This film...not gonna lie..nearly teared up! Want to vote on what I should watch next? Click here! www.patreon.com/jamesvscinema NIGHTCRAWLER (re-watch) will be uploaded tomorrow! Enjoy the day!
This movie is one of the most beautiful cinematic-wise IMO... The mute colors just illustrate the color of their society so well. It is that old bullshit line "a triumph of the human spirit" amidst a social dystopia. But it is so good. Another thing about the cinematography, there is no CGI, everything, every place is real. The main building he works in, the exterior shots are of the Marin County Civic Center (designed by Frank Lloyd Write) and it is every bit as beautiful as they make it look in the movie. This has been a favorite of mine since it came out.
This is such a phenomenal movie that is a serious sleeper. One of my all time favorites. The I didnt save anything for the swim back scene is beautiful.
You definitely want to check out the french movie "A Prophet" . It's a crime drama movie in the vain of goodfellas. It is a great movie, I promise you won't regret it. It is not as well known but a true hidden gem.
His willingness to die if he couldn't overcome his genetic flaws is such an amazing thing. He wasn't gifted with flawless genetics like his brother, but he built up a resilience where his brother didn't. He had to fight for everything, meanwhile his brother was given everything. He pushed himself to and beyond his means in order to reach a goal he was told was impossible to reach. Its such an inspiring movie.
@@kylemcgannon9239 Same, my favorite line. It's a fantastic reveal, story-wise, and a great summation of his motivation, theme-wise. It really hits home when you're like, "Omg, he was _always_ prepared to die". His commitment to the leg extension surgery makes even more sense after that moment in the film.
For me the most touching part is Jerome's decision to use the incinerator to commit suicide a horrific way to die but ensuring he left no body or evidence which could harm his only friend.
I’m so glad you liked this. I was really haunted by Jerome. I think people naturally feel bad for Vincent growing up as “invalid” and we’re uplifted by the way he fights to overcome it. But Jerome grew up in a world where everyone expected him to be perfect and had to deal with the guilt of not succeeding at what he was designed to do, what he was created to do, the whole reason he existed at all.
I imagine Jerome's experience is what it must be like to have a sport's "Hall of Fame" level parent. Consider being the child of Lionel Messi or Michael Jordan. On the surface people must assume you'll be great at the same sport they are...but there are VERY few superstar professional athletes whose parents also were. Yes, there are children of superstars who make it into professional ranks, but for every Ken Griffey Jr., there are thousands of kids who never make it, and many who probably didn't even try, or they weren't even interested. Even in a Gattaca like future, genes will only take you so far, or as the movie says, "There is no gene for the human spirit."
This is my favorite movie of all time. The "I never saved anything for the swim back" quote followed by the swelling of music is my favorite movie moment of all time and had an extremely huge impact on my life the first time I watched it. Such an underappreciated film. I love it so much. Such an inspiring movie.
The line "where closer to the other side" hit me harder tbh. Delusion can be so powerful to keep driving you forward. Overthinking and logic can drag you down; sometimes you need to put your mind in an absurd place to achieve unrealistic things. Such a powerful movie and line.
For individuals who struggle with pursuing their dreams this film is deeply inspiring. ( There is no shame in crying over a beautiful tale, well-written, strikingly shot, confidently acted, of a man who was born to fail, yet succeeded in reaching his dream against the pronouncements of naysayers, including his own family. At the end when the dream seems to be crushingly coming to a halt as it is revealed the doctor has found him out, lo and behold, the latter is an ally. At that point I was so invested in Vincent's dreams that I was crushed myself only to be elated beyond words. Seriously...beyond words to tears rolling down my cheeks. This film is like fine wine. It ages well and is better upon repeated viewings. )
The scary part of this film is that it presents a dystopian world without a clear antagonist behind it. There is no evil overlords or devastating event which brought society to this point. Instead, it's a whole society of individual parents making a seemingly rational choice to take advantage of new technology to have"perfect" children. This is what makes it far more plausible than other dystopian lit.
The movie's title "Gattaca" is based on the letters G, A, T, and C, which are the four constituents of DNA (nucleobases). So smart and fitting! Thanks to this movie, I never forget those letters!
@@mithroch - His last movie was RED. He was 95 and died shortly afterwards. He was also in one of my favourite movies, "The Vikings," with Kirk Douglas. He played Ragnar, Kirk Douglas' character's father, even though he was a year younger than Kirk Douglas.
Also: In-valid is just the word "invalid" with a hyphen (irony! cause Law is an invalid and Hawk ain't). And Vincent's last name, very briefly mentioned, is Freeman. It's Easter, mother******!
@@brucef310 Well I thought it was interesting when i found out. You wouldn't expect an actor like Danny DeVito, who is mostly known for his comedic rolls to produce a film like this.
Same. I love Dark City so much. I watch it at least once a year and it blows me away every time. The music, the cinematography, the lighting. All of it is so incredible.
@@JamesVSCinema Yeah, and not just for its relation to science, but also how quickly scientific advancements can yield complicated social consequences. It's not just about memorizing details about mitochondria! There's a lot of bureaucracy in scientific academia, and ethics committees are a part of that process for a reason.
@@extantsanity Sadly, my high school bio teacher was a raging asshole, the kind who becomes a high school teacher just so that he can make 9th graders cry. "Ethics" wasn't really a priority.
