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Scenes 10 – 12: Vincent/Jerome and Jerome/Eugene’s celebration (“I’m going up” to “I’m proud of you Vincent”)
This is the first scene after the flashbacks, situated in the film’s current time. Vincent tells Jerome that he passed the interview and will be going into space in a week (“I’m going up”) and the two go out to celebrate, following Jerome’s suggestion—“we have to get drunk immediately.” The scene then cuts to an elaborate dance hall which starkly contrasts to the squalid apartment. The dance hall is bright, spacious and ornately decorated and filled with people in intricate attire. This perfectly suits the celebratory mood of the scene. Meanwhile, back at Gattaca, we see Irene check out a specimen of Vincent's. Unbeknownst to her, Vincent left a strand of Jerome's hair in his drawer (precisely in case an inspection took place) and this is the strand she tests. The results come back and Vincent (but really Jerome) is pronounced to be "quite a catch".
As Vincent and Jerome drink together, we are provided with more insight into Jerome’s character. When Vincent asks Jerome what he’s going to do while he’s in space, Jerome is hesitant and avoids the question. He then mutters “I’m going to finish this” while downing his glass of wine. In this exchange, Jerome’s true loneliness is made apparent and we strongly empathize with him. Vincent tells Jerome that he should be going to Titan, because up there his legs wouldn’t matter. Jerome replies that he’s “scared of heights.” Whether this is a truthful confession or sarcastic remark, it illustrates Jerome’s lack of determination and drive. As Jerome is representative of the plight of the valids, this suggests that valids typically lack the strength and determination that comes from overcoming obstacles. This is further supported by Vincent’s statement “Jerome had been genetically engineered with everything he needed to get into Gattaca, except the desire to do so.” It is bitterly ironic that the valid who was capable of anything became subjected to a lonely existence in a squalid basement, while an in-valid destined for nothingness has a chance to reach the stars. By the end of their night drinking, Jerome is really drunk and Vincent has to help him into bed. At this point, Jerome confesses: he didn't become paralyzed in an accident, he tried to commit suicide. "If at first you don't succeed try try again" he says.
Back at Gattaca, an 'invalid' specimen has been found which the detectives believe to be crucial evidence in the murder. It's Vincent's 'invalid' eyelash, which they of course do not connect with their employee Jerome Morrow. At their home, Vincent records twenty minutes of Jerome's pulse while exercising to use as his own exercise heart rate at work. On the running machine at Gattaca, Vincent looks steady and Dr. Lamar comments that his pulse does too: "Jerome Jerome the metronome" he calls him. Director Josef is informed by investigator Anton (who we realize is Vincent's brother) and Director Hugo of the new suspect. Anton, suspecting that it's his brother who is the key suspect, asks Director Josef what kind of people work at Gattaca. He is trying to decipher whether it would be possible for his brother to work as a borrowed ladder there. It doesn't seem so: their standard is "beyond that of the common citizen." This conversation takes place while Vincent is on the running machine, and in the same room too. Vincent, to all extents and purposes, looks to be fulfilling the criteria of a Gattaca employee; his pace and heart rate is steady. But the twenty minutes Vincent recorded of Jerome's pulse is up and the heart rate suddenly skyrockets. Vincent quickly dismounts the treadmill and, as composed as he can be in front of his Gattaca colleagues, leaves to the locker room. Alone in the locker room he collapses in a fit of heaves as he tries to catch his breath.
Scenes 14 – 18: Vincent/Jerome and Irene roof scene and first date (“I see I’m not the only one who looks up” to “I guess it must be the light”)
The first significant interaction between Vincent and his Gattaca co-worker Irene occurs when he approaches her on the roof while she watches a rocket taking off. She tells him that an 'invalid's' eyelash has been found as key evidence in the murder. She also admits to having had his DNA sequenced (in reality it was Jerome Morrow’s DNA, not Vincent’s DNA), and says he's “everything they said he is and more.” This is ironic, as Vincent's DNA would indicate precisely that he is not who he claims to be. Irene shares her shortcomings with Vincent, telling him that she could never be an astronaut because, despite her superior genes, she has a risk of a heart attack. When Vincent tells her “if there’s anything wrong with you, I can’t see it from where I’m standing,” Irene hands him a lock of her hair and encourages him to test it, in order to discover her genetic flaws. This is indicative of her mindset at the start of the film, that genetics are an honest mark of a person’s worth. Her appearance also aligns with this view, as her professional suit and clean bun align her with the Gattaca elite. Vincent tosses away the hair strand, claiming that the wind blew it, representing his attitude that a person’s DNA is not an accurate representation of who they are, and that he will like Irene regardless of her genes.
