryan moment for me with this film.
I’ve watched this movie several times, and I think there’s an ironic point to the talk about being at risk of this and that, although I could be imagining it. I think that if he’d been born a generation before it became easy to have designer kids, he’d have been a shoo-in for space travel. I think he would have performed perfectly acceptably against a bunch of his fellow “in-valids” who had also spent time on their physical fitness and higher education. He collapses after going on the treadmills because he’s emulating people who have been altered so that they can just tick along like robots for hours. There is nothing valid about wholesale dismissal of in-valids. It’s just the same old stupid bigotry.
So the biggest danger on his mission to Titan won’t be that he can’t perform, because superstrength and running on treadmills and the other stuff people seem to be so crazy about in the movie don’t actually mean much on a manned interplanetary mission. The biggest danger will be if his crewmates find out that he isn’t a purebred dog like them, decide that in-valid = danger, never mind that he passed every test except the genetic one, and airlock him.
I like to think Vincent eventually returned to Earth and revealed himself to be an in-valid at some official ceremony broadcast around the world, and brought the whole awful institution crashing down.
#18 There is that danger of Vincent’s crew mates making the discovery and shoving him out the airlock, but all evidence so far shows him bringing valids around to his way of thinking. The movie seems to be suggesting bigoted institutions and philosophies are more internally fragile than they seem on the outside.
I studied this movie as part of my Year 12 (senior year) english class and it has stuck with me ever since.
Something I really liked was how the movie is set in the future, and the tech is appropriately futuristic, but the aesthetic is decidedly retro – the hair, the cars, the architecture. How even as humankind strives forward we cant help but be nostalgic, or something like that.
the movie is set in the future, and the tech is appropriately futuristic, but the aesthetic is decidedly retro – the hair, the cars, the architecture
I liked that too (Minority Report also did that well). The biggest mistake people make with near-future films – and indeed historical films – is saying “well, this is set in The Future, so everything must look like The Future”. Or for that matter The Sixties. But look around you. Here we are in 2017. Are all the buildings around you 2017 buildings? No, of course not. I’m sitting in a building that’s almost a century old. There are people around with clothes and hair and so on that would not look out of place thirty or even fifty years ago; either because they’re older, and that’s the style they’re used to and they’re sticking with it, or because it’s become a standard (business suits, T-shirt and jeans) or because it’s now retro-fashion.
For those talking about his crewmates on his mission to Titan, I thought it was a solo mission. Is that not the case? It’s been awhile since I saw it.
Great movie. One of the most thoughtful SF movies I have ever seen. I’m surprised that it survived the Hollywood culling process, which generally reduces everything to simplicity and action scenes.
Storm it! Anton is Lighteyes and Vincent is darkeyes.
Honestly, my 20 year old self found the movie meh’. I watch it now however, and can’t help agreeing with all your assessments. The movie has so much depth. The best SF makes you think.
I was trying to think of a plot analog for this movie. So far the best I can come up with is Rudy (minus the cheese and football).
#12, #18, #20, The problem isn’t that he’s a lousy navigator, or that his crewmates will space him when they find out his genetic background.
The problem is when his heart blows out halfway to Titan and the mission crashes into Saturn and everyone dies because they don’t have a navigator any more.
But hey, triumph of soul. That’s all that matters.
@26/David Palmer: I haven’t seen the movie in a long time, but isn’t it possible that Vincent’s risks of illness and early death were exaggerated from the perspective of a genetically perfectionist society? Maybe they were no different from the risks that any average unmodified human would face, but those risks we’d consider normal would be unacceptable to them.
#26 Needless worrying, considering they’re wearing suits and ties in the end. If they’re that casual about space travel then going off course shouldn’t be a big deal, haha. But astronauts, at least in the real world, train to know every other person’s job in case such an emergency happens. Plus, one would hope they have a computer on board to help.
They’ll be okay.
@No. 27: That was my conclusion too. If he actually had a weak heart instead of an N percent chance of heart issues in his genetic structure, a doctor would have seen the signs.
I love this film for so many reasons but it always sticks with me for the scene where he has to take the contact lenses out and cross the damn road… mostly because it captures the vulnerability of being dependent on small fragile pieces of plastic in your eyes to navigate the world (and his sight is portrayed as bad enough that he wouldn’t be able to fake it once the lenses are out..).
Quite aside from the genetic *possibilities* mooted, (which may or may not come to pass and could have no affect at all on the Titan trip), Vincent actively has fairly significant myopia, which would rule anyone out from, um, being an astronaut today, let alone in the Genetically Perfect Future. Ironically if they’re going into space wearing suits and ties, they probably have awesome laser surgery tech that could have fixed his damn eyes rather than relying on having secretly stashed enough contact lens supplies to get to Titan (and back?).
I wondered about the ties and suits and I guesses that dressed like that they only took the shuttle to orbit, but did not go on the entire trip to Saturn.
Furthermore, the reaction (or rather the lack of the reaction) of the doctor made me think that our hero is not the only one to have hacked through the system. Note also that the doctor has a moral obligation for the rest of the crew, so I figured out that the genetic defect is not fatal, at least not on short term.
