Gattica is a grossly under appreciated and forgotten film. What people don't realize is it's the scariest and most accurate depiction of how the 1% will continue to gain advantage in the near future. Currently they buy their kid's way into the best colleges but in the future they will be genetically geared for athleticism, intelligence, and health. This future is guaranteed and it's currently and has been for sometime worked on by scientists.
The point of the film is exactly opposite of what you are saying. Nothing is predetermined in life and even those born with a silver spoon suffer. Much more is expected of them and when they fall it is much harder. Also when you speak of the 1% you should consider if you are in this group or not. Almost everyone living in first world country is better off than anyone else in the history of the world. Consider the things you do have instead of the things you don't.
A movie like this could never become a box office success because it respects the viewers intelligence and critical thinkiing ability, nothing that the mass audience can really appreciate.
*there would have to be a sub-plot about the mandatory inclusion of puberty blockers prior to the determination of your preferred reproductive orientation if this movie were to be remade/updated or re imagined for audiences today...i'll stick with the original vision thank you very much*
You make movies so you can make more movies. 1997 was the Columbia release of Men in Black, a blockbuster hit. Big hits allow studios to take a chance on a new director.
Dave, don't you find it amazing how films that flopped at the box office can go on to become relevant in ways the movie creators never expected. My favorite teacher in school said, "it's a shame that everyone wants to create the next blockbuster movie when its the 'smaller' stories that eventually have the farthest reach".
I watched Gattaca in my biology class in high school. Loved the movie. It's really inspirational and does well to teach people that it is their spirit that leads them to overcoming adversity, and that adversity is what's needed for one to overcome themselves
@@mengoinggodsway9024 *truth*...*especially with They Live...of course the current arc of our civilization is akin to the autobahn on ramp leading to the musical version of idiocracy*
I keep realizing that last year’s conspiracy theories were really just spoilers. I’ll give Gattaca another viewing. Saw it as a first run back in the day.
I remember watching this movie with my parents as a kid, it carries a powerful message about personal efforts being an essential component to success, talent alone won’t carry you.
True, but the main character was also really lucky. In the film he is the exception not the norm. He can change things later on if he wants to fight against the system or bring simmilar oportunities to others. My point is that his efforts alone would not have been enough, he was also really lucky for someone in his position.
"My son's not all that they promised." It sounds to me that the doctor who's secretly been helping Vincent had a Valid son who didn't turn out the way he was supposed to. It could be the nucleus of the beginning of the end of this system.
And given Eugene and Anton are both genetically superior, but one just becomes a cop and the other kills himself, meanwhile David is the one flying off into space, proves that the system is flawed.
First time I watched the film I was in high-school, my drama teacher put it on for our class. I think that she knew what was coming as she also made us watch Wag the Dog. That was early 2007'ish. Imagine teachers trying to instil common sense into students these days, they'd be sacked. Gattaca is a really good film.
This movie showcases one of the most misunderstood things about genetics. If you have a particular mutation of a gene you are usually more likely to develop a certain condition or are more susceptible to a certain disease. It doesn't mean you will develop that condition or get that disease, it means you have a higher chance of develop that condition or getting that disease than any other randomly chosen human alive. That being said, GATTACA will happen, not because we want it to happen but because the other side of the argument, certain gene variants will give one a higher resistance to certain diseases, will lower the likelihood of certain cancers and the like from occurring, will increase the likelihood that one will be more athletic, more beautiful, more talented. That combined with insurance companies lobbying to refuse to ensure people that weren't born as a result of genetic engineering, despite their parents having had the options and GATTACA is more than guaranteed.
This is also one of the few movies where I enjoyed the artificial color grading. It added an almost polluted atmospheric quality and helped it feel unique.
A lot of people say that it's a "forgotten film", yet I am analyzing it at school, and comparing it to Orwell's 1984. This movie and Orwell's 1984 still do need to be watched and read more. As a high school student, these types of movies and books have greatly affected my point of view on many things. Very important for the younger generations.
Watched this film dozens of times when I was younger. I watched it again a few weeks ago for the first time in about 15 years. It still moves me - the determination of Vincent to follow his dream despite not being valid, Jerome going from not having anything to live for to living to make Vincents dream come true and Anton being unable to get over being beaten by his weaker brother.
This movie is very important in my life. I relate to Gattaca. Us short men are statistically less likely to be picked for a job, and less likely to get a promoted to a leadership position. It's as if I'm an invalid.
This was one of the best reviews of a film I have ever heard. I was a big fan of Gattaca upon it's release and have owned it in several formats since then. Though as much as I enjoyed it and enjoyed discussing it with people whom I would show it to for the first time, I never watched it from the point of view where I thought it was literally something I would live to see happen, which as you've pointed out, is now a far more believable possibility than it was back in 1997 when this was released. I have little to no doubt that the theme of this film will become a reality in our near future, and like most new ground breaking technologies, it will be exploited and abused, and the bloodlines of the elites, arguably the least deserving to thrive, will continue to do just that.
One of my absolute favorite films of all time. I relate to it a lot having been born somewhat disadvantaged myself, I find a lot of the themes and ideas very relatable.
The valid's entitlement sounds like the "privilege" that my generation was "promised" upon earning a college degree. Going to college is my greatest regret as it wasted years of my life and hobbled my earning potential early in life, all while teaching me severely outdated knowledge.
This is a great comparison. I feel for the youth of today sold this lie at such an expensive price. At least you learnt this and can steer your children away from it.
