Gattaca (1997)

Gattaca (1997, Andrew Niccol)

Gattaca  is set in a future in which genetic engineering has become the norm: the perfect babies with their meticulously selected characteristics are called Valids, those still conceived in the normal way In-valids. The In-valids are of course considered second-class citizens: what's supposed to be a Utopia, is in fact a Dystopia.

The film tells the story of an In-valid called Vincent (Ethan Hawke) whose lifelong dream it is to make a space trip to Saturn, an enterprise not open to In-valids. With the help of a DNA broker, he gets the chance to fulfill his dreams by adopting the identity of  a Valid called Jerome (Jude Law), a former swimming champion who was paralyzed in a car accident. Jerome gives him samples of his blood and urine to pass the admission tests and Vincent has a leg operation to become four inches taller and look more like a former sports crack ...  

Gattaca was praised for its introspective nature: for once a SF movie did not rely on special effects and odd techno-gadgets, but rather on the moral ambiguities of genetic engineering and questions about identity in a world where people have no control over their own lives unless they break the law. It was called 'thought-provoking' and 'scientifically provocative' and it's often said that the film vitalized the discussions on the controversial topic of genetic engineering. Note however that most issues the script raises, are only hinted at, and never really examined in detail. Instead the whole thing is played out more or less like a paranoia thriller:  Vincent/Jerome becomes the main suspect in a murder case and we ask ourselves if the police - or the colleague he's flirting with (Uma Thurman) - will find out who he is.