Later on, Vincent tells Jerome that he's the key suspect in the Mission Director's murder. Vincent, anxious the house will be raided and they will come looking for him, starts to throw Jerome's samples out. Jerome stops him and reassures him that no on would believe that an invalid could possibly rise up the ranks in Gattaca. Vincent decides to go out, adding "if I'm gonna get arrested tomorrow, I'm going to go out tonight." And so he does, on his first date with Irene. When Irene arrives at the apartment to pick Vincent up, she sees Jerome staring out the window, illustrating the parallel between the two characters. Vincent and Irene go to a piano concert, and this romantic scene is intercut with Director Hugo's rounding up of invalids in order to find the murderer. At their house, Jerome is visited by an investigator, who is surprised to discover that Jerome is a valid who works at Gattaca. Insulted that the investigator questions his identity, Jerome shouts after him. The music from the concert plays over this whole section. After the concert, the pianist throws his glove into the audience, and Vincent realizes he has twelve fingers. When he comments “twelve fingers or one, it’s how you play,” Irene counters this by stating “that piece can only be played with twelve.” Again, Irene shares the view of the elite. On their way home, Irene and Vincent are stopped by the investigators. As ever, Vincent has one of Jerome's blood pouches attached to the tip of his finger and so passes security. He also takes out his contact lenses so as not to attract suspicion: a valid of his status would only have 20/20 vision. What this means, though, is that when Irene suggests the two go to see sunrise over the solar panels, Vincent can hardly see anything.
Analysis
When it's confirmed that the mission to Titan is going ahead, Vincent tells Jerome: "I'm going up." He means into space, but he also means up the ladder—the "borrowed ladder" of Jerome's DNA sequence. He's defying science and making it against the odds.
Out at drinks together, Vincent tells Jerome that being weightless is the closest thing to being in the womb. He is talking about going up into space. We have already seen the potential echo of the planets and the curved architectural motifs with the womb: here Vincent makes the connection explicit. His journeying into space will be like the experience of being back in the womb: this, after all, must have been the last place he felt safe and accepted, before the information about his genetic makeup affected every experience in his life. Jerome asks Vincent what Titan is like, and Vincent replies: "All the time it's got a cloud around it so thick no one can tell what's underneath." Vincent is traveling all the way to Titan to find out what is there, under the surface of that cloud. As he tells Jerome, "there's something there." In Gattaca's world, everyone has a cloud around them: that cloud is their DNA code. Vincent is dedicated, both in himself and with the mission, to uncovering what is beneath the superficial appearance, the manifest "data." It is significant that when Vincent tells Jerome that it should be him going up into space, Jerome refutes his comment by answering, "I'm scared of heights." Despite his genetic advantages, Jerome's genes were not able to ensure success for him: after all, they cannot control desire nor willpower nor thoughts and anxieties. Jerome is scared of heights: whatever advantage he may be at genetically, he will never be able to climb the ladder or go into space like Vincent.
By the end of the night it's Jerome and not Vincent who's sick from drinking - again, it's his body that shows vulnerability, not Vincent's. Perhaps this points again to his mental vulnerability; the references to his dependence on alcohol as well as his suicide attempt make it clear that his head can be a dark place to inhabit. The excellent genes do not account for every aspect of what's inside him. As Jerome says, "I go places. I travel in my head." When he stepped out in front of the car, he explains to Vincent, he'd never been more sober in his life. His mind was clear—he didn't want to be on the planet anymore. Vincent feels similarly about being on the planet only he, despite the disadvantages and discrimination he faces, finds a way out.