@@benb3500 I'm 40 and college was the biggest mistake that I have ever made. Took me 8 years to finish while working full time in the restaurant business. If I had gone to hvac school I would be very rich right now and not have 27k in debt.
@@andrewdm81 Looks like everyone was promised Neverland but instead we got we're lies. You could go to college and get a nice job and buy nice home and start a lovely family. Now is college even worth it? Jobs aren't hiring someone who has the right skills instead they want the loser who thinks Twitter is the holy savior. Buying a house is too expensive if you stay with your parents your mocked and laughed at when times are hard. Starting a family is now risky you can find someone who loves you or wind-up with a monster who will destroy you and move on to their target. In short life is strange and random but there will be a shining light somewhere out there we just have to search a little harder for it.
I remember seeing this in the cinema. I loved everything about it -- the musical score, the minimalism of the sci-fi elements, the restrained performances, etc. It was perfectly simple and simply perfect.
I think of this film every time I walk confidently into a place while secretly wondering if anyone is going to demand I show a 'covid pass' which I do not have. We are living in Gattaca.
I relate to Gattaca. Us short men are statistically less likely to be picked for a job, and less likely to get a promoted to a leadership position. It's as if I'm an invalid.
A magnificent sci-fi movie that doesn't use special effects as a crutch as most movies of it's era do. It focuses purely on story and character and as a result, is still as fresh today as it was in 1997.
With the last test, where the doctor changes the result himself, I especially liked that the doctor also revealed that he already knew about it beforehand.
Watching this movie reminded me of the Star Trek: TNG episode "The Masterpiece Society", where the crew of the Enterprise discover a colony founded by human renegades that wished to pursue genetic engineering, which had been banned on Earth and the Federation. The "Genome colony" did achieve many of the goals their founders had set out to achieve, as the colony was portrayed as a fairly pleasant place and the Enterprise's crew did seem to remark on the great talents of some colonists. However, one of the colonists, Hannah Bates, remarked in turn how despite her 'superior design', it was from people that were not designed that she was exposed to technology of which she could scarcely dream. It showed the flaws in the concept under which her colony was founded and operated. Her conversation with Geordi at the end of the episode echos the theme of "Gattaca": HANNAH I was born to be one of the best scientific minds of my generation. But in the past five days, I have encountered technology that I have barely imagined. I've got to ask myself... If we're so brilliant... how come we didn't invent any of these things? GEORDI Maybe necessity really is the mother of invention. You don't always look for something until you need it. HANNAH And all my needs are anticipated and planned for. Before I'm even born. All of us in this colony might as well have been living in the dark ages. It's like we're the victims of a two hundred-year-old joke. Until you came, we could only see to the wall of the biosphere. Suddenly our eyes have been opened to infinite possibilities. Now I'm supposed to come back to the farm and pretend I never saw Paris... ? Well, I can't.
2021: Not a single flying car out there in the blue sky but there is surley every single absurd social-dystopian element from my childhood SF-books lurking at my doorstep.
One of my favorites. Watching this always takes me back to a better time. The scene when the doctor changes his test to valid is beyond epic and filled with heart and irony movies today just can't do.
I've really enjoyed this series, maybe because I saw most of them contemporarily. I saw Gatitica in the theater & immediately felt it was the most prophetic film I'd ever seen.
This was a tremendous film with an extremely prescient message. It's been a surprise to me how forgotten it is, probably because it wasn't a huge hit to begin with and sci-fi, especially with dystopian content and serious messaging like it contains is not everybody's cup of tea. This movie was really a showcase for Jude Law, who acts the crap out of the part he had and blew Ethan Hawke off the screen. And it's not that Hawke was "bad", he was fine but just not in the same class at that point in their careers. If you haven't seen this film, it's well worth the watch. I think it aspired to be "great", and just about got there. The climactic scene is especially moving, literally a one-two punch to the gut that leaves you frightened, scared, sad, uplifted and inspired at the same time. In that final scene, Dr. Lamar(Xander Berkeley) has a small part but gives an incredibly important and moving performance, just great acting.
Movie's been in my DVD collection for years. I could never work up the courage to save nothing for the swim back . But that line has a home in my mind...
Fantastic Review.... Thank you My favourite movie ever " The Fifth Element" My Second " Gattaca " Could you imagine the 2021 version of Gattaca..... It for sure would be called Femmica !
GATTACA used the 4 letters of the genetic alphabet. You could add U (and now Ψ as an artificial replacement) in case of RNA. But well, the woke do not care for science
This is the inevitable result of thinking anyone at all, is born superior to someone else in any way shape or form. the only meaningful way to become good at anything is hard work. "Talent" may exist in some form, but it is largely irrelevant next to determination and hard work.
I saw it in the theater my sophomore year of high school, it really impacted me at the time and is still special to me. Very solid characters and acting in a thoroughly believable setting.
For years, the title of this movie alone drew me away from it. It was not till years later at Uni did I discover how deep and good it really is. Great film.
My older brothers used to beat me at sports all the time. This experience made me more resilient than my peers as I eventually grew to become better than my brothers.
I'm glad to see this movie has a following and seems to get shown in schools. I saw it in the theater when it came out and it's never left me since then. It's touching on many levels.
