Gattaca
by Andrew Niccol
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Ethan Hawke, Gore Vidal, Jayne Brook, Uma Thurman, Xander BerkeleyDirector: Andrew Niccol
DVD: 2 Sides, Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; Spanish (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Full Screen, NTSC
Picture Format: Pan & Scan, 1.33:1
Running Time: 106 minutes
DVD Release Date: 1998-07-01
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Sony Pictures
Movie Reviews of Gattaca
Movie Review: Science fiction at its best, a modern version of Huxley's "Brave New World"
Summary: 5 Stars
Gattaca really makes you wonder about the moral and ethical consequences of genetic engineering, and the risks of mankind playing God. This is science fiction at its best. In a nutshell, Gattaca is the modern version of Aldous Huxley's science fiction classic novel Brave New World (1932).
As usual, not every great movie is a box office hit, and Gattaca actually went unnoticed for many sci-fi fans. Why? The film's atmosphere is that of a slow pace dystopia, quite similar to the classic novel Fahrenheit 451. Therefore, the movie lacks many of the sophisticated modern special effects we are used to, up to the extreme of astronauts traveling to outer space in full business suits. Also, worth noticing is the great performance by the leading and renowned actors Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, and Jude Law. Deliberately the movie does not have any flamboyant SFX because its simplicity is part of the attractive. It is high tech against the human spirit!
I do highly recommend this movie, whether or not you are a science fiction fan. For those interested in exploring similar philosophic and ethical questions regarding genetic engineering and cloning, I also recommend watching the 1980 or 1998 TV versions of "Brave New World" (not available on DVD), The Island (based on Huxley's novel Island (Perennial Classics)), Blade Runner - The Final Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition), the action hero movie The 6th Day and Jurassic Park (Widescreen Collector's Edition), though the original Jurassic Park novel's storyline is much better than the movie. Also Michael Crichton's novel Next raises similar interesting and deeper ethical issues regarding genetic engineering, a more comprehensive exploration of the issues than Gattaca, but be aware that "NEXT" has a really lousy childish plot, not Crichton's at his best.
And by the way, I was curious about what Gattaca meant, if anything. According to Wikipedia, "the title is based on EcoRI, a restriction enzyme that cuts the sequence GAATTC, that composed of the initial letters of the four DNA nucleotides (adenine, cytosine, guanine, and thymine)."
PS: There is a VHS version of Brave New World (1998) available, though it is hard to find (see details at the Amazon UK store). The 1980 BNW version is available at Google Video, with low quality.
Summary of Gattaca
Confidently conceived and brilliantly executed, Gattaca had a somewhat low profile release in 1997, but audiences and critics hailed the film's originality. It's since been recognized as one of the most intelligent science fiction films of the 1990s. Writer-director Andrew Niccol, the talented New Zealander who also wrote the acclaimed Jim Carrey vehicle The Truman Show, depicts a near-future society in which one's personal and professional destiny is determined by one's genes. In this society, "Valids" (genetically engineered) qualify for positions at prestigious corporations, such as Gattaca, which grooms its most qualified employees for space exploration. "In-Valids" (naturally born), such as the film's protagonist, Vincent (Ethan Hawke), are deemed genetically flawed and subsequently fated to low-level occupations in a genetically caste society. With the help of a disabled "Valid" (Jude Law), Vincent subverts his society's social and biological barriers to pursue his dream of space travel; any random mistake--and an ongoing murder investigation at Gattaca--could reveal his plot. Part thriller, part futuristic drama and cautionary tale, Gattaca establishes its social structure so convincingly that the entire scenario is chillingly believable. With Uma Thurman as the woman who loves Vincent and identifies with his struggle, Gattaca is both stylish and smart, while Jude Law's performance lends the film a note of tragic and heartfelt humanity. --Jeff ShannonScience Fiction & Fantasy DVD Video
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