How the 1997 science fiction film “Gattaca” got its title

This article contains spoiler for “Gattaca”.

Despite its tight budget, Andrew Niccol's Gattaca always felt prescient, with its near-future plot about genetic determinism that examines fundamental societal discrimination in a world without meaningful privacy. Here, technological advances in genetic research have given rise to a genetic registry database – a set of rules that sorts people into problematic categories and decides who is more “valid” in terms of their value to societal development and scientific advancement. Naturally conceived individuals are often referred to as “invalids” because they are considered prone to genetic disorders or abnormalities. Vincent Freeman (Ethan Hawke) is one such man who can only dream of becoming an astronaut but can never realize such ambitions… unless he resorts to unconventional means like identity theft.

While society in Gattaca does not legally condone genetic discrimination, those branded as “invalids” face discrimination at every turn, as their birth is viewed as a faith-based birth, as opposed to the clinical nature of genetic selection. Vincent is made to feel inferior by his own parents, as his brother Anton – conceived through genetic selection – is a constant reminder of Vincent's so-called genetic inferiority and the fact that he is prone to disease and unsuitable for certain occupations. Genotype profiling is common even when looking for an entry-level job, with qualifications, intelligence or business acumen meaning nothing compared to a “superior” genetic profile.

At the core of Gattaca is Vincent's efforts to impersonate Jerome Eugene Marrow (Jude Law), a former swimmer with an exceptional genetic profile who is currently wheelchair-bound after a car accident. Jerome volunteers Vincent the opportunity to impersonate him – to become a “borrowed ladder” – in exchange for a continued lavish lifestyle. But as the film delves into the intricacies of genetic makeup and DNA, it raises the question of what the term “Gattaca” actually means.

For convenience, the term “Gattaca” was formed from the four letters used to designate the four nucleobases in DNA, namely GATC: guanine, adenine, thymine, and cytosine. Every personal motivation or instinct in the film is driven by an individual's desire to either reinforce or fight against their particular genetic profile (and perception by society as a whole), with Vincent's dreams at the center of a struggle to prove himself worthy. Even after Vincent “becomes” Jerome, he must be careful never to leave any genetic traces of his own, and must constantly borrow Jerome's DNA to conceal his own identity; it's a literal charade that plays out until Vincent is approved for a mission with the Gattaca Aerospace Corporation.

Gattaca constantly pits expectations of a so-called “valid” individual against reality, challenging notions of perfection and superiority in a variety of ways. A recurring motif is the game of “chicken” that Vincent and his brother Anton played as children, which Vincent never won except shortly before he left home as a teenager. After reuniting with his brother as an adult, Vincent wins the game again and saves Anton from drowning. second time, despite being socially considered the “weaker.” Vincent reveals that as a teenager he was able to win the game by not conserving his energy or taking his time on the return journey: a feeling that comes full circle as Vincent sets off on his space mission, knowing he is leaving Earth behind with a bittersweet feeling.

The unfair and pointless nature of the genetic determinism used in “Gattaca” is also evident in Jerome’s story arc. When a murder occurs at the Gattaca Aerospace Corporation just before the space mission to Titan, mission leader Yosef (Gore Vidal) challenges the notion that he is a murder suspect by showing his genetic profile. “You won’t find a single violent bone in my body. Look at my profile again, Detective,” he sneers, as if his DNA is supposed to provide irrefutable proof of his innocence compared to that of someone who “probably” committed a crime. Ironically, it turns out that Yosef was the one who committed the murder, completely undermining the shaky premise of genetic determinism while criticizing the dangers of the kind of profiling we see in real life based on race and social class.

Jerome's predicament is heartbreaking as it highlights the pitfalls of putting people into categories meant to determine their worth or importance. Although Jerome's genetic profile is brilliant and as close to the scientific definition of perfection as possible, he won silver at the Olympics, which prompted him to throw himself in front of a car. This revelation puts Jerome's genuine drive to lend his identity in a different light: he was never able to live up to the sky-high expectations suggested by his genetic profile, leading to a growing self-loathing that drove him to paralyze himself. The “borrowed ladder” feeling stems from lending the illusion of his perfect DNA to someone who may Live up to that claim, like Vincent, who proves his worth as an astronaut solely through his performance.

Vincent thwarts the destiny predetermined by his genetic makeup, while Jerome shortens his scientifically proven long lifespan to achieve it. Nothing is ever set in stone – not even the patterns laid down by genetic DNA. I wonder if we'll ever see the TV series “Gattaca” that was developed last year at Showtime…