I was working at a small theater right out of high school when this came out. I loved it! And Equilibrium is also one of my favorites. My brother got me to watch it, saying "if you liked the Matrix, this is SO MUCH BETTER. The action is way more awesome without the stupid tricks." My brother was right. Years later, we were speaking on the phone and he says "so, have you heard of a show called Firefly..." 😎
I do enjoy the twist of this film where we learn that maybe Vincent learn that other people have been helping them the whole time. From the doctor to one of the janitors, they helped him when he never saw.
Thank you for this review. This movie, to me, is a modern Shakespearian story. You said it! It is a story of the human spirit transcending the limited confines of a society distorted by ideological dogma. The irony of this story is that the "perfect human" still cannot escape the human condition, and the "invalid" human draws strengths from adversity and imperfection to become more than human. This is one of those films that I get rather emotional about. It teaches us that no matter our weaknesses or drawbacks, no matter how others view us, our very spirit and will to power can help us to achieve great things. Vincent overcomes his adversities to achieve his dreams and is reminder to us all that our will, our spirit, is what defines our humanity. And it's our spirit that helps us achieve our dreams.
I got the impression at the end that Dr. Lamar doesn't just allow Vincent to cheat the test one more time, but actually resets the computer to register Vincent as being Jerome permanently in revenge for his own family's comparable problem.
I remember watching this movie in middle school science class after it came out on VHS. The teacher warned us that this would be the future. This movie came out around the time human cloning started to come up on the radar. I remember the first sheep that was cloned made national headlines. Soon after, the movie The Island came out.
It still amazes me this is a film I saw in high school because only 3 people came to class one day and my math teacher put it on to pass the time. It was so good I asked if I could borrow the DVD to show to some of my friends in a watch party and to this day I've never met anyone who has seen the movie whenever I bring it up when discussing Sci-Fi.
Another unappreciated dystopian movie is 1975's Rollerball, which is set in 2018, and we are far closer to its corporate facism than we ever were to the Left's rhetorical wet dream of A Handmaid's Tale
I remember my high school science teacher having the class watch this movie. Must have been ten years ago. I wish I'd followed up and watched it again. Well, better late than never.
This is a favorite of my wife's and one of mine as well. I did like that moment at the end with Doctor Lamar, even more so as while he's helping Vincent, he reveals he's known all along. It's not the first time he's mentioned Vincent is a hero to his son. It was a neat touch. Interesting, and I think this is deliberate, "Gattaca" is spelled with letters that all correspond to the abbreviation letters for the four nucleotides in DNA.
Such a good story that still regularly has me thinking about what the protagonist told his enhanced brother when he was asked how he was beating him in that swimming race out to sea... it was both simple and chilling and summed up his whole outlook on life and the attainment of his one goal... " I never saved anything for the swim back"
It's good "in a movie". In reality, this kind of mentality does not lead to anything except misery. How many people play all or nothing every day and end up losing everything? Consequences. That's what's left out in this movie. We can see him throughout the film, he goes beyond his limits, without anyone suspecting it. One day, in space, his limits will not be sufficient, and his lack of foresight will result in the death of several people. Or quite simply, a heart attack that occurs because of too much effort? Or a destruction of material? It does not matter. The important thing is that those who will rely on him to accomplish a task will have been deceived. Obviously, his status of "invalid" will be discovered. One can imagine the consequences for all the other invalids. The ostracization only becomes greater.
It was an excellent movie. I like that to keep the costs down they used Avanti cars as future cars. It showed clever use of resources. Put the money in writing and acting, not special effects. The messages of the movie are more important today than ever.
The series continuum with Rachel Nichols. The series is good but the dystopian depiction of the future is what is heavily under appreciated. Most of the future's dystopian shortcomings/overreach is revealed by the 4th or 5th episode just an fyi. My favorite is the prison system that only gets a glance. Your body does labor while your mind is in a dream state oblivious to the entire situation. It's so rich it's almost humane.
A subtle allusion to the surveillance state was made in the scene where the flight director complimented Vincent on his perfect typing. Imagine having the kind of boss who not only installs keystroke loggers on his employees' computers, who not only regularly checks those logs for statistical anomalies, but who then brazenly admits to it with his creepy compliments. Maybe getting away from his leery, closeted boss was half the reason Vincent was so motivated to launch, and maybe seeing his boss get arrested took all the urgency out of it.
A more likely explanation is that Gore Vidal, being a best selling author from well before the advent of word processors ad-libbed the line based on personal experience.
At work we have an all encompassing computer programs that cradles our reports from start to finish. The importance of a given report varies greatly, dependent on the subject matter. All reports share a common, complicated format. The complexity of the format grows when more complicated issues are addressed. Simple or deep issue, in the end, having a report returned for correction is very common. The system has oversight features that allow management to count how often a report is returned. Old, experienced (and pretty much untouchable) analysts, like myself, warned that this is very dangerous to talented young analysts as all "mistakes" are a single number, all returns are equal. A returned complicated report with a format error is counted the same as a returned simple report with a gross analytical (thinking!) error. We were assured by management, "no, no, we understand. Counting returned reports will not be used as a measure of efficiency or the quality of the analysis." You can imagine how long that lasted. "Looking at the stats, Johnny is a great analyst. He almost never has anything returned for correction." Johnny cherry picks the easiest, most meaningless reports because he wants to keep his job. "That Susie has her work returned all the time. Does she have a clue what she is doing?" Yes, Susie is actually a very good analyst who grabs the tough subjects and has the bad habit of forgetting to hit the spell check at the end of the process. Managerial oversight is necessary, but it requires management to really understand the subject.
