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GATTACA

GATTACA. BACKGROUND. ‘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

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GATTACA

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  1. GATTACA BACKGROUND

  2. ‘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

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

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

  5. 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

  6. 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

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

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

  9. 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

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

  11. 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

  12. 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

  13. 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.

  14. 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

  15. 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?

  16. 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

  17. 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?

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

  19. 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

  20. Structure: sub-plots

  21. 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

  22. Structure: Niccol’s doubles characters

  23. 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

  24. 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

  25. 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

  26. 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

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

  28. 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

  29. 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

  30. 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

  31. CHARACTERS IN GATTACA

  32. 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

  33. 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

  34. 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

  35. 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

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

  37. 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

  38. 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

  39. 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

  40. 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

  41. German (Tony Shalhoub) • Blood knows no nationality

  42. 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

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