I haven't seen anyone else mention it (apologies if someone has) in the comments, but my favorite Easter Egg in this movie (and which makes it so much better upon realizing it) is the first time in the movie Vincent gets blood drawn by Lamar (Xander Berkeley). As he runs the results, and he comes up as Jerome, Lamar casually asks Vincent if he's ever told him about his son, meaning he knew all the way back then that "Jerome" wasn't who he says he was. He protected Vincent that whole time because he was a faith birth, just like his son, and seeing Vincent's success gave him hope for his own son's success in life down the road.
The spiral staircase which Jude Law is dragging his body up in that scene is modeled after the double helix structure of DNA. And the title of the film GATTACA also alludes to the nucleotides that makes up all our genetic information: Adenosine, Thymine, Guanine, and Cytosine.
Ahhh, Gattaca - the thinking man's sci-fi. This is easily in my top 20 films of all time, of any genre. James I'll tell you what I like about it: I don't know if this will make sense, but I love the visual aesthetic. In particular, the way the production design conceptualized "the future". It's very retro, kinda mid-century modern; almost as if it looks like what we thought the future would be like back in the 60s. It's very "simple". There aren't a lot of wires or super advanced technologies, it's just flashing lights and buttons from out-dated looking computers. I don't know if you read much, but the author who comes to mind with this whole approach and...affectation...is Ray Bradbury. This feels like a movie that he would've written. And I adore Bradbury. Combined with the colors and the score - like you said - it's very poetic. This movie puts me in a mood, and I get all the feels.
A great, and terribly underrated, film. The thought-provoking societal and moral questions raised in the plot alone make it worthy of praise. But, paired with the top-notch writing, acting, directing, and cinematography, it's just on another level for me. Great choice & reaction, James!
I’m so happy you loved this film. I’ve watched it probably 30 times since I saw it at the cinema when it first came out and I’ve cried every single time. The amazing thing is I think it’s got even more powerful over the years.
I feel like this is the perfect reaction to showcase the strength of this movie: it doesn't do anything too flashy for most of its run, so the brilliance of the storytelling kind of creeps up on you, in lieu of something really spectacular happening that makes you think "Whoa! Now I'm REALLY into this!" And then by the end you realize you've been in the palm of Andrew Niccol's hand the whole time and you're DEEPLY invested in the film's characters and ideas. What a masterclass.
Shout out to my 10th grade Bio teacher to playing this movie in class and showing it to me for the first time. I still go back to watch it and love it every time.
Year old comment reply, but my strict science teacher who I really disliked showed us this movie in year 9 and it totally changed my opinion of her. I remember that it wasn't part of the curriculum or anything, she didn't need to show us the movie and was a teacher who very much never wasted time in her class. That one class fostered a love of science I never used to have, and I'll always remember that teacher for it!
The old man at 6:55 is played by actor Ernest Borgnine. He had a long and fantastic career, but if you might know him from anywhere he was the voice of Mermaid Man on Spongebob Squarepants.
My human biology teacher would show this to his students every year and told us that every time he watched it, he would notice more and more details. He said that the movie was flawless and that everything added up perfectly. I asked him why no one noticed that Jerome had a British accent and Vincent didn't and he completely blue-screened. It was the first time I had (inadvertently) stumped him and it was with a movie he knew backwards and forwards! I'm so glad he showed us this film, it was fantastic (with great social commentary on eugenics). So many great memories with this movie!
The moment I saw you've reacted to Gattaca, I was sold immediately. Great to see you enjoyed this unique film. The concept blew me away when I saw this in a sneak preview back then. Stay safe all.
Beautiful, *beautiful* film. Andrew Niccol's first screenwriting and directing job too. "There is no gene for the human spirit" might be one of the best taglines for a movie ever. For a 1997 movie it's terrifyingly precient (and was somewhat dismissed at the time for it) with gene modification becoming more and more commonplace. We very well might see "Genoism" in our lifetime. I'm so glad you checked this movie out, James!
The movie that illustrates why eugenics will never work. Even in a setting where they can predict your whole life by your genes, our boy shows that by one simple idea it's all made wrong, "I never saved anything for the swim back". You don't have to be the best to be the strongest one there is.
18:35 Notice how the stairs has the form of a DNA chain. Jerome has to climb it to recover his identity back. This movie is full of symbolic and powerful images. Check it out Truman's Show, another film written and directed by Andrew Niccol.
This was the first movie my brother and I bonded over. Him and I had a relationship like Vincent and Anton, always trying to one-up each other. Yeah, we both cried our eyes out in the end.
We actually watched this in science class in school with a substitute teacher; it blew our teenage minds and sparked a sci-fi love for a few of us I'm sure!
This has to.be the most underrated movie of all time. Its timeless. It will still be relevant for the next 50 years when science perfects DNA principles.
I first saw this in a high school biology class and I really liked it ever since. It definitely covers some interesting topics that make you think. I still think about it often whenever I hear stories about people choosing their child's genetics.