100% agree. Forgot to mention how the film tries to portray a "perfect world" but ultimately is dystopian. People, including writers, tend to get caught up in the idea that dystopia means endless suffering for everyone (hunger games, 1984) but it can mean suffering or injustice for a select few.
I watched it when I was quite young. Don't truly understand it. Watched it again a few years ago. I was totally impressed with it. A great story told extremely well.
Well done, you nail it. This video shows it' is not the color your skin that entitles one person or money, or birth right but something spiritual inside that defines that person it's their actions that make them evolve.
Excellent review! I love this movie, especially because there is a strong film noir element to it, as you mentioned. It works on many levels: the common man beating the system, the genetically "superior" persons are as miserable as the less fortunate, just for different reasons. But it also opens a vault filled with cans of worms. If eveybody is a winner, no one is. Does being unfairly considered inferior really makes you stronger, or is this just the story of someone who happens to be the exception among inferiors? And of course the unanswerable question asked by all films noir: what is fate and what is choice?
This was a film I first watched just after it came out on video, and then had little or no opportunity to see again until my birthday last year, not quite one year ago at the time of this writing. I learned a lot more from watching it the second time than from the first.
Funny, I just saw it last night. So much about this film is haunting. Pins and needles, quips, sexual desire, genetics, humanity with rockets in the backdrop. The music is very good. The Marin County building is used as Gattaca headquarters. Statuesque Uma was a joy. Dystopian never looked so chic. To see Vincent get through that last blood test made me feel good for the spirit of humanity. Oh and the cars sounded like vacuum cleaners whizzing by. Cool
”You best start believing in dystopian nightmares... you're in one."
Is that a direct quote or a parody of the ghost stories one from Pirates of the Caribbean?
Hahaha, yeah. My variante
*_" You best start believing into conspiracy theorys... you're in one "_*
100% AI and neural implants GMO food and designer babies and cloning forced vaccination. This shit is all real and it is looming over our heads.
Yargh...2+2 be 5..or else you'll be...reeducated lass.
So I Amber heard. Your comment is very depp.
Gattica is a grossly under appreciated and forgotten film. What people don't realize is it's the scariest and most accurate depiction of how the 1% will continue to gain advantage in the near future. Currently they buy their kid's way into the best colleges but in the future they will be genetically geared for athleticism, intelligence, and health. This future is guaranteed and it's currently and has been for sometime worked on by scientists.
No doubt the technocracy will prevail before enough people realize the dangers and stand up to it.
the space race was a means to an end but had no real purpose , just another monkey see monkey doo part in human history
Nothing is guaranteed. Defeatism is the only reason why they might win.
The point of the film is exactly opposite of what you are saying. Nothing is predetermined in life and even those born with a silver spoon suffer. Much more is expected of them and when they fall it is much harder. Also when you speak of the 1% you should consider if you are in this group or not. Almost everyone living in first world country is better off than anyone else in the history of the world. Consider the things you do have instead of the things you don't.
@@benb3500 Exactly. I don't think OP actually watched the film ffs. Give GATTACA credit where it's owed don't let POLITICS distort the bigger picture.
It's amazing how more and more of these dystopian futures are becoming real with each passing day.
What's amazing is how it seems like the more people say this the more of a guarantee it becomes that nothing will ever be done to resist any of it.
We've reached a point where more than Half of them would be preferable to what's happening now
It’s called - predictive programming
Not really
Its human made. So therefore its more probable each passing moment.
A movie like this could never become a box office success because it respects the viewers intelligence and critical thinkiing ability, nothing that the mass audience can really appreciate.
They would rather watch the 102th avengers Marvel shit movie
*there would have to be a sub-plot about the mandatory inclusion of puberty blockers prior to the determination of your preferred reproductive orientation if this movie were to be remade/updated or re imagined for audiences today...i'll stick with the original vision thank you very much*
You make movies so you can make more movies. 1997 was the Columbia release of Men in Black, a blockbuster hit.
Big hits allow studios to take a chance on a new director.
never forget - in the bathing glowing flames of the incinerator, jerome's silver medal reflected that light and looked like gold...
Those "dystopian futuristic films" were at 90% precise!!
Prescient
92% now.
Guess in 8 years we may achieve 100...
If I'm not mistaken, this was where Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman met and were married shortly after in 1998.
SO MANY WARNINGS in the past - in the movies, in the books, in the essays, in documentaries...and we managed to enter this dystopia anyway.
remember when movies were well written?good times
That sadly was a long time ago.
I've just seen Dune and it's extremely well written. Unlike your sentence.
@@vidiveniviciDCLXVI um, sorry?
Good movies still exist, man. Don't let nostalgia blind you. Bad movies existed back then too, you know?
@@yashjoseph3544 So true, some of the best films I've seen have been post 2000, just have to find them.
Dave, don't you find it amazing how films that flopped at the box office can go on to become relevant in ways the movie creators never expected. My favorite teacher in school said, "it's a shame that everyone wants to create the next blockbuster movie when its the 'smaller' stories that eventually have the farthest reach".
George Bailey: "I wish I had a million dollars. Hot Dog!"
I watched Gattaca in my biology class in high school. Loved the movie. It's really inspirational and does well to teach people that it is their spirit that leads them to overcoming adversity, and that adversity is what's needed for one to overcome themselves
You had a good biology teacher.
I watched in a History of Technology class.
Should have watched "Code of the Wild" instead. The documentary on black market genetic engineering in China.
