GATTACA [Andrew Niccol, USA 1997] - movie review by Mandibil

Eugenics can be seen as a state-enforced genetic selection at birth and has naturally raised a growing concern, as the technology of genetic manipulation has become more and more developed and economically feasible. It is not cloning, like with Dolly the sheep from the year before the premiere of this movie, but seeking out the best combination of egg and sperm for at particular heterosexual couple to ensure their dream of the perfect, but also state-approved, child. This movie is about a world, where eugenics has become the norm ... but where there is a natrural disgust from those, who were not so fortunate to have been born this way.

Gattaca is an academy for those who are getting educated and tested to get to travel in spaceships into the solar system. Vincent (Ethan Hawke) is born the "normal" way but he has some physical and mental shortcomings the parents want to avoid with their next child. Anton, his younger brother, is born as a "valid", referring to his genetics, while Vincent seen as an "in-valid". When he has grown up and work in the "in-valid" workforce, he dreams of being as perfect as his brother so that he can fulfill his dream of going out into space every time he sees one of the regular launches of a spaceship. He finds someone who can help him with his dream, but it will take some extreme measures. He has to get the genes from valid individual, and is hooked up with Jerome Morrow (Jude Law), who has lost mobility in his legs. He exchanges blood and gets all possible genetic samples from Jerome and has to become his identity. He is enrolled in Gattaca and starts the strict and education under heavy biometric surveillance. When the leader of the academy is found murdered one of his "in-valid" eyebrow hairs is found nearby. It is considered evidence and now his scam is in danger of exposure, even if he is not the murderer. The police detectives are getting closer and closer to his true identity, while he at the same time, falls in love with one of the female "valids" (Uma Thurman).

The obvious theme is the feeling of being outside. Outside the "good" company or being unwanted and looked down upon for not being perfect. The perfection ideal is a sick and destructive illusion, that keeps driving you away from staying human and become who you really are. Genetic selection i see as a metaphor for female hypergamy. There has been a genetic selection going on since the dawn of life and females are the gatekeepers of whether a mans genes gets to an egg or not. State "sponsored" genetic selection is not better in any way, but it is wise to realize that it is already a reality, albeit a more hidden one. This is a very stylish, clean and pure movie artistically. In some ways i like the use of colored light and larger open spaces around unrecognizable large buildings as the backdrop. It gives it a futuristic look that is not too over the top. On the other hand, everything is so clean and symmetric and it is a cliche that works two ways. It is also an illustration of the "valids" superior biology, shown as these unemotional, machine like robots (which is actually odd for a very intelligent person), that has references back to Metropolis for sure. They are made too machine like and reminds me a lot of Christian Bale in "American Psycho". Being a sci-fi drama, there is actually very little science fiction to it at all. It is mostly based on the murder-case and Vincent´s or rather Jerome´s efforts not to be revealed. I found that disappointing. The movie poster even has a planet on it, that is clearly not earth, and i find that odd.

Anyway the genetic theme is an interesting one and you do get a good sense of how i feels to be lying and betraying and constantly having to avoid recognition for who you truly are. maybe that is a small theme too, but on the overall this is sort of an average movie. It is professionally executed and have fine actors, but it lacks some in the sci-fi and the emotional department. It is too focused on the murder case to drive the plot forward, while the story of Vincent and Jerome becomes a side dish. A bad decision in my view.

Rating: 5/10