Vincent hooks Jerome up to a heart monitor to capture 20 minutes of him exercising and sits down to wait. Once again Vincent is behind glass, glass that separates him from being 'valid,' that fundamentally places a divide between him and Jerome. After his 20 minutes on the running machine at Gattaca, wired up to Vincent's heart rate results, pretending that this exercise is effortless, we see Jerome hurl himself into the changing room, falling on to the lockers and then onto the iron grill, completely out of breath. He is confined by his physical weakness and we see that here, from the other side of the bars. Alone, he is able to express the effort it takes to push himself this far; in company he must keep the act up. We see that keeping up this dual identity is punishing.
It must be noted that in this high-tech world where every detail is examined, where an eyelash offers essential genetic information, nobody picks up on the fact that the face of the 'wanted invalid' is Vincent's face. So closely does the society examine its specimens, that they cannot zoom out enough to see what, for us, would be the most obvious thing in the world. Just as in the opening shot where it is hard to recognize familiar materials such as nails and hair, the society in Gattaca has focused its lens so tightly that the most obvious things are unrecognizable. As Jerome points out, "when they look at you they don't see you anymore, they only see me." The detail is so in focus that the bigger picture has become blurry, and it is for this reason that Vincent, a highly capable and determined individual, is discriminated against: because the detail of his matter, the information offered by his genetic makeup, is below par. Sadly for him, that's the only result the society is interested in; the rest of him is irrelevant.
Irene and Jerome sit in a circle around the pianist during the classical concert on their first date. Symbolically there is something harmonious about this complete shape and it seems they feel so too. As the music plays, we cut to a line of 'invalids' being inspected; the perspective we get is through a curved mirror. The mirror image in this curved shape does not tell such a harmonious story. Once again the curve of the mirror is juxtaposed with the line of the invalids—we see them contained and controlled in this shot—and once again the mirror serves to separate 'invalid' from 'valid' life. These invalids have been rounded up and are being searched in a cordoned off area, while Anton and Detective Hugo walk past on the other side; the different lives the 'invalids' and 'valids' lead is apparent. The music plays throughout, juxtaposing the experiences of these 'invalids' with Vincent's to great effect. We see how the invalids are treated, debased and manhandled, all the while the invalid, Vincent, sits in a classical concert, having managed to escape his identity. Interestingly we see how Jerome is treated by a detective who asks for a reading. The detective can't believe he works at Gattaca, seeing as he's in a wheelchair. Eugene is disgusted by his lack of respect and shouts after him. Presumably this is not treatment that he, as a high scoring valid, is used to. We see how arbitrary the rules of 'scoring' are in Gattaca and how fiercely and how unjustly people are treated because of it.
Gattaca Questions and Answers
The Question and Answer section for Gattaca is a greatresource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss thenovel.
this was the last chance for the director josef to see the space exploration because he will not able to survive until the next one.
This is true. It is part of the reason why he kills the person threatening to cancel it.
The Freeman couple chose to genetically engineer their next child to be free of imperfections?
Vincent's younger brother, Anton, is conceived by genetic selection and is Vincent's genetic superior. Anton is considered to be worthy of his father's name because he does not have any genetic shortcomings.
Is it ethical that the doctor in Gattaca allowed Vincent to join the space expedition despite knowing he is an "invalid"?
No, the doctor allowed Vincent to keep his genetic validity because of his son, who was deemed genetically perfect but not so in reality. His decision is personal rather than ethical.
Study Guide for Gattaca
Gattaca study guide contains a biography of director Andrew Niccol, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.
- About Gattaca
- Gattaca Summary
- Character List
- Cast List
- Director's Influence
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Essays for Gattaca
Gattaca essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Gattaca by director Andrew Niccol.
- What warnings about the future does Niccol intend his audience to gain after viewing his movie?
- Comparitive Analysis of Power and Control in Equus and Gattaca
- Auteur Theory of Andrew Niccol: Analyzing Gattaca and In Time
- The Effect of Context on Characters' Perseverance and Determination: Comparing 'Ender's Game' and 'Gattaca'
- Challenging the Idea of Humanity
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Wikipedia Entries for Gattaca
- Introduction
- Plot
- Cast
- Production
- Music and soundtrack
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FAQs
What is the summary of Gattaca? ›
How did they solve the problem of Vincent being shorter than Jerome? ›Vincent isn't tall enough, so he has his legs lengthened surgically to reach a height appropriate for his genome. Jerome sets Vincent up with blood and urine samples to manage the constant screening at Gattaca after he is hired as an astronaut based on his genetic potential.
