One aspect of utopia is access to information, independent thought and freedom. Access enables humans to improve and strive closer to utopic perfection. Yet, the pursuit of access is made problematic due to the failure to reach a complete idealized perfection through the creation of inequality, discrimination and entrapment in the process; paving the formation of a seemingly more dystopic societal construct. Tension arises between the push and pull between utopian and dystopian perspectives where each state exists within the other. Examining the utopic concept of access is inadequate in isolation. Discussion in this essay will be illustrated using Andrew Niccol’s 1997 science-fiction film Gattaca. Gattaca is set in a ‘not too distant future’,
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Yet, access to freedom in Gattaca appears largely constrained. Extreme long shot used outdoors (50:43), (1:03:28) makes characters look small and insignificant when placed against the large steel and concrete architectural forms. The architecture’s imposing stature diminishes the individual in the backdrop of a larger societal engine. Individual’s place in society is determined by their genes where the prospect of social mobility is absent. Vincent echoes this saying, “No matter how much I lied in my resume, the real resume was in my cells.” (15:52). A person’s actual skills and knowledge were worthless compared to their genetics in which jobs are designated. Individuals with superior genetic profiles are hired into higher level jobs and are considered useful, productive members of society while the defective genetic profiles are viewed as incapable and are assigned menial work. Freedom of equal meritocratic access to opportunity is absent due to the perfection sought through …show more content…
Niccol’s panning shot in the spaceship moving from left to right at eye-level before landing on Vincent’s face (1:40:00) shows Vincent’s unity with the other ‘Valid’s, literally seeing eye to eye with them. Vincent is indistinguishable from the other ‘Valid’s and sits on equal footing with them. Vincent’s success demonstrates the potential in Gattaca, for a freedom to surpass the restrictions of one’s genetics through motivation and perseverance towards one’s goal. Vincent’s surname ‘Freeman’ is another allusion to an individual’s access to freedom. Historically, the name Freeman is given to slaves that have been awarded the freedom to live on their own (“Last Name: Freeman”). Vincent prophetically lives up to that name as we see him depart and ascend towards a better place absent of genetic scrutiny, where individual merits will overrule his genome conclusively. Aptly captured by the film’s tagline ‘There is no gene for the human spirit’. Genetic code is a reality of all human beings, but this does not imply a strict determinism of our paths. Rather, our paths are charted by determination. While the utopic pursuit of perfection has lapsed into a state-supported brand of prejudice though providing structure and efficiency, fuels a dystopic sense of social entrapment and
Yet, access to freedom in Gattaca appears largely constrained. Extreme long shot used outdoors (50:43), (1:03:28) makes characters look small and insignificant when placed against the large steel and concrete architectural forms. The architecture’s imposing stature diminishes the individual in the backdrop of a larger societal engine. Individual’s place in society is determined by their genes where the prospect of social mobility is absent. Vincent echoes this saying, “No matter how much I lied in my resume, the real resume was in my cells.” (15:52). A person’s actual skills and knowledge were worthless compared to their genetics in which jobs are designated. Individuals with superior genetic profiles are hired into higher level jobs and are considered useful, productive members of society while the defective genetic profiles are viewed as incapable and are assigned menial work. Freedom of equal meritocratic access to opportunity is absent due to the perfection sought through …show more content…
Niccol’s panning shot in the spaceship moving from left to right at eye-level before landing on Vincent’s face (1:40:00) shows Vincent’s unity with the other ‘Valid’s, literally seeing eye to eye with them. Vincent is indistinguishable from the other ‘Valid’s and sits on equal footing with them. Vincent’s success demonstrates the potential in Gattaca, for a freedom to surpass the restrictions of one’s genetics through motivation and perseverance towards one’s goal. Vincent’s surname ‘Freeman’ is another allusion to an individual’s access to freedom. Historically, the name Freeman is given to slaves that have been awarded the freedom to live on their own (“Last Name: Freeman”). Vincent prophetically lives up to that name as we see him depart and ascend towards a better place absent of genetic scrutiny, where individual merits will overrule his genome conclusively. Aptly captured by the film’s tagline ‘There is no gene for the human spirit’. Genetic code is a reality of all human beings, but this does not imply a strict determinism of our paths. Rather, our paths are charted by determination. While the utopic pursuit of perfection has lapsed into a state-supported brand of prejudice though providing structure and efficiency, fuels a dystopic sense of social entrapment and