Same scenario. I'm glad my biology teacher showed us because I'm fairly certain I wouldn't have watched the movie on my own especially in high school.
You watched films in school? Times have changed.
Gattaca + The Running Man + Equilibrium + Demolition Man + Soylent Green = The Great Reset
"They Live" and "The Matrix", as well as "A Brave New World" and "1984" are honourable mentions.
How can they when none of them identify the electorate as the prime factor?
@@mengoinggodsway9024 *truth*...*especially with They Live...of course the current arc of our civilization is akin to the autobahn on ramp leading to the musical version of idiocracy*
Which book is that from?
You let out Rollerball. The original was awesome.
I keep realizing that last year’s conspiracy theories were really just spoilers.
I’ll give Gattaca another viewing. Saw it as a first run back in the day.
I remember watching this movie with my parents as a kid, it carries a powerful message about personal efforts being an essential component to success, talent alone won’t carry you.
Determination vs Determination
It does not have to be eugenics, though.
Being born into wealth has the same effects.
I still have the DVD. I watch it every couple of years.
True, but the main character was also really lucky. In the film he is the exception not the norm. He can change things later on if he wants to fight against the system or bring simmilar oportunities to others.
My point is that his efforts alone would not have been enough, he was also really lucky for someone in his position.
You missed the point
"My son's not all that they promised." It sounds to me that the doctor who's secretly been helping Vincent had a Valid son who didn't turn out the way he was supposed to. It could be the nucleus of the beginning of the end of this system.
And given Eugene and Anton are both genetically superior, but one just becomes a cop and the other kills himself, meanwhile David is the one flying off into space, proves that the system is flawed.
@@spenser9908 Precisely.
First time I watched the film I was in high-school, my drama teacher put it on for our class. I think that she knew what was coming as she also made us watch Wag the Dog. That was early 2007'ish. Imagine teachers trying to instil common sense into students these days, they'd be sacked. Gattaca is a really good film.
Wag was an excellent film
This movie showcases one of the most misunderstood things about genetics. If you have a particular mutation of a gene you are usually more likely to develop a certain condition or are more susceptible to a certain disease. It doesn't mean you will develop that condition or get that disease, it means you have a higher chance of develop that condition or getting that disease than any other randomly chosen human alive.
That being said, GATTACA will happen, not because we want it to happen but because the other side of the argument, certain gene variants will give one a higher resistance to certain diseases, will lower the likelihood of certain cancers and the like from occurring, will increase the likelihood that one will be more athletic, more beautiful, more talented. That combined with insurance companies lobbying to refuse to ensure people that weren't born as a result of genetic engineering, despite their parents having had the options and GATTACA is more than guaranteed.
It's already happening those who refuse to inject an experimental Vaccine are viewed as the invalids and are refused access to certain places.
This is also one of the few movies where I enjoyed the artificial color grading. It added an almost polluted atmospheric quality and helped it feel unique.
Yes, it does have an otherworldly quality to it. Very nicely done.
A lot of people say that it's a "forgotten film", yet I am analyzing it at school, and comparing it to Orwell's 1984. This movie and Orwell's 1984 still do need to be watched and read more. As a high school student, these types of movies and books have greatly affected my point of view on many things. Very important for the younger generations.
@X Ennial I have only read the book, should check ou the movie though
Watched this film dozens of times when I was younger. I watched it again a few weeks ago for the first time in about 15 years. It still moves me - the determination of Vincent to follow his dream despite not being valid, Jerome going from not having anything to live for to living to make Vincents dream come true and Anton being unable to get over being beaten by his weaker brother.
This movie is very important in my life. I relate to Gattaca. Us short men are statistically less likely to be picked for a job, and less likely to get a promoted to a leadership position. It's as if I'm an invalid.
"The focus on the quality of the storytelling and the writing"
AS IT ALWAYS SHOULD!
This was one of the best reviews of a film I have ever heard. I was a big fan of Gattaca upon it's release and have owned it in several formats since then. Though as much as I enjoyed it and enjoyed discussing it with people whom I would show it to for the first time, I never watched it from the point of view where I thought it was literally something I would live to see happen, which as you've pointed out, is now a far more believable possibility than it was back in 1997 when this was released. I have little to no doubt that the theme of this film will become a reality in our near future, and like most new ground breaking technologies, it will be exploited and abused, and the bloodlines of the elites, arguably the least deserving to thrive, will continue to do just that.
One of my absolute favorite films of all time. I relate to it a lot having been born somewhat disadvantaged myself, I find a lot of the themes and ideas very relatable.
Same here. Have a great life mate!
@@GreyDeathVaccine *you too
I find it interesting that the Gataca company is spelled only with G T A and C the abbreviations for the chemicals that make up the genetic code.
You would have thought that the writer of the book made the title too
@@rebeccaconlon9743 The book has nothing to do with the film, the screenplay was written by the director.
That was always obvious. But I only today realised Jeromes middle name Eugenes meaning.
The valid's entitlement sounds like the "privilege" that my generation was "promised" upon earning a college degree. Going to college is my greatest regret as it wasted years of my life and hobbled my earning potential early in life, all while teaching me severely outdated knowledge.
This is a great comparison. I feel for the youth of today sold this lie at such an expensive price. At least you learnt this and can steer your children away from it.
@@benb3500 I'm 40 and college was the biggest mistake that I have ever made. Took me 8 years to finish while working full time in the restaurant business. If I had gone to hvac school I would be very rich right now and not have 27k in debt.