Fun fact: Ethan Hawk and Uma Thurman met and got married after this movie and had a daughter named Maya Hawk. She comes out in the 3rd season of stranger things as Robin
Nothing wrong with tearing up! This film is worth rewatching many times to pick up on everything - it's SO packed with symbolism, themes, great dialogue, casting & performances, cinematography, directing, production & sound design, music, maximising production value with a very modest budget, plot structure, emotional pay offs & continued relevance to our present & future. One of those times everything comes together in one film perfectly. Criminally underrated & unrewarded at the box office at the time. Definitely one of my personal all time favourite movies.
Gattaca was one of the best 90's sci-fi movies, along with The Fifth Element, and Strange Days. The old man janitor was played by the actor Ernest Borgnine, who won an Oscar for the excellent film "Marty."
This is one of my favorite movies of all time and I have seen a LOT of them. Such a powerful and original story. That line at the end chokes me up every time.
One of my favorite of the many subtle things in this movie is that they cast fashion models as all the extras, so background scenes are all full of these tall, gorgeous people, highlighting the point of what this society is like.
Glad to see you react to this movie! It was one of my favs and it seems like a lot of people have forgotten about it. The tag line for this movie was, “There’s no gene for the human spirit” which was always inspiring to me.
The biggest problem with most sci fi films is that they present ideas and a dystopia but they always resort to rebellion and destruction is a response to it devolving the film to some kind of cliche revolution trope. The subject matter is never presented with nuance or care, most films would just go "discrimination bad!" and never allow the viewer to gain an appreciation for the subject matter. Thankfully Gattica doesn't fall into this problem, showing how the quality of life has improved even as it shows how inherent human weakness allows for brand new kinds of discrimination and social pressures. It presents a message of inclusiveness while never dehumanizing any particular side. It's a damn good pure sci-fi and Im glad you got to experience it.
Andrew Niccol nailed it. he banged out the Truman Show script and wrote and directed this one. Back to back. not bad. Both Truman Show and Gattaca were seeing into are future.
Andrew Niccol born in my hometown in New Zealand! He left NZ at the age of 21 but we still claim him. Dystopian futures are kinda his brand but GATTACA and The Truman Show are his best work.
@@joeypotter6051 You only have to make one good one. He made 1 and wrote another. Night of the Hunter (1955) is an amazing movie and it's the only movie Charles Laughton directed. Wish he made more and I wish Niccol made more great ones but ya only have to make one.
Oh, interesting. I never thought about this as a metaphor for social media. Of course, the movie was made way before that was invented, but you're absolutely right. The identities we invent online to create perfect versions of ourselves that will never be real is a lot like this movie. I always thought this film was ahead of its time, and now it feels more relevant than ever. I may need to rewatch it soon.
Wish I saw this in theaters. I rented this the year after it came out in 1998 and it's concepts of being born "defective" or "less than ideal" really resonated with me. I was 14 at the time, just really figuring out my sexuality, and Matthew Shepard just happened. I remember watching this with my family and trying to hide my tears because I still wasn't out of the closet yet. This is just my subjective take but it will always be one of those special movies that helped me through my formative years. I'm glad more people are discovering it still today.
I was gonna ask you to react to this movie!! Thats awesome that you found it. I think its a work of art!! The sound track is so haunting. This reminds me of another sci-fi masterpiece with deep meaning, great soundtrack and incredible lines…bladerunner
In the scene where Anton(the detective) reveals he is Vincent's brother, you said: "He's your brother Why are you(the detective) not letting him slide, but it's because he's trying to battle his own perfection." Here is my interpretation of what the brother did and thought: He first sees the invalid picture of his brother on the screen when they find the eyelash. He immediately recognizes his brother Vincent and thinks; -My brother killed the Mission Director because the Mission Director discovered his true identity. -He has gotten himself in over his head by trying to be someone at a higher station than his genetics allow. -This is my chance to save my brother to prove I'm superior, which will then justify the discrimination that me and society have put him through his whole life. Anton did want to save Vincent and for the reason that he was battling his own burden of perfection. But when he finds out Vincent isn't the murderer he struggles to control the overwhelming realization he has at the truth of Vincent's success. During the movie, Anton is secretly trying to see every Gattaca employee face to face so he can find Vincent. Jerome becomes one of the final people he has to track down. He was at Jerome's workstation and I think realizes this is the picture that his brother is hiding behind, but everyone says Jerome is so highly skilled, he doesn't want to entertain the idea Vincent belongs there, genes or not. Anton finally accepts the truth out in the water, he acknowledges his brother's accomplishments, and asks with sincerity how it was possible. "There is no gene for the human spirit."
