Bienvenue a Gattaca

In fact, it is the genetic code which determines all. Test-tube babies are the norm for anyone who wants to have a chance; screening out imperfections has become routine, and those who have the misfortune of being born outside the system of genetic checks and balances will find themselves invalid (in-valid in the sense of not valid for work, as well as invalid in the sense of incapacitated for advancement). Society has been structured around a pre-defined sense of potential as projected by genetic codes. But there are a few who challenge the system.

Meet Vincent, a.k.a. Jerome Morrow (played by Ethan Hawke), who dreams of the stars and lusts for a position at Gattaca (the new-age NASA), but with the genetic code of a loser. Enter Jerome Morrow, a.k.a. Eugene (played by Jude Law), who has the potential, but also a broken spinal cord -- he lends Vincent, through an ingenious and intricate system, his genetic sequence. In this guise, Vincent thus rises to the position of navigator, selected for the great Titan/Saturn mission.

Then, the director gets murdered. A flake of skin falls from Vincent which the investigators find, and the chase is on. The launch is a week away. Will Vincent outrun the pursuers in time?

Of course, Vincent's pursuers are led by his brother, the genetically-planned offspring of the family, who thought that Vincent was dead. There is an ultimate contest, which Vincent wins, proving the victory of determination over pre-determination.

Vincent, in the person of Jerome, falls in love with Irene (played by Uma Thurman), who works at Gattaca in a sort of genetic quality-control position. She falls in love the potential, the idea of Jerome, but eventually comes to love the imperfect Vincent. She herself, for all the genetic planning, also has an imperfection, which makes her all the more attractive to Vincent.

Gore Vidal has a small but crucial role as a flight director in charge of keeping things on track (with style!) as the murder investigation threatens the operations at Gattaca.

This movie is a visually interesting, unique, and much under-rated and under appreciated show. It won awards for art direction and other stylistic touches, including the Oscar.

I won't spoil the ending, but suffice it to say that Vincent and Jerome both leave the earth.

'For someone never meant for this world, I must confess, I'm suddenly having a hard time leaving it. Of course, they say that every atom of our body was once part of a star. Maybe I'm not leaving. Maybe I'm going home.'

Interestingly, the idea of genetics is woven into the movie in very many ways, some subtle, some explicit. The very title, Gattaca, consists of the strands of bases that comprise the double helix of DNA G (guanine), A (adenine), C (cytosine), and T (thymine) -- the sequence of these bases constitutes genetic information, much as the arrangement of the 26 letters of this alphabet constitutes information.

This is a clever film, a bit slow, but stylish, suspenseful, wonderfully visual, and well worth a weekend evening investment.


fascinant   Mars 2, 2003
7 sur 7 ont trouvé ce commentaire utile

le probleme de ce film, c'est que le cote science -fiction s'efface devant les sentiments humains. Le realisateur joue moins sur les effets speciaux que sur la palette etendue des relations humaines ( un peu d'ironie, entre freres, homme-femme...), ce qui rend reducteur l'appellation "science-fiction", qui reste forcement en dessous du resultat. Les images (lechees), les couleurs (dignes d'un kieslowsky) et la musique de Nyman, lancinante, pleine de passion et de retenue font de ce film un chef d'oeuvre a voir, meme si le sigle SF vous retient. C'est un moment de bonheur.


une fable realiste sur le tout genetique   Octobre 15, 2001
Docteur Fox (Toulouse)
6 sur 6 ont trouvé ce commentaire utile

En tant que biologiste, je ne peux que reconnaitre la justesse du propos de GATTACA (les lettres du code genetique forment le titre) et je crains que ce qui nous y est presente comme science fiction ne soit une facette de l'eugenisme qui nous attend demain.
Bien tourne, aseptise et percutant a la fois, on se laisse aisement fasciner par cette societe du tout genetique.


Mythe de la perfection   Novembre 26, 2000
5 sur 5 ont trouvé ce commentaire utile

Andrew Niccol introduit dans son film une reflexion et une critique sur les progres de la genetique contemporaine projettee dans l'avenir. On en arriverait ici a une societe de castes ou seuls les etres aux genes parfaits ont droit au chapitre. Plus d'excentrisme ou d'heteroclisme, tout est lisse, identique, gris, spartiate et aseptise. C'est effrayant mais cela reste un scenario possible de notre futur... Le film est passionnant, je vous le conseille.