What is the main point of Gattaca? ›The film Gattaca explores themes of genetic manipulation, freedom of self-determination, and eugenics, the practice of advocating for the genetic improvement of the human species through selective reproduction.
Why did Jerome burn himself in Gattaca? ›It is later revealed that Jerome's accident was in fact a suicide attempt because of his failure to achieve perfection and being the best. Thus, even with Jerome's genetic superiority, the quality of his life is significantly lower.
Who was the killer in Gattaca? ›Murder of the Mission Director
Vincent Lingiari was first thought to have killed him with a keyboard, but Detective Goth Whitlam later discovered that Director Josef was the culprit.
And in the end, neither Jerome nor Vincent achieve their dreams as Jerome burns himself to death and Vincent dies on his way to Titan due to his "degenerate" heart. In a way, Gattaca is about two people on their own suicide mission as they rage against society/expectations.
Why did the doctor let Vincent go? ›He becomes pivotal in the end of the movie, when he ignores Vincent's test that reveals him as an In-Valid, allowing Vincent to finally achieve his dream. He let Vincent go through because his son has a similar dream and also has health defects.
How does Irene find out the truth about Vincent? ›Irene is curious about Vincent so goes through his drawer at work and finds one of Jerome's hairs, which he had placed there, and gets it tested. Irene is mildly disappointed when she learns that he is almost perfect. "9.3, quite a catch." Eventually, she finds out Vincent's real identity.
Why does Vincent need Jerome? ›Why does Vincent need Jerome? Jerome is Vincents identity. Without using Jerome's identity he couldn't get into GATTACA.
What does water Symbolise in Gattaca? ›Water: Water symbolizes transition and transformation. It also represents Vincent's transition in social status, from 'invalid' or 'valid' when he adopts the identity of Jerome. The first flashback of “chicken” illustrates Vincent's inferiority, as he does not beat his brother.
What lie is Vincent trying to maintain? ›
1. What deception is Vincent (main character) trying to hard to maintain? He is trying to be Jerome, who has an elite genetic identity. This identity gives Vincent the credentials to work at GATTACA.
What it means to be human in Gattaca? ›Gattaca: A Story within a Story. Gattaca talks about the life of Vincent Morrow, a person who is perceived as an invalid and/or an imperfect human being in a made-to-be perfect society. He is perceived as invalid because of many health reasons he has by being borne naturally.
What is a god child in Gattaca? ›He's a “faith-birth” or a “God child,” now more commonly referred to as an invalid: “a new underclass, no longer determined by social status or the color of your skin.
What happens to Irene in Gattaca? ›Although she is a "valid", Irene is resigned to her less favorable treatment within Gattaca due to her high probability of heart failure; her initial attraction to Vincent is largely due to his perceived "second to none" superiority, causing her to be slightly jealous.
What did Eugene give to Vincent? ›By the end of the film, Eugene lends Vincent so much of his blood, urine, hair, and skin that he feels he is no longer needed, and thusly ends his own life through cremation, having realized that he is unable to live up to the standards placed on him by the eugenically controlled society.
What happens to Anton in Gattaca? ›Not much is known about Anton's life after Vincent ran away from home. However, it is assumed that Anton trained to become a detective for the city's police department, as he reappears later in the movie.
How long was Vincent at Gattaca? ›Vincent was assigned to a year-long, manned mission to Titan, one that he helped design. However, a Gattaca administrator was murdered a week before the launch.
Is there a Gattaca 2? ›Andrew Niccol's Gattaca, however, is one modern science-fiction masterpiece that has never spawned a sequel, despite fans calling for it and critics voicing their surprise at its non-emergence.
What happens to Eugene in Gattaca? ›If you would like to read the Spoilers, hit the "Expand" link to the right. Once Vincent had left, Jerome retrieved his Second Place swimming competition medal and placed it around his neck to be worn one last time. He then pulled himself into his incinerator. Utilizing this, he committed suicide.