My favorite aspect of this movie was how it brought to the forefront the ethical dilemma of genetic engineering. While it paints an extreme picture of what genetic engineering is capable of it is a picture that’s becoming more and more relevant as our technology and knowledge advances. This movie really shows how long we’ve had the fear of designer babies and how long this has been a topic of conversation since genetic engineering became possible. With our current medical knowledge we are so much closer to the reality portrayed in the movie. Genetic testing can tell us our predisposition on genetic disorders even before a baby is born. Gene therapy now allows for genetic disorders to be modified and essentially cure a person of certain diseases. But the concerns remain: should it ever be used to engineer a baby who is unable to make a decision but will have to live with the decision made for them; should ever be used to change the germ line in that any changes made in a parent can be passed on to their children? This movie definitely seems to paint science and genetic engineering in a bad light but I like how it emphasizes that people are beyond our genes. While genetic editing has become a reality it is likely not to reach the point where personality and character are influenced. Anything to do with how the brain works to create what is considered the person is so complex and the day we get to the genetic bases for this complexity is surely in the distant future. Another thing I liked is how it shows how eugenics can so easily hide within our society especially in our modern healthcare practices. In emergencies where resources are limited we default to the mindset of eugenics: only those who will benefit most from the treatment/resource should get it. This often means the healthiest, youngest, and most able bodied people are preferred over those with pre-existing conditions, the elderly, people with disabilities. Our society in general prefers young, healthy, and able-bodied people with little regard for those that fit outside these categories. The elderly are cast aside or pitied as they are no longer working members of society. Rather than helping to prevent sickness we punish the sick with exorbitant medical fees. Our world is not designed to accommodate people who are physically disabled or neuro-atypical
So glad you tackled this movie. It has been amongst my favorite sci fi movies of all-time. Back in the day, it flew way under the radar. Just goes to show that quality always surfaces, sooner or later. Movie tip: "Mr. Nobody". Another hidden gem. Trust me. It's about making choices, and how choosing both determines the rest of your life, and at the same time constricts the number of choices you have left to make. It's very sci fi, in a very non-conventional way. I really think you're gonna love it.
My 9th grade biology teacher showed this film to our class, and ever since that day.. I have been in love with film, and I realize how beautiful the art of cinema really is and how much more there is behind the film itself.
Glad to hear about another science class showing; in this vein, sprinkling some sci-fi in the class is an actually brilliant idea; we definitely learned about DNA from this film and a talk at the end.
Ah yes another good one! Saw this one too in the movie theatre when it came out and I liked it a lot. Guanine Adenine Thymine Thymine Adenine Cytosine Adenine ;)
I first watched this my high school science class and the teacher pointed out this fact about the title, I always thought it was cool that they named it like that.
I’m so glad you chose to review this movie. A personal favorite of mine that has always made me tear up at the end. The score plays a huge character role in this movie IMO. Thank you!
I was so bummed that we didn't get your reaction to when they where swimming as adults and Vincent answered his question on how he was beating him, and Vincent says, "I never saved anything for the swim back." That was the most defining moments of the movie.
ah man, so glad you did this one. One of my favorite Sci-Fi films ever. So well shot, that futuristic style that's all built to look 40's noir. The lingo and slang all being pulled from that era as well. The writing is insane. Knew you'd love it before I even clicked on the video. I need to watch this film again, it's been a minute.
I have been waiting for my favorite movie reviewers to make their way to this masterpiece. I watched this for the first time in Biology 101, freshman year in college, and I was absolutely floored by this movie. Excited to hear your thoughts, man!
Director Josef was played by Gore Vidal, the novelist. He was a fascinating figure, a good writer (his novels aren't as strong as his nonfiction, in my estimation), and had several of the most entertaining "intellectual feuds" ever. Check out his fight on Dick Cavett with Norman Mailer. Freaking gold.
I love Vincent's answer when his brother asks him how he won "This is how I did it, Anton: I never saved anything for the swim back.". the thing that's so shocking to everyone about who killed the guy is that these people have had those murderous traits filtered out, so the idea that one of these superior humans could do something so flawed and base sort of shatters their worldview.
I always relate this movie to the first time I watched it at university on the south coast of England with my friends there. We all loved it, 2 of them actually did swim out like in the film (they didn't go until they couldn't go any further you'll be happy to know). I'd like to add you are really appreciated in these times man. Peace and love from the UK.
There are so many moments that call back to earlier parts of the film. Some of my favorites are when Jerome's silver turns to gold in the incinerator, and the doctor looking on Vincent with hope for his child's future, after the beginning when Vincent's own parents lost any they had for him. Writing and filmmaking this good is a rare treat
It makes my heart happy how much you enjoyed this movie. To mention a few, from Amadeus to Excalibur and Galaxy Quest, this movie is in my top ten of all-time favorites. This story painted an incredible picture of this futuristic world, but instead of capturing classism by the color of one's skin, it was by your DNA. When I first saw this movie, and maybe even to this day, I can't recall ever seeing such an original idea. The accompanying score was perfect too!
I remember seeing this when it first came out and it continues to stay with me even today. Like you said, the parallels between aiming for flawless social media perfection makes it even more powerful and relevant today. I think it's hugely underrated and a sci-fi classic.
The Director, Andrew Niccol, is also the man who wrote "The Truman Show" with Jim Carrey, another '90s Sci-Fi Masterpiece. An absolutely must-watch if you haven't already.
If you like sci-fi I have to recommend these sci-fi films: Annihilation (mixes horror elements), Predestination (time travel mind melter; also starring Ethan Hawke), Upgrade (action/revenge, very clever camerawork), and Hardcore Henry (first person action orgy). These are all very different but are all sci-fi. Bladerunner 2049 was awesome too. Also, the "old grandpa" at the beginning was the late great Ernest Borgnine. I believe he won an Oscar for Marty way back in the day. He's also in the classic war film Dirty Dozen, another film you should watch. Thanks for the upload.
This film...not gonna lie..nearly teared up!
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NIGHTCRAWLER (re-watch) will be uploaded tomorrow! Enjoy the day!
I love how the doctor knew all along. I wonder if his kid was "perfect" too, would he still helped him?
