In the film Gattaca, humans of wealth, power, and respect are genetically engineered

rather than born naturally. Naturally born humans are suppressed and left to perform unskilled

jobs. The main protagonist, a natural born, in a desperate attempt to reach his goal defies the

odds by altering his identity and superficially tampering with his genetic makeup. The movie

takes a bioconservative stance on technological advancement while critiquing the concept of

humans playing the role of God. In the film, relationships between characters revolve around

work and genetic compatibility rather than intimacy. By eliminating human elements such as

love, the drive to work hard, creativity, and personal achievement the film confronts the

dehumanizing aspects of technological advancement.

In the movie, relationships and partners are selected based on genetic compatibility

creating a sense of ‘pre arrangement. Through deception, the main character, Vincent, gets the

opportunity to become acclimated with his female partner but not before she has him screened to

validate his genetic makeup. Once the characters fall in love their differences are set aside as

they realize their emotions trump technology. The distant connection between characters is

extremely apparent throughout the film. Even roommates, Vincent and Jerome, have a business

relationship in which they both use each other to satisfy their own personal needs. As the

audience yearns for that first trace of genuine human intimacy, the overarching perception of the

film is that technology advancement will alter interaction for the worse.

In Gattaca, people are handed opportunities and employment based on their genetic

makeup opposed to working for their achievements and striving for their goals. In the beginning
of the novel Vincent’s father says to him, “the only way you’ll see the inside of the spaceship is

if you are cleaning it!” This demonstrates the predetermined roles forced upon people. In this

world, hard work is nonexistent because ones genetic makeup determines their position in life,

not their drive, passion, and determination. Vincent resurrects these traits when he ‘refuses to

play the hand he was dealt’ by altering his identity and risking extreme consequences in an effort

to achieve his lifelong goal of going to outer space. In one of the final scenes Vincent and his

brother Anton challenge one another to a swimming competition. Vincent proves that hard work

and determination overcome genetics when Vincent swims further than his brother and is forced

to rescue him from drowning. This is a powerful scene because it crumbles the principal that

Gattaca is founded upon: there is no substitute for technology. This scene gives hope to

mankind in an otherwise very pessimistic view on where mankind is headed.

The movie has a powerful religious undertone in a world in which there is no religion. In

the movie, the only thing naturally created is Vincent. In the scene where Vincent is conceived,

the shot zooms in on Rosary beads hanging in the car implying that Vincent will be a child of

God. Fate and chance are both vital characteristics of religion and in this movie Vincent is the

only character that encompasses these traits. At one point in the movie Vincent says, “there is no

gene for fate” this shows that Vincent believed he was destined to be an astronaut despite the

laws of Gattaca, and all of the forces acting against him. Uncertainty is a force that propels

humans to achieve greatness, and when that is removed humans lose their drive to achieve

because things are just handed to them rather than earned.

Gattaca is a fascinating film that examines a society governed by technology. Genetic

engineering determines one’s placement in society rather than hard work, determination, and

sacrifice. The film takes a bioconservative view on technology and has the viewer rooting for

the underdog, Vincent, to prevail and overthrow the technology driven society that he lives in.

The relationships are superficial and determined by a computer rather than intimate feelings.

However, Vincent defies the norm and forms a relationship based on love and honest feelings.

By defeating his genetically perfect brother in the swimming competition, the movie makes a

powerful statement that determination and hard work prevail over genetics. And finally, the

religious undertone of the movie advocates the importance of chance and fate. When these are

eliminated from a society, so is the human drive to achieve greatness. The pessimistic views of

the future are prevalent throughout the film but Vincent proves to be the glistening hope for

mankind.