@@andrewdm81 Looks like everyone was promised Neverland but instead we got we're lies. You could go to college and get a nice job and buy nice home and start a lovely family. Now is college even worth it? Jobs aren't hiring someone who has the right skills instead they want the loser who thinks Twitter is the holy savior. Buying a house is too expensive if you stay with your parents your mocked and laughed at when times are hard. Starting a family is now risky you can find someone who loves you or wind-up with a monster who will destroy you and move on to their target. In short life is strange and random but there will be a shining light somewhere out there we just have to search a little harder for it.
great new southpark discussing this...with AI now all learned proffesions are useless and people who can BUILD and repair things are the future
Can't believe I never saw the parallels with the swimming!!! Oh my God it was right there the whole time!
“Never save anything for the swim back”
Been my life motto for years now. It’s better than the alternative.
damn, sometimes when i hit the end and do a tumble turn i save my breath to hold it for the way back until i surface.... guess i cant do that now
I remember seeing this in the cinema. I loved everything about it -- the musical score, the minimalism of the sci-fi elements, the restrained performances, etc. It was perfectly simple and simply perfect.
I think of this film every time I walk confidently into a place while secretly wondering if anyone is going to demand I show a 'covid pass' which I do not have. We are living in Gattaca.
*if someone does ask smile sweetly at them and ask if they want to see your taser first?*
That last game of swimming chicken is one of the most beautiful scenes I had ever seen as a teenager. It's pure magic in an incredible film.
Dave Cullen: The Critical Drinker has been trying to get you to do a stream together. Please do.
Would be epic
*please do...the back and forth banter would be astonishingly brilliant*
Notice the silver medal turns gold at the end while he is burning in the incinerator.
Gattaca is one of the movies of my life, probably my favourite movie ever. What a great video, thanks!
Holiggan2008: One of my favourite films too.
Great film 👌🏻
*personally Blade Runner and Brazil are tied for first place in my list of favorite movies*
@@scottmantooth8785 solid choices too!
I relate to Gattaca. Us short men are statistically less likely to be picked for a job, and less likely to get a promoted to a leadership position. It's as if I'm an invalid.
Imagine having to scrub your skin every hr on the hr 😢
The dedication/motivation ❤
A magnificent sci-fi movie that doesn't use special effects as a crutch as most movies of it's era do. It focuses purely on story and character and as a result, is still as fresh today as it was in 1997.
With the last test, where the doctor changes the result himself, I especially liked that the doctor also revealed that he already knew about it beforehand.
Watching this movie reminded me of the Star Trek: TNG episode "The Masterpiece Society", where the crew of the Enterprise discover a colony founded by human renegades that wished to pursue genetic engineering, which had been banned on Earth and the Federation. The "Genome colony" did achieve many of the goals their founders had set out to achieve, as the colony was portrayed as a fairly pleasant place and the Enterprise's crew did seem to remark on the great talents of some colonists. However, one of the colonists, Hannah Bates, remarked in turn how despite her 'superior design', it was from people that were not designed that she was exposed to technology of which she could scarcely dream. It showed the flaws in the concept under which her colony was founded and operated. Her conversation with Geordi at the end of the episode echos the theme of "Gattaca":
HANNAH
I was born to be one of the best scientific minds of my generation. But in the past five days, I have encountered technology that I have barely imagined. I've got to ask myself... If we're so brilliant... how come we didn't invent any of these things?
GEORDI
Maybe necessity really is the mother of invention. You don't always look for something until you need it.
HANNAH
And all my needs are anticipated and planned for. Before I'm even born. All of us in this colony might as well have been living in the dark ages. It's like we're the victims of a two hundred-year-old joke. Until you came, we could only see to the wall of the biosphere. Suddenly our eyes have been opened to infinite possibilities. Now I'm supposed to come back to the farm and pretend I never saw Paris... ? Well, I can't.
2021: Not a single flying car out there in the blue sky but there is surley every single absurd social-dystopian element from my childhood SF-books lurking at my doorstep.
One of my favorites. Watching this always takes me back to a better time. The scene when the doctor changes his test to valid is beyond epic and filled with heart and irony movies today just can't do.
It’s been awhile, but didn’t the doctor know already because Vincent was left handed?
@@NoPowerintheVerse yes he knew the whole time making it ironic.
Great work. A classic for these times. Worth the wait.
I've really enjoyed this series, maybe because I saw most of them contemporarily. I saw Gatitica in the theater & immediately felt it was the most prophetic film I'd ever seen.
This was a tremendous film with an extremely prescient message. It's been a surprise to me how forgotten it is, probably because it wasn't a huge hit to begin with and sci-fi, especially with dystopian content and serious messaging like it contains is not everybody's cup of tea. This movie was really a showcase for Jude Law, who acts the crap out of the part he had and blew Ethan Hawke off the screen. And it's not that Hawke was "bad", he was fine but just not in the same class at that point in their careers.
If you haven't seen this film, it's well worth the watch. I think it aspired to be "great", and just about got there.
The climactic scene is especially moving, literally a one-two punch to the gut that leaves you frightened, scared, sad, uplifted and inspired at the same time.
In that final scene, Dr. Lamar(Xander Berkeley) has a small part but gives an incredibly important and moving performance, just great acting.
Movie's been in my DVD collection for years. I could never work up the courage to save nothing for the swim back . But that line has a home in my mind...