One of my favorite movies
This movie is one of the most beautiful cinematic-wise IMO... The mute colors just illustrate the color of their society so well. It is that old bullshit line "a triumph of the human spirit" amidst a social dystopia. But it is so good. Another thing about the cinematography, there is no CGI, everything, every place is real. The main building he works in, the exterior shots are of the Marin County Civic Center (designed by Frank Lloyd Write) and it is every bit as beautiful as they make it look in the movie. This has been a favorite of mine since it came out.
This is such a phenomenal movie that is a serious sleeper. One of my all time favorites. The I didnt save anything for the swim back scene is beautiful.
You definitely want to check out the french movie "A Prophet" . It's a crime drama movie in the vain of goodfellas. It is a great movie, I promise you won't regret it. It is not as well known but a true hidden gem.
"You wanted to know how I did it? This is how I did it Anton. I never saved anything for the swim back"
My favorite line from the movie. Sad he didn't include it in the reaction.
His willingness to die if he couldn't overcome his genetic flaws is such an amazing thing. He wasn't gifted with flawless genetics like his brother, but he built up a resilience where his brother didn't. He had to fight for everything, meanwhile his brother was given everything. He pushed himself to and beyond his means in order to reach a goal he was told was impossible to reach. Its such an inspiring movie.
@@kylemcgannon9239 Same, my favorite line. It's a fantastic reveal, story-wise, and a great summation of his motivation, theme-wise. It really hits home when you're like, "Omg, he was _always_ prepared to die". His commitment to the leg extension surgery makes even more sense after that moment in the film.
@@BrokenGodEnt He wasn't willing to die to overcome his genetic flaws, he was willing to die to achieve his dreams no matter what.
Best quote
When Jerome is in the incinerator his silver medal turns to gold because of the reflection of the fire. Still blows my mind.
Woah!! Just noticed!
Omg, I never noticed that! That’s an awesome detail.
Never noticed it! Thanks! 👍👍👍
Awwww. 😿 Nice angle of seeing it bro. That's true 😊
I’ve seen this movie dozens of times and never caught that!
For me the most touching part is Jerome's decision to use the incinerator to commit suicide a horrific way to die but ensuring he left no body or evidence which could harm his only friend.
I’m so glad you liked this. I was really haunted by Jerome. I think people naturally feel bad for Vincent growing up as “invalid” and we’re uplifted by the way he fights to overcome it. But Jerome grew up in a world where everyone expected him to be perfect and had to deal with the guilt of not succeeding at what he was designed to do, what he was created to do, the whole reason he existed at all.
I imagine Jerome's experience is what it must be like to have a sport's "Hall of Fame" level parent.
Consider being the child of Lionel Messi or Michael Jordan. On the surface people must assume you'll be great at the same sport they are...but there are VERY few superstar professional athletes whose parents also were.
Yes, there are children of superstars who make it into professional ranks, but for every Ken Griffey Jr., there are thousands of kids who never make it, and many who probably didn't even try, or they weren't even interested.
Even in a Gattaca like future, genes will only take you so far, or as the movie says, "There is no gene for the human spirit."
This is my favorite movie of all time. The "I never saved anything for the swim back" quote followed by the swelling of music is my favorite movie moment of all time and had an extremely huge impact on my life the first time I watched it.
Such an underappreciated film. I love it so much. Such an inspiring movie.
So beautiful right??
The line "where closer to the other side" hit me harder tbh. Delusion can be so powerful to keep driving you forward. Overthinking and logic can drag you down; sometimes you need to put your mind in an absurd place to achieve unrealistic things. Such a powerful movie and line.
kills me every time.
The solar array scene is my favorite
Don't understand why this movie isn't more highly rated. It is a masterpiece.
For individuals who struggle with pursuing their dreams this film is deeply inspiring. ( There is no shame in crying over a beautiful tale, well-written, strikingly shot, confidently acted, of a man who was born to fail, yet succeeded in reaching his dream against the pronouncements of naysayers, including his own family. At the end when the dream seems to be crushingly coming to a halt as it is revealed the doctor has found him out, lo and behold, the latter is an ally. At that point I was so invested in Vincent's dreams that I was crushed myself only to be elated beyond words. Seriously...beyond words to tears rolling down my cheeks. This film is like fine wine. It ages well and is better upon repeated viewings. )
The scary part of this film is that it presents a dystopian world without a clear antagonist behind it. There is no evil overlords or devastating event which brought society to this point. Instead, it's a whole society of individual parents making a seemingly rational choice to take advantage of new technology to have"perfect" children. This is what makes it far more plausible than other dystopian lit.
The movie's title "Gattaca" is based on the letters G, A, T, and C, which are the four constituents of DNA (nucleobases). So smart and fitting! Thanks to this movie, I never forget those letters!
@@Stephen64138 it's faded into anonymity over the years. I think its a very underrated movie.
That "old grandpa" is Ernest Borgnine... an Oscar winning actor. If you are unfamiliar with him... make yourself so.
@@mithroch - His last movie was RED. He was 95 and died shortly afterwards. He was also in one of my favourite movies, "The Vikings," with Kirk Douglas. He played Ragnar, Kirk Douglas' character's father, even though he was a year younger than Kirk Douglas.
