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“GATTACA” is a Modern-day Sci-Fi Classic. A Movie Review by Ajit Acharya ** Fair warning: The following review may contain plot spoilers. ** “I not only think that we will tamper with Mother Nature… I think Mother wants us to.” “They used to say that a child conceived in love has a better chance for success. They don’t say that anymore... We now have discrimination down to a science.” When Andrew Niccol’s film “GATTACA” was released in autumn 1997 it went largely ignored by audiences, save for some scattered critical praise. Unfortunately most multiplex audiences liked their science fiction films with heavy doses of hostile aliens, CG explosions, laser fire and swashbuckling space opera. It is truly their loss. GATTACA is one of the most ambitious and intelligent of science fiction movies – a high-concept combination of Huxley and Orwell that dares to provoke ethical questions about our own quest for betterment as human beings. For example, is it truly “better” to genetically engineer a concert musician with a gift for playing piano? What if we gave him the advantage of playing with 12 fingers instead of the standard 10 digits? Consider the possibility of choosing your child’s physical characteristics, his/her predilection for a particular area of study, his/her probability of acquiring heart disease, alcoholism, attention disorders, etc. Natural procreation cannot guarantee success for these outcomes, whereas genetic engineering can assure it. One geneticist in GATTACA explains to a conceiving couple: “It’s still both of you… only the BEST of both of you. You could conceive naturally a thousand times and never achieve the same result.” Thus, the newborn infants in the world of GATTACA are given their prospective natural fates just seconds after their birth - a simple DNA blood test is all it takes. Indeed, “natural births” or “faith births” are no longer considered a valid way to achieve success for a child. Children born via this chance roll of the dice, without the aid of genetic doctors or test tubes, are termed “In-Valids” and deemed ill-suited to be productive members of society.
Vincent is not convinced. His determination to succeed is further solidified when he challenges his younger brother Anton (Loren Dean) to a swimming contest. Anton has all the right DNA scores and genetic credentials, having been genetically-engineered to excel. Yet despite this, Vincent saves his “superior” younger brother from drowning one day. This is the catalyst for Vincent to break free and seek employment. He encounters resistance - employers routinely take urine samples during job interviews. When he refuses, they simply take saliva samples from his application envelopes to verify his credentials. He is repeatedly denied, and eventually takes the only employment he is eligible for – janitorial staff at GATTACA corporation. Vincent watches daily as GATTACA sends shuttles into orbit, dreaming of the day he will be aboard one. (“I was never as far away from my goal as I was when I stood right next to it.”) Despite a disciplined regimen of intense study and exercise, Vincent realizes that no high scores matter without the DNA to match. He then resolves “to take extreme measures.” Enlisting the help of a shady DNA broker (Tony Shalhoub), Vincent assumes the identity of a man with “a genetic quotient second to none” named Jerome Morrow (played to biting effect by Jude Law). Jerome suffered an accident which rendered him paralyzed from the waist down. Vincent notes that he suffers from another burden – “The burden of perfection”. Using Jerome’s blood, urine, hair and skin samples Vincent gains employment in the GATTACA corporation as an elite head programmer, eligible for a mission to Titan (one of Saturn’s moons).
The movie also presents the idea of romantic possibility for Vincent. He becomes friendly with Irene (Uma Thurman), who is also a programmer at the facility but is ineligible for space missions due to her poor cardiac scores. Vincent and Irene are attracted to each other, but successful romantic partnerships in this not-too-distant future hinge on the genetic prospects of your mate. Following a passionate kiss, for example, a woman is likely to have her lips swabbed and tested to determine her man’s genetic quotient. Will he be successful? What about his offspring? One’s DNA can even determine the likelihood of romantic acceptance or rejection. Irene plucks a strand of hair from her head and hands it to Vincent to test: "Let me know if you’re still interested," she says.
Darwin hypothesized that species evolve towards survival of the fittest. In Andrew Niccol’s world, people are more beautiful, live longer and healthier lives. Parents can custom-create their children as easily as one orders toppings for a pizza… but is it necessarily better? Imagine taking the rebelliousness or precociousness out of your own children before they are born, or eliminating the potential births in those we perceive to be "flawed". There is an interesting deleted scene on the GATTACA DVD – It was left off of the theatrical release. A short epilogue sequence shows some notable people throughout history who may not have been born if science had decrypted human DNA sooner thereby revealing their “flaws”: President Abraham Lincoln (Marfan Syndrome), author Emily Dickinson (Manic Depression), artist Vincent van Gogh (Epilepsy), physicist Albert Einstein (Dyslexia), President John F. Kennedy (Addison’s Disease), actress Rita Hayworth (Alzheimer’s Disease), musician Ray Charles (Primary Glaucoma), physicist Stephen Hawking (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), and athlete Jackie Joyner-Kersee (Asthma). The last sentence in this sequence is: "Of course, the other birth that may never have taken place is your own." View the "GATTACA" Theatrical Trailer:
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De-gene-ration of the Species:
Vincent Freeman (Ethan Hawke), the main protagonist in GATTACA, is one such “In-Valid” who does not accept his fate. As a genetically inferior "faith birth", Vincent struggles to prosper in a world where his kind faces routine discrimination. We see these struggles through several flashback scenes. As an infant, he has been diagnosed with a 99% chance of serious heart defects and a life expectancy of 30 years. Insurance agents deny his parents’ claims when he injures himself as a youth. He is eligible only for the most menial jobs later in life. Vincent dreams of exploring space, yet when his father catches him perusing a book about “Careers in Space” he grudgingly tells his son: “You have to be realistic. The only way you’ll ever see the inside of a space shuttle… is if you’re cleaning it.”
The film supplies tension in the form of a plot device – namely, a dissenting Director at GATTACA is murdered. Detectives swarm the GATTACA facility and comb the area for suspects. They sweep the area daily collecting hair, skin, blood and urine. Will Vincent’s true identity be uncovered as a result of the investigation? Human beings shed 500 million cells per day, as the trailer for the movie rightly informs us, and even a solitary eyelash can betray him. 
GATTACA is served by a near-perfect script, a convincing storyline and taut direction by first time writer-director Andrew Niccol. The title of the film itself is a clever reference to the four main nucleotide bases of human DNA - The letters G, A, T and C all stand for "guanine", "adenine", "thymine" and "cytosine" respectively. The set pieces are filled with wonderful subtleties - for example, Jerome’s apartment has a winding staircase that is actually shaped like a DNA helix (pictured left). GATTACA is a remarkably creative debut for Niccol, and rightly paved the way for him to release other provocative films exploring ethics and individualism (“The Truman Show”, "S1m0ne", “Lord of War”). The score by Michael Nyman is haunting and beautiful, particularly in the closing scenes of the film. 
Ajit Acharya is an aspiring screenwriter with a lifelong passion for provocative and artistic films.
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