Fantastic Review.... Thank you
My favourite movie ever " The Fifth Element"
My Second " Gattaca "
Could you imagine the 2021 version of Gattaca..... It for sure would be called Femmica !
GATTACA used the 4 letters of the genetic alphabet. You could add U (and now Ψ as an artificial replacement) in case of RNA. But well, the woke do not care for science
Or rather "Afro-Femmica" :-D
This is the inevitable result of thinking anyone at all, is born superior to someone else in any way shape or form. the only meaningful way to become good at anything is hard work. "Talent" may exist in some form, but it is largely irrelevant next to determination and hard work.
There is no gene for the human spirit. Love that tag line from this movie. The soundtrack in this movie is amazing
I saw it in the theater my sophomore year of high school, it really impacted me at the time and is still special to me. Very solid characters and acting in a thoroughly believable setting.
One of my favorite films. Beautiful, tragic, sad, inspiring.
For years, the title of this movie alone drew me away from it. It was not till years later at Uni did I discover how deep and good it really is. Great film.
My older brothers used to beat me at sports all the time. This experience made me more resilient than my peers as I eventually grew to become better than my brothers.
This is one of my favorite movies, my favorite line is "I never saved anything for the swim back"
I'm glad to see this movie has a following and seems to get shown in schools. I saw it in the theater when it came out and it's never left me since then. It's touching on many levels.
Brilliant film, definite foreshadowing the near and obvious future
The silver medal turns gold in the fire.
Thanks for the information you have a blessed Soul have a blessed day and blessed life doing what you love and thanks for all you do for us
One of my favourite films of all time.
Thanks for covering.
I was working at a small theater right out of high school when this came out. I loved it!
And Equilibrium is also one of my favorites. My brother got me to watch it, saying "if you liked the Matrix, this is SO MUCH BETTER. The action is way more awesome without the stupid tricks."
My brother was right. Years later, we were speaking on the phone and he says "so, have you heard of a show called Firefly..."
😎
I do enjoy the twist of this film where we learn that maybe Vincent learn that other people have been helping them the whole time. From the doctor to one of the janitors, they helped him when he never saw.
Thank you for this review. This movie, to me, is a modern Shakespearian story. You said it! It is a story of the human spirit transcending the limited confines of a society distorted by ideological dogma.
The irony of this story is that the "perfect human" still cannot escape the human condition, and the "invalid" human draws strengths from adversity and imperfection to become more than human.
This is one of those films that I get rather emotional about. It teaches us that no matter our weaknesses or drawbacks, no matter how others view us, our very spirit and will to power can help us to achieve great things.
Vincent overcomes his adversities to achieve his dreams and is reminder to us all that our will, our spirit, is what defines our humanity. And it's our spirit that helps us achieve our dreams.
This film is a MASTERPIECE. And the soundtrack is beautifull!
I got the impression at the end that Dr. Lamar doesn't just allow Vincent to cheat the test one more time, but actually resets the computer to register Vincent as being Jerome permanently in revenge for his own family's comparable problem.
Gattaca and Equilibrium are probably my favorite dystopian films.
Yes! But let's not forget 1984 bbc movie
I remember watching this movie in middle school science class after it came out on VHS. The teacher warned us that this would be the future.
This movie came out around the time human cloning started to come up on the radar. I remember the first sheep that was cloned made national headlines. Soon after, the movie The Island came out.
It still amazes me this is a film I saw in high school because only 3 people came to class one day and my math teacher put it on to pass the time. It was so good I asked if I could borrow the DVD to show to some of my friends in a watch party and to this day I've never met anyone who has seen the movie whenever I bring it up when discussing Sci-Fi.
The Gattaca blu-ray is also worth buying for some controversial deleted scenes and a hilarious outtake.
I've had the blu ray for years and never checked the deleted scenes. Gonna go check it out
Exellent philosophical assessment! The swimming thing had me.
This is one of my favorite movies. I learn or notice something new every time I watch it.
Another unappreciated dystopian movie is 1975's Rollerball, which is set in 2018, and we are far closer to its corporate facism than we ever were to the Left's rhetorical wet dream of A Handmaid's Tale
I remember my high school science teacher having the class watch this movie. Must have been ten years ago. I wish I'd followed up and watched it again. Well, better late than never.
What a great find! I haven’t seen this before, will give it a watch, thanks Dave 👍
I must watch this film at least once a year , im always shocked to hear someone has never heard of it .
Gattaca is a master peace. Love for Jude , Alan , Uma and Ethan . A great film. I love Gore Vidal. A cult movie . Reality cult. ❤
I remember watching Gattaca the first time as a kid.
It was perfect to me then and still perfection to me now.
OMG YT recomendations actually worked for the first time. Someone mentioned Gattaca in comment chat and up pops this video in 24 hours.
The whole plot outline sounded like some one who got a fancy college credential vs some one who just worked the whole time heh
Any basis of classism
Gattaca is one of my all time favorite films. And you hit the nail on the head.
This is a favorite of my wife's and one of mine as well. I did like that moment at the end with Doctor Lamar, even more so as while he's helping Vincent, he reveals he's known all along. It's not the first time he's mentioned Vincent is a hero to his son. It was a neat touch.
Interesting, and I think this is deliberate, "Gattaca" is spelled with letters that all correspond to the abbreviation letters for the four nucleotides in DNA.
Wow. How very apt.
How are the governments getting away with this medical apartheid today?