Also: In-valid is just the word "invalid" with a hyphen (irony! cause Law is an invalid and Hawk ain't). And Vincent's last name, very briefly mentioned, is Freeman. It's Easter, mother******!
Oh...and the staircase in their apt is a double helix.
IMHO one of the most underrated movies of all time. Fun fact, Danny DeVito was a producer on this film.
So what.
@@brucef310 it’s a fun fact
@@brucef310 Well I thought it was interesting when i found out. You wouldn't expect an actor like Danny DeVito, who is mostly known for his comedic rolls to produce a film like this.
@@PadreWoodrow Maybe he got interested after doing the movie Twins with Arnold Schwarzenegger, haha
Seriously, a "Movies You May Not Know Or Have Entirely Forgotten That Danny DeVito Was Involved With Somehow" Film Festival would be *amazing*.
Dark city. Most underrated sci fi movie of all time!
Same. I love Dark City so much. I watch it at least once a year and it blows me away every time. The music, the cinematography, the lighting. All of it is so incredible.
Have you seen every sci-fi movie ever made? If not then you can't make a statement like that.
@@stobe187 I took it literally. That was a big statement he made and it is not true.
@@brucef310 the sad thing is, i probably have seen every sci fi movie 😁
P.S. Hyperbole again, this time for comedic effect
The Matrix before The Matrix
In freshman year of high school they made us watch this movie in biology and I was really surprised by this film
You are not the first to say that actually haha. Makes sense to be shown in a biology class now that I think of it!
@@JamesVSCinema Yeah, and not just for its relation to science, but also how quickly scientific advancements can yield complicated social consequences. It's not just about memorizing details about mitochondria! There's a lot of bureaucracy in scientific academia, and ethics committees are a part of that process for a reason.
@@extantsanity Sadly, my high school bio teacher was a raging asshole, the kind who becomes a high school teacher just so that he can make 9th graders cry. "Ethics" wasn't really a priority.
@@zammmerjammer Yeah, my English teachers were like that. Our education system really is garbage a lot of the time...
Bioethics.
I haven't seen anyone else mention it (apologies if someone has) in the comments, but my favorite Easter Egg in this movie (and which makes it so much better upon realizing it) is the first time in the movie Vincent gets blood drawn by Lamar (Xander Berkeley). As he runs the results, and he comes up as Jerome, Lamar casually asks Vincent if he's ever told him about his son, meaning he knew all the way back then that "Jerome" wasn't who he says he was. He protected Vincent that whole time because he was a faith birth, just like his son, and seeing Vincent's success gave him hope for his own son's success in life down the road.
So many little details from this movie stuck in my mind growing up.
It’s so good!
The spiral staircase which Jude Law is dragging his body up in that scene is modeled after the double helix structure of DNA. And the title of the film GATTACA also alludes to the nucleotides that makes up all our genetic information: Adenosine, Thymine, Guanine, and Cytosine.
*Adenine
Several times during this film the one thing that saved him was selfless, human kindness - that's what always got me.
Ahhh, Gattaca - the thinking man's sci-fi. This is easily in my top 20 films of all time, of any genre. James I'll tell you what I like about it: I don't know if this will make sense, but I love the visual aesthetic. In particular, the way the production design conceptualized "the future". It's very retro, kinda mid-century modern; almost as if it looks like what we thought the future would be like back in the 60s. It's very "simple". There aren't a lot of wires or super advanced technologies, it's just flashing lights and buttons from out-dated looking computers. I don't know if you read much, but the author who comes to mind with this whole approach and...affectation...is Ray Bradbury. This feels like a movie that he would've written. And I adore Bradbury. Combined with the colors and the score - like you said - it's very poetic. This movie puts me in a mood, and I get all the feels.
More people need to know about this film. Glad someone finally reacted to it and I'm glad you enjoyed it so much!
A great, and terribly underrated, film. The thought-provoking societal and moral questions raised in the plot alone make it worthy of praise. But, paired with the top-notch writing, acting, directing, and cinematography, it's just on another level for me. Great choice & reaction, James!
I’m so happy you loved this film. I’ve watched it probably 30 times since I saw it at the cinema when it first came out and I’ve cried every single time. The amazing thing is I think it’s got even more powerful over the years.
It’s sooooo good!
I feel like this is the perfect reaction to showcase the strength of this movie: it doesn't do anything too flashy for most of its run, so the brilliance of the storytelling kind of creeps up on you, in lieu of something really spectacular happening that makes you think "Whoa! Now I'm REALLY into this!" And then by the end you realize you've been in the palm of Andrew Niccol's hand the whole time and you're DEEPLY invested in the film's characters and ideas. What a masterclass.
This film hit me different the first time I watched it. So much heart.
Yup! So much heart in this one!
Shout out to my 10th grade Bio teacher to playing this movie in class and showing it to me for the first time. I still go back to watch it and love it every time.
Year old comment reply, but my strict science teacher who I really disliked showed us this movie in year 9 and it totally changed my opinion of her. I remember that it wasn't part of the curriculum or anything, she didn't need to show us the movie and was a teacher who very much never wasted time in her class. That one class fostered a love of science I never used to have, and I'll always remember that teacher for it!
The old man at 6:55 is played by actor Ernest Borgnine. He had a long and fantastic career, but if you might know him from anywhere he was the voice of Mermaid Man on Spongebob Squarepants.
