The film Gattaca (1997) shows that discrimination against gender and race no longer exist, however discrimination against genetics does exist. The film takes place in a dystopian world where parents can “create” their children, awarding them with the best genetics possible. The main character, Vincent, was born naturally and as a result was genetically inferior, or an in-valid. Vincent has a dream of becoming an astronaut but it would be impossible for him to take on this career because his genetics are considered second-rate. It is mentioned in the film that it’s illegal for anyone to discriminate against genetics yet companies go through extensive screenings to make sure their employees are genetically fit. This film is a reflection of the results of discrimination in the socioeconomic realms of society.
This film is a reflection of discrimination in the work environment, and the things you need to do in order to gain access to the career you want. For example, sometimes female writers have to change their names to sound more masculine in order to sell more books. As mentioned in a Wikipedia article for J. K. Rowling:
“ Although she writes under the pen name “J. K. Rowling” (pronounced rolling), her name, before her remarriage, was simply “Joanne Rowling”. Anticipating that the target audience of young boys might not want to read a book written by a woman, her publishers asked that she use two initials rather than her full name.”
In the film Vincent had to go through changes in order to become an astronaut. He meets a genetically superior male named Jerome and uses his identity to get into a prestigious program. Jerome was in a swimming accident in a different country and is currently paralyzed so he willingly gives Vincent his genetics. Vincent has to do whats necessary to move up in society because at birth he was deemed in-valid based on his natural genetic make up. Outside of the film, in the socioeconomic aspects of society, discrimination happens all of the time. Even though, like the film, it is illegal to discriminate against someones race, gender, or genetics it still happens and has now become a norm in society. As quoted from The Theme Foundry:
“Gattaca is a powerful movie with subtle hints throughout that point towards oppression of a different kind. This is a world that hoped to reach a utopia but went terribly wrong. The scenes are carefully crafted and the two scenes mentioned in this paper are a few of many more that scream out the dystopia. Extremes in technology and genetic engineering does not alter the “imperfections” in the world. Some things are meant to be left natural.”
Although Gattaca didn’t do well at the box office, this film is still considered a cult classic with valuable information as far as the closeness of eugenics to being a reality. This film makes a compelling case that race, class, and gender play a significant role in society and so does the discrimination that follows these themes. Ultimately, everyone in society is judged based on these three factors. The genetically superior characters in the film Gattaca tried to eliminate judgement or discrimination against race, gender, class, or anything that could make someone in-valid. However, the characters still prove that “bad genes” still find their way into a “perfect body”.
