(1997)

I. PRE-VIEWING ACTIVITIES

1. a. Speculate: What does Gattaca stand for?

b. Having in mind the following quotation, predict:

"They used to say that a child conceived in love is a child of happiness. They don't say that anymore."

1. the type of film you are going to watch

2. its plot

3. its setting(TIME/Place)

II. WHILE-VIEWING ACTIVITY

Refer to:

Setting – Time /Place:

Major Themes –

Main message –

III. Post-viewing activities

A. Main characters

Name

Physical

appearance

Personality

traits

B. Read the plot synopsis and fill in the gaps with words from the box.

genetic engineering undesirable birth DNA testing address mapped out

identity sci-fi refuses genetic makeup condemns test tube

Gattaca deals with a future that draws closer where parents dictate the (1) of their child. Before gestation, embryos are screened for diseases, addictions and other (2) qualities,

and a so-called "Valid" is produced, a child who has his or her lifetime's potential (3) for them, with perfect 20/20 vision. This is science fiction operating within the "not-too-distant" future, representing a world which is totally familiar, apart from this central trope of (4), and the prospect of regular rocket launches to the furthest moons of Saturn. It

also deals sensitively with the recurrent (5) issues of what exactly it is that constitutes humanity: are these perfect children with flawless genes truly human?

Vincent is one of the last of the 'In-Valids', conceived in love rather than in a (6) . Upon

his (7) a DNA test suggests he has a 99% chance of developing a heart defect and dying before he is 30. This (8) him to a life lived in fear of early death, a life where he is a source of constant terror to his parents, where schools bar him for being an insurance liability and where he is denied the chance to achieve his dream — that of being a space

pilot. But Vincent (9) to accept this brave new world, and seeks a way to deny his genetic destiny. He strikes a deal with a crippled Valid, Jerome and steals his genetic identity. What makes us who we are? Gattaca's answer to this is biological, a meticulous series of close up shots of skin flakes, eyelashes, urine, pinpricks of blood — all the

substances used for (10). Vincent layers the biological fragments that make up Jerome on top of his own identity, and applies for the space programme under a false guise. Vincent and Jerome are binary opposites — one determined to succeed despite his genetic failings, one drinking himself to death as a challenge to his so-called perfection. The process of adopting another's (11) is not represented as a one-off con trick: Vincent

needs to be perpetually on his guard, continually scattering another's skin flakes over his computer keyboard. It is difficult being someone else, particularly when you fall in love, as Vincent does with Irene. His conflict is painful — has she fallen in love with him or with Jerome? Vincent has to (12) some very fundamental questions about what maketh man. http://www.scififilmhistory.com/

1. 3. 5. 7. 9. 11.

2. 4. 6. 8. 10. 12.

C. Personal response - Answer these questions.

1. Which scene(s) did you find memorable/thrilling /thought-provoking?

2. Is the end expected or unexpected? Account for your answer.

3. Teachers of Brave New World fairly frequently report that their

students don't find the Brave New World a bad place at all. If the goal of life

is happiness, then the Brave New World fulfills that goal far better than our

world and is, therefore, utopian. If one objects, "—Then a happy pig is better

than an unhappy human!", a logical response would be, "If the crucial goal is

happiness, yes." How do you judge the world of Gattaca?

D. State your views on the following quotation: “What Gattaca poses is a plausible crisis: If

we can use genes to find out who's biologically suited to specific tasks, and to calculate estimated life

spans for every newborn, how would that reorganize our society?” www.popularmechanics.com