Airwolf!
I watched this movie in high school Biology, and it is the only thing I remember from the entire class
Hahaha honestly if you watched this, must’ve been a good class
@@JamesVSCinema Watched it on one of those wheeled carts with a 12-inch screen. Basically an IMAX experience
@@tylerkoch601 same in Bio Gen class. Lol
My human biology teacher would show this to his students every year and told us that every time he watched it, he would notice more and more details. He said that the movie was flawless and that everything added up perfectly. I asked him why no one noticed that Jerome had a British accent and Vincent didn't and he completely blue-screened. It was the first time I had (inadvertently) stumped him and it was with a movie he knew backwards and forwards! I'm so glad he showed us this film, it was fantastic (with great social commentary on eugenics). So many great memories with this movie!
The moment I saw you've reacted to Gattaca, I was sold immediately. Great to see you enjoyed this unique film. The concept blew me away when I saw this in a sneak preview back then.
Stay safe all.
Stay safe to you too buddy!
Beautiful, *beautiful* film. Andrew Niccol's first screenwriting and directing job too. "There is no gene for the human spirit" might be one of the best taglines for a movie ever. For a 1997 movie it's terrifyingly precient (and was somewhat dismissed at the time for it) with gene modification becoming more and more commonplace. We very well might see "Genoism" in our lifetime. I'm so glad you checked this movie out, James!
Me too Tim!! Hope your day is nothing but love brotha!
The movie that illustrates why eugenics will never work. Even in a setting where they can predict your whole life by your genes, our boy shows that by one simple idea it's all made wrong, "I never saved anything for the swim back". You don't have to be the best to be the strongest one there is.
18:35 Notice how the stairs has the form of a DNA chain. Jerome has to climb it to recover his identity back. This movie is full of symbolic and powerful images. Check it out Truman's Show, another film written and directed by Andrew Niccol.
24:45 is an inversion as well as an artistic representation of an earthly incursion on a societal level. Came out when i was in middle school
One of my favourite films. Love Gattaca.
Loved it too!
This was the first movie my brother and I bonded over. Him and I had a relationship like Vincent and Anton, always trying to one-up each other. Yeah, we both cried our eyes out in the end.
Wow, that's really touching! 💙
The scene that always gets me is when Vincent opens the card from Jerome to find he has given him a lock of his hair.😢😢😭
We actually watched this in science class in school with a substitute teacher; it blew our teenage minds and sparked a sci-fi love for a few of us I'm sure!
That grandpa is Ernest Borgnine... a master. Watch everything he's in you can find.
This has to.be the most underrated movie of all time. Its timeless. It will still be relevant for the next 50 years when science perfects DNA principles.
I first saw this in a high school biology class and I really liked it ever since. It definitely covers some interesting topics that make you think. I still think about it often whenever I hear stories about people choosing their child's genetics.
It’s coming out on 4k blu ray at the end of this month fully remastered. My favorite movie and so pumped to own it!
Fun fact: Ethan Hawk and Uma Thurman met and got married after this movie and had a daughter named Maya Hawk. She comes out in the 3rd season of stranger things as Robin
trumanpink She was also in Little Women & Once Upon a Time.....In Hollywood
@@susanmaggiora4800 I don’t remember her in little woman but yes ouatih she was in there too
Nothing wrong with tearing up! This film is worth rewatching many times to pick up on everything - it's SO packed with symbolism, themes, great dialogue, casting & performances, cinematography, directing, production & sound design, music, maximising production value with a very modest budget, plot structure, emotional pay offs & continued relevance to our present & future. One of those times everything comes together in one film perfectly. Criminally underrated & unrewarded at the box office at the time. Definitely one of my personal all time favourite movies.
Gattaca was one of the best 90's sci-fi movies, along with The Fifth Element, and Strange Days.
The old man janitor was played by the actor Ernest Borgnine, who won an Oscar for the excellent film "Marty."
He was also Cabby in Escape from New York
Watching Jerome climb the double-helix staircase as a sheer force of will still blows my mind.
This is one of my favorite movies of all time and I have seen a LOT of them. Such a powerful and original story. That line at the end chokes me up every time.
"That was the year I was born."
Oh no.
😂😂😂
One of my favorite of the many subtle things in this movie is that they cast fashion models as all the extras, so background scenes are all full of these tall, gorgeous people, highlighting the point of what this society is like.
I loved your reaction and commentary. You obviously understand the magnificence of this movie.
Thanks man!
Sociological Think Piece more than Sci-Fi/ Romance. Love it so much I still own the VHS.
Glad to see you react to this movie! It was one of my favs and it seems like a lot of people have forgotten about it. The tag line for this movie was, “There’s no gene for the human spirit” which was always inspiring to me.
I’ve always loved this film. The style, the visuals, the acting & the message are all fantastic.
The biggest problem with most sci fi films is that they present ideas and a dystopia but they always resort to rebellion and destruction is a response to it devolving the film to some kind of cliche revolution trope. The subject matter is never presented with nuance or care, most films would just go "discrimination bad!" and never allow the viewer to gain an appreciation for the subject matter. Thankfully Gattica doesn't fall into this problem, showing how the quality of life has improved even as it shows how inherent human weakness allows for brand new kinds of discrimination and social pressures. It presents a message of inclusiveness while never dehumanizing any particular side. It's a damn good pure sci-fi and Im glad you got to experience it.