I think we can not judge directly if ricking the lives of the others vs. fulfilling his dream is acceptable in this case, because we don’t actually know if he adds risk to the mission. We were not shown enough of the world and the mission (e.g. may be they have three other navigators) to make an informed decision, so we are left to rely on the right vs. wrong opinion of others like that medic.
Even if he is not risking the lives of his cremates, there is the issue that his carrier will probably be shorter than that of someone without the predisposed condition, so one may argue that he is wasting resources for his pleasure. BTW, this would have been a concern in a communist society. But there is no scarcity here, they do flight in space in suits and ties…
Finally, there is the real world story of Donald Slayton. He was one of the original “Mercury 7” astronaut group, he was grounded for heart problems in 1962, but eventually flew on the Soyuz-Appolo mission in 1975. He died of brain tumor. Wikipedia has a long article about him, it is worth reading.
This has been one of my favorite movies since it came out. It’s one of the few SF films I’ve seen that actually does science fiction, rather than a standard plot in a hand-wavy future tech setting — it’s not just a war movie in space like so many.
@@@@@ 1. jorgecuervos
I’ve seen it probably 20 times and I’ll rewatch it with you brother!
@@@@@ 2. ChristopherLBennett
Rewatch it with us!
@@@@@ 9. Tabris
Finally someone mentions the soundtrack! It’s like the 3rd most important character in the entire film. (In Time was extremely ‘meh’. I partly blame Timberlake.)
@@@@@ 10. LazerWulf & @@@@@ 21. Gaz
You had epic teachers and I’m jelly.
@@@@@ 13. Dougl
We are shown his perfect speed coding when his boss looks over his shoulder, his keeping up with the others on the treadmills (despite his poor heart), etc. His will to explore is so great that I’m sure he’ll outperform most if not all of his shipmates. I’d sail the stars with him anywhere anytime.
@@@@@ 14. Dougl
Sorry but you wrong bro. “There’s a chance there’s nothing even wrong with my [his] heart” (even though it does beat quite a bit harder during Vincent’s training exercises).
@@@@@ 22. ajay
Man you guys are negative! Part of the whole point is you have to have balls to go to space. Being a genius in an olympic body doesn’t make a lick of difference. Random chance will have its way with you no matter what. There’s a chance there’s nothing wrong with his heart. Look at how Uma was terrified all the time and taking her pills. She was weaksauce even though she was genetically almost perfect. Bravery trumps all when it comes to adventure and exploration.
Do you think Arya from Game of Thrones is the perfect adventurer/explorer? Is she not tiny and a chick? She’s brave as hell. She trains hard. That’s all that matters. Look at how badass she is. She’s almost died how many times? Roll with the punches man! Duck and weave and never stop fighting.
What we need to do for astronauts is design DNA that is impervious to cosmic radiation… now that’s some Gene Hackman I think we can all get behind.
As a noir film, GATTACA stands alone. And we have far too few true noir films these days. Almost none.
As a sci-fi film, it stands alone.
I stand with it. (And the insanely gorgeous cast). What other film could they get away with casting such hotties? Maybe the Elves in the LOTR films. That’s about all that come to mind.
I’m just going to skip to the comments to gush first. Love love love this film!!
At first viewing as a teen it wasn’t all lasers and aliens so it didn’t quite do it for me. That is to say, I did not yet know how it COULD do it for me. But on many subsequent viewings it has become one of the masterpieces that underpins my view of what great sci-fi is. Not to get into the whole literary vs genre debate (because screw those snobs) this would be definitively literary.
Ok time to read the article!
@33. Longtrang117. You made my morning haha!
On another note, if the soundtrack was the 3rd main character, the colour palette is the 4th.
@16: Gattaca is most likely a mash up of two novels by Heinlein: Beyond This Horizon (the eugenic society) and Starman Jones (the space-obsessed protagonist).
Gattaca is not one man’s story. It’s also Jerome’s (Jude Law’s) story: that of a man shaped — both by medicine and by society — to expect ultimate success then, upon coming second-best, he attempts suicide and ends up in a wheelchair. He trades places with Vincent, wanting to bequeath his legacy to someone. The first time I watched Gattaca, I saw the impending suicide as inevitable from the time Jerome gifted Vincent his identity.
Ultimately, Vincent condemns Jerome to death by leaving him isolated for two years in their shared home, at which point Jerome uses the incinerator to end his own life.
Gattaca is an example of Paul Darke’s ‘normality drama’ that concludes with people with disabilities either dying (often either by suicide or killed by, for example, the police because the disabled person is the villain), leaving (voluntarily or under duress) or overcoming obstacles to assimilate into society. Notably, nondisabled people aren’t usually called upon to make adjustments to accommodate disabled people’s needs in these stories. Like Rain Man, Gattaca uses a disabled person as a plot device to further the hero’s journey then, once the hero concludes his journey, he’s discarded so as to cease disrupting the lives of non-disabled characters, thus restoring ‘normalcy’.
Issues surrounding mainstream perceptions of disability need to be acknowledged in articles such as this in order to raise awareness before things can change. As a person with a disability researching representations of disability in speculative fiction for my PhD, I urge you to expand the scope of your commentaries.
@21 and @22
More irony: the Gattaca building was actually Frank Lloyd Wright’s Marin County Civic Center, built in 1962. Thirty years later it was considered futuristic enough for a scifi setting!