Completely agree, Gatica has always been a favorite of mine
Such a good story that still regularly has me thinking about what the protagonist told his enhanced brother when he was asked how he was beating him in that swimming race out to sea...
it was both simple and chilling and summed up his whole outlook on life and the attainment of his one goal...
" I never saved anything for the swim back"
It's good "in a movie".
In reality, this kind of mentality does not lead to anything except misery.
How many people play all or nothing every day and end up losing everything?
Consequences.
That's what's left out in this movie.
We can see him throughout the film, he goes beyond his limits, without anyone suspecting it.
One day, in space, his limits will not be sufficient, and his lack of foresight will result in the death of several people.
Or quite simply, a heart attack that occurs because of too much effort?
Or a destruction of material? It does not matter.
The important thing is that those who will rely on him to accomplish a task will have been deceived.
Obviously, his status of "invalid" will be discovered.
One can imagine the consequences for all the other invalids. The ostracization only becomes greater.
It was an excellent movie. I like that to keep the costs down they used Avanti cars as future cars. It showed clever use of resources. Put the money in writing and acting, not special effects.
The messages of the movie are more important today than ever.
Kudos! This is the best, the most insightful review I have ever seen of this film.
The series continuum with Rachel Nichols. The series is good but the dystopian depiction of the future is what is heavily under appreciated.
Most of the future's dystopian shortcomings/overreach is revealed by the 4th or 5th episode just an fyi.
My favorite is the prison system that only gets a glance. Your body does labor while your mind is in a dream state oblivious to the entire situation. It's so rich it's almost humane.
A subtle allusion to the surveillance state was made in the scene where the flight director complimented Vincent on his perfect typing. Imagine having the kind of boss who not only installs keystroke loggers on his employees' computers, who not only regularly checks those logs for statistical anomalies, but who then brazenly admits to it with his creepy compliments.
Maybe getting away from his leery, closeted boss was half the reason Vincent was so motivated to launch, and maybe seeing his boss get arrested took all the urgency out of it.
A more likely explanation is that Gore Vidal, being a best selling author from well before the advent of word processors ad-libbed the line based on personal experience.
At work we have an all encompassing computer programs that cradles our reports from start to finish. The importance of a given report varies greatly, dependent on the subject matter. All reports share a common, complicated format. The complexity of the format grows when more complicated issues are addressed. Simple or deep issue, in the end, having a report returned for correction is very common. The system has oversight features that allow management to count how often a report is returned. Old, experienced (and pretty much untouchable) analysts, like myself, warned that this is very dangerous to talented young analysts as all "mistakes" are a single number, all returns are equal. A returned complicated report with a format error is counted the same as a returned simple report with a gross analytical (thinking!) error. We were assured by management, "no, no, we understand. Counting returned reports will not be used as a measure of efficiency or the quality of the analysis." You can imagine how long that lasted. "Looking at the stats, Johnny is a great analyst. He almost never has anything returned for correction." Johnny cherry picks the easiest, most meaningless reports because he wants to keep his job. "That Susie has her work returned all the time. Does she have a clue what she is doing?" Yes, Susie is actually a very good analyst who grabs the tough subjects and has the bad habit of forgetting to hit the spell check at the end of the process. Managerial oversight is necessary, but it requires management to really understand the subject.
100% agree. Forgot to mention how the film tries to portray a "perfect world" but ultimately is dystopian. People, including writers, tend to get caught up in the idea that dystopia means endless suffering for everyone (hunger games, 1984) but it can mean suffering or injustice for a select few.
I watched it when I was quite young. Don't truly understand it.
Watched it again a few years ago. I was totally impressed with it.
A great story told extremely well.
Well done, you nail it. This video shows it' is not the color your skin that entitles one person or money, or birth right but something spiritual inside that defines that person it's their actions that make them evolve.
I've seen this. The great Actors and Acting gets out in front of the underlying message. As happens so often in movies. Thanx. :)
Excellent review! I love this movie, especially because there is a strong film noir element to it, as you mentioned. It works on many levels: the common man beating the system, the genetically "superior" persons are as miserable as the less fortunate, just for different reasons. But it also opens a vault filled with cans of worms. If eveybody is a winner, no one is. Does being unfairly considered inferior really makes you stronger, or is this just the story of someone who happens to be the exception among inferiors? And of course the unanswerable question asked by all films noir: what is fate and what is choice?
Add the original "Rollerball" to your list of must-see movies.
Some trivia: Gore Vidal wrote the story and portrayed the Mission Director murderer in the film.
Cool…thanks for the explanation, and trip down memory lane.
"Valids expect to be handed success" ... that sounds pretty familiar XD
It is one of my all time favorite movies. ❤
great video review. This is indeed a "hits too close to home" movie that should be as much a warning to the future as 1984 is.
Outstanding film!
Indeed
Great review of one of my all-time favorite films. 👍🏽
I love this film! It became strangely eerie recently...
This was a film I first watched just after it came out on video, and then had little or no opportunity to see again until my birthday last year, not quite one year ago at the time of this writing. I learned a lot more from watching it the second time than from the first.
Funny, I just saw it last night. So much about this film is haunting. Pins and needles, quips, sexual desire, genetics, humanity with rockets in the backdrop. The music is very good. The Marin County building is used as Gattaca headquarters. Statuesque Uma was a joy.
Dystopian never looked so chic.
To see Vincent get through that last blood test made me feel good for the spirit of humanity.
Oh and the cars sounded like vacuum cleaners whizzing by. Cool
This, like Minority Report, is a great sci fi movie