Is it true that you are more than the sum of your genes Gattaca? ›Although it is clear that we are “more than the sum of our genes” (Bryant 2), as Ronald Cole Turner of the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary explained, “[w]e are organic beings. The true self, the person, the soul is very much connected to the organism” (2).
Will Jerome live forever in Gattaca? ›
They are bases (nucleotides) in a DNA code. Give the names of all 4 bases. Guanine, Adenine, Thymine, Cytosine. By reading their DNA, Vincent is predicted to live 30.2 years and Jerome "will practically live forever".
Who is Lamar's son Gattaca? ›So he sees that even though his son Jerome is one of the most superior people on the planet, he lacks the desire and willpower to become the best. He accepts second place and gets mad at himself for not naturally being the best, instead of training and forcing himself to become the best.
Why does Jerome need a heartbeat recording? ›Vincent also has to live up to jeromes standard for example when he was running on the tredmill he needed to have the recording of jeromes heart beat because he couldnt keep up and to become a valid he had do borrow urine and blood samples so that he could get past security.
Was Irene from Gattaca a valid? ›Character Analysis. Grew Up… in the “not too distant future.” Irene is a valid, meaning that she was born with the aid of genetic engineering. Her parents selected her genetic makeup to give her an edge in life, but they were not as lucky as they had hoped: Irene was born with a high likelihood of heart failure.
Why was Gattaca called Gattaca? ›The name "Gattaca" is composed entirely of the letters used to label the nucleotide bases of DNA. The four nitrogen bases of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) are adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine.
What is Vincent's probability of having a heart condition? ›When Vincent is born, it is reported there is a 99% probability of a heart condition.
Why does Vincent remove his contacts in Gattaca? ›On their way home, Irene and Vincent are stopped by the investigators. As ever, Vincent has one of Jerome's blood pouches attached to the tip of his finger and so passes security. He also takes out his contact lenses so as not to attract suspicion: a valid of his status would only have 20/20 vision.
Who killed the program director in Gattaca? ›It is finally revealed that one of Gattaca's directors (Josef) killed the mission director because he threatened to cancel the mission. Vincent learns that the detective who closed the case was his brother Anton, who consequently has discovered Vincent's presence at Gattaca.
Where is Jerome's mission going? ›Going underground, he assumes the identity of Jerome, crippled in an accident, and achieves prominence in the Gattaca Corporation, where he is selected for his lifelong desire: a manned mission to Saturn's 14th moon (titan).
Why is Gattaca so yellow? ›Yellow is predominately used in the first act and is used to represent Vincent's identity as an invalid. Through the use of filters and gels, the color dominates almost every shot in the early parts of Vincent's life.
How are people discriminated in Gattaca? ›
The society portrayed in GATTACA has felt a great shift in culture; people are now discriminated against based on their genes not their race or sexuality. People believe they know the form of a perfect human and they have become so devoid of imperfections that they have lost a good deal of their humanity.
What does Gattaca say about DNA? ›In GATTACA Vincent is ostensibly given his life story at the time of his birth based on his genetic readout: "My destiny was mapped out before me—all my flaws, predispositions, and susceptibilities, most untreatable to this day." Vincent initially accepts this destiny, saying that "from an early age I came to think of ...
What steps did Vincent take to prevent his DNA from being discovered? ›To avoid detection, Vincent must meticulously groom and clean himself every day to avoid leaving traces of his own genetic material and must carry samples of Jerome's DNA to pass genetic screenings. Vincent excels in Gattaca as soon as he has Jerome's genetics.
How was Vincent's child family life affected by his genetic profile? ›Vincent 's childhood was affected by his genetic profile. He had a serious heart condition and he would only be able to live till he was in his 30s. For Vincent to be Jerome he had to expose hair, his fingernails and customize urine test.
Did the doctor at Gattaca know all along that Jerome isn't who he was what gave him away at the end? ›The film script states that Doctor Lamar already knows who Vincent/Jermone is. He was already aware of Jerome's true identity, to the point that he's been able to discuss with his own son that there's an in-valid working in the heart of the Gattaca program.
Is Gattaca a utopia or dystopia? ›The film Gattaca explores a new version of an idealized society, a utopia that revolves heavily around genetic engineering.
