Andrew Niccol’s haunting sci-fi film Gattaca is set in the ‘not too distant future’
and portrays the negative effects of a genetically engineered society where a
person’s destiny is determined by his DNA profile. The audience is introduced
to Vincent Freeman, a genetically inferior ‘invalid’ who borrows the identity
of a genetically superior but disabled Jerome Morrow and achieves his lifelong
ambition of working for Gattaca and flying to the planet Titan. It is through
the struggles and achievements of the main protagonist that Gattaca supports
the belief that nature, despite its flaws, is preferable to an error-free
genetically engineered existence.
Gattaca proves to us that genetic engineering may not necessarily lead to success and
happiness but that it may have a negative impact on the genetically engineered
individual. Jerome has been engineered to be nearly physically perfect and is
considered to be elite in all aspects; these expectations of him are what lead
him to depression and his attempted suicide. Elite genes are a burden to live
with for Jerome, as he has to live up to society’s high expectations of him.
Gattaca demonstrates through the ‘invalid’ Vincent that a person’s destiny and quality
of life is not determined by his DNA profile and that genetic engineering does
not guarantee success. As Vincent states, “There is no gene for fate” and
through his refusal to accept that he is genetically inferior he demonstrates
that courage, determination and the desire to succeed can overcome genetic
engineering and that nature with all its flaws is preferable to a genetically
engineered existence.