Gattaca is a film by director Andrew Niccol. It is set in the not too distant future and is about a man, Vincent Freeman, living in a society where the fate of its citizens is already influenced before their birth. By prenatal preselection the so called “Valids”, people who are genetically superior to those who have been conceived the common way, are destined to have privileged jobs and build the elite of society. Vincent, a “faith birth”, whose genes are flawed, has the dream to become an astronaut. To achieve this apparently hopeless goal he takes the identity of Jerome Morrow, a “Valid” with perfect genes, who is disabled and tied to a wheelchair after a suicide attempt. Equipped with great ambition, Vincent manages to overcome the obstacles on his way to become an astronaut at Gattaca, a corporation that organizes space missions.
Although Gattaca has an exciting plot, Andrew Niccol puts the focus on questions of moral and humanity. Prominent issues in Gattaca, that are repeatedly treated with representation by subtle symbolism, are life and especially birth, loss of individuality, competition, and discrimination.
Niccol uses imagery and symbolism to develop a language that works particularly on the connotative level. An attempt to read the film only by its denotations will without doubt be unsuccessful. Especially the ending sequence is full of images that are crucial for the comprehension of Niccol’s point. Some of them can be read for themselves, others need comparison with other scenes from the film. By a step-by-step analysis of the last 24 shots of the film I will show how the use of symbols and images works in Gattaca.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Analysis of the ending sequence
- Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
The paper analyzes the ending sequence of Andrew Niccol’s film Gattaca, exploring the use of symbolism and imagery to convey deeper meaning. It examines how Niccol utilizes these elements to create a specific language that works on the connotative level, particularly focusing on the film’s themes of moral and humanity.
- Life and birth
- Loss of individuality
- Competition and discrimination
- The importance of human spirit over genetic predetermination
- The search for identity in a society obsessed with genetic perfection
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: The introduction provides an overview of Gattaca’s plot and setting, emphasizing the societal divide between “Valids” (genetically engineered individuals) and “faith births” (those conceived naturally). It highlights the film’s exploration of ethical and human issues through symbolism and imagery, particularly in the ending sequence.
- Analysis of the ending sequence: This chapter analyzes the last 24 shots of the film, focusing on how symbolism and imagery contribute to the film’s message. It explores the use of color, set design, camera techniques, and editing to convey themes of rebirth, the merging of characters, and the triumph of the human spirit over societal constraints.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
Gattaca, Andrew Niccol, symbolism, imagery, ending sequence, birth, identity, competition, discrimination, society, dystopia, human spirit, genetic predetermination, “Valids”, “faith births”, film analysis, cinematic techniques, moral and humanity.
- Quote paper
- Jakob Maier (Author), 2006, Symbolism in Andrew Niccols "Gattaca", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/69728