How is society controlled in Gattaca? ›The glorification of genetic coding allows Gattaca's society to maintain social control through dictating one's identity whilst creating the means for self-destruction.
How does Gattaca show human spirit? ›Within the film, human spirit is defined as the desire to succeed, to overcome, and to accomplish; to persevere through problems and to never give in, as specifically shown through the protagonist Vincent Freeman.
What does Gattaca say about DNA? ›In GATTACA Vincent is ostensibly given his life story at the time of his birth based on his genetic readout: "My destiny was mapped out before me—all my flaws, predispositions, and susceptibilities, most untreatable to this day." Vincent initially accepts this destiny, saying that "from an early age I came to think of ...
What did Eugene give to Vincent? ›By the end of the film, Eugene lends Vincent so much of his blood, urine, hair, and skin that he feels he is no longer needed, and thusly ends his own life through cremation, having realized that he is unable to live up to the standards placed on him by the eugenically controlled society.
What happens to Anton in Gattaca? ›
Not much is known about Anton's life after Vincent ran away from home. However, it is assumed that Anton trained to become a detective for the city's police department, as he reappears later in the movie.
What does Vincent do in Gattaca? ›Navigator Work at Gattaca Aerospace Corporation
To conceal his identity, Vincent had to go through a daily process of meticulously grooming and scrubbing down to remove his own genetic material and pass daily DNA scanning and urine tests using Jerome's samples.
Why does Vincent have to scrub his body so carefully? Vincent scrubs his body so that Vincent will not leave his own skin or hair cells at his work station, or around GATTACA. He is trying to hide his own true identity. 19.
How does Gattaca relate to society? ›The society portrayed in GATTACA has felt a great shift in culture; people are now discriminated against based on their genes not their race or sexuality. People believe they know the form of a perfect human and they have become so devoid of imperfections that they have lost a good deal of their humanity.
Is Gattaca real? ›As it turns out, the fictional system in Gattaca bears a resemblance to the real-life practice of embryo selection, a technique used in in-vitro fertilization for parents experiencing fertility issues.
How did Eugene break his back? ›He was struck by a car while he himself was not in one. He became paralyzed from the waist down and was confined to life in a wheelchair.
How did Vincent become Jerome? ›Society has categorized Vincent Freeman as less than suitable given his genetic make-up and he has become one of the underclass of humans that are only useful for menial jobs. To move ahead, he assumes the identity of Jerome Morrow, a perfect genetic specimen who is a paraplegic as a result of a car accident.
Why does Dr Lamar help Vincent? ›He becomes pivotal in the end of the movie, when he ignores Vincent's test that reveals him as an In-Valid, allowing Vincent to finally achieve his dream. He let Vincent go through because his son has a similar dream and also has health defects.
What happened to Chigurh? ›After spending much of No Country For Old Men following Moss (Josh Brolin) as he tries to stay one step ahead of Chigurh (Javier Bardem), the character is shockingly killed offscreen by assassins. Chigurh later recovers the money Moss stole and, true to his earlier threat, comes to kill Moss' wife, Carla Jean.
What is a God child in Gattaca? ›He's a “faith-birth” or a “God child,” now more commonly referred to as an invalid: “a new underclass, no longer determined by social status or the color of your skin.
What happens to Eugene in Gattaca? ›
Jerome Eugene Morrow
Once an accomplished swimmer, Jerome became depressed after placing second in a competition, and attempted suicide by jumping in front of a car, leading to his paralysis. The incident occurred abroad and is unrecorded; therefore, Jerome's nearly-flawless genotype is ideal for deceiving Gattaca.
Jerome is Vincents identity. Without using Jerome's identity he couldn't get into GATTACA. Why does Vincent have to scrub his body so carefully? So he doesn't loose any dead skin or hair and so known finds out who he really is.
What is the relationship between Vincent and Anton? ›Vincent and Anton
Vincent has a strained relationship with his brother Anton. This is because Anton knows that he is superior to Vincent, because Vincent is an INVALID and Anton is a VALID.
Gattaca: A Story within a Story. Gattaca talks about the life of Vincent Morrow, a person who is perceived as an invalid and/or an imperfect human being in a made-to-be perfect society. He is perceived as invalid because of many health reasons he has by being borne naturally.