Andrew Niccol nailed it. he banged out the Truman Show script and wrote and directed this one. Back to back. not bad. Both Truman Show and Gattaca were seeing into are future.
Andrew Niccol born in my hometown in New Zealand! He left NZ at the age of 21 but we still claim him. Dystopian futures are kinda his brand but GATTACA and The Truman Show are his best work.
Oh snap!! Yeah knocked it out of the park
@@joeypotter6051 You only have to make one good one. He made 1 and wrote another. Night of the Hunter (1955) is an amazing movie and it's the only movie Charles Laughton directed. Wish he made more and I wish Niccol made more great ones but ya only have to make one.
"There is no gene for the human spirit" One of my favorite movies. Enjoyed this watch along.
Oh, interesting. I never thought about this as a metaphor for social media. Of course, the movie was made way before that was invented, but you're absolutely right. The identities we invent online to create perfect versions of ourselves that will never be real is a lot like this movie. I always thought this film was ahead of its time, and now it feels more relevant than ever. I may need to rewatch it soon.
Right!? Super interesting to see this film’s events sorta come true in today’s world!
"There is no gene for the human spirit."
Wish I saw this in theaters. I rented this the year after it came out in 1998 and it's concepts of being born "defective" or "less than ideal" really resonated with me.
I was 14 at the time, just really figuring out my sexuality, and Matthew Shepard just happened. I remember watching this with my family and trying to hide my tears because I still wasn't out of the closet yet.
This is just my subjective take but it will always be one of those special movies that helped me through my formative years. I'm glad more people are discovering it still today.
I was gonna ask you to react to this movie!! Thats awesome that you found it. I think its a work of art!! The sound track is so haunting. This reminds me of another sci-fi masterpiece with deep meaning, great soundtrack and incredible lines…bladerunner
In the scene where Anton(the detective) reveals he is Vincent's brother, you said:
"He's your brother Why are you(the detective) not letting him slide, but it's because he's trying to battle his own perfection."
Here is my interpretation of what the brother did and thought:
He first sees the invalid picture of his brother on the screen when they find the eyelash. He immediately recognizes his brother Vincent and thinks;
-My brother killed the Mission Director because the Mission Director discovered his true identity.
-He has gotten himself in over his head by trying to be someone at a higher station than his genetics allow.
-This is my chance to save my brother to prove I'm superior, which will then justify the discrimination that me and society have put him through his whole life.
Anton did want to save Vincent and for the reason that he was battling his own burden of perfection.
But when he finds out Vincent isn't the murderer he struggles to control the overwhelming realization he has at the truth of Vincent's success.
During the movie, Anton is secretly trying to see every Gattaca employee face to face so he can find Vincent. Jerome becomes one of the final people he has to track down. He was at Jerome's workstation and I think realizes this is the picture that his brother is hiding behind, but everyone says Jerome is so highly skilled, he doesn't want to entertain the idea Vincent belongs there, genes or not.
Anton finally accepts the truth out in the water, he acknowledges his brother's accomplishments, and asks with sincerity how it was possible.
"There is no gene for the human spirit."
My favorite aspect of this movie was how it brought to the forefront the ethical dilemma of genetic engineering. While it paints an extreme picture of what genetic engineering is capable of it is a picture that’s becoming more and more relevant as our technology and knowledge advances. This movie really shows how long we’ve had the fear of designer babies and how long this has been a topic of conversation since genetic engineering became possible.
With our current medical knowledge we are so much closer to the reality portrayed in the movie. Genetic testing can tell us our predisposition on genetic disorders even before a baby is born. Gene therapy now allows for genetic disorders to be modified and essentially cure a person of certain diseases. But the concerns remain: should it ever be used to engineer a baby who is unable to make a decision but will have to live with the decision made for them; should ever be used to change the germ line in that any changes made in a parent can be passed on to their children? This movie definitely seems to paint science and genetic engineering in a bad light but I like how it emphasizes that people are beyond our genes. While genetic editing has become a reality it is likely not to reach the point where personality and character are influenced. Anything to do with how the brain works to create what is considered the person is so complex and the day we get to the genetic bases for this complexity is surely in the distant future.
Another thing I liked is how it shows how eugenics can so easily hide within our society especially in our modern healthcare practices. In emergencies where resources are limited we default to the mindset of eugenics: only those who will benefit most from the treatment/resource should get it. This often means the healthiest, youngest, and most able bodied people are preferred over those with pre-existing conditions, the elderly, people with disabilities. Our society in general prefers young, healthy, and able-bodied people with little regard for those that fit outside these categories. The elderly are cast aside or pitied as they are no longer working members of society. Rather than helping to prevent sickness we punish the sick with exorbitant medical fees. Our world is not designed to accommodate people who are physically disabled or neuro-atypical
So glad you tackled this movie. It has been amongst my favorite sci fi movies of all-time. Back in the day, it flew way under the radar. Just goes to show that quality always surfaces, sooner or later.
Movie tip: "Mr. Nobody". Another hidden gem. Trust me. It's about making choices, and how choosing both determines the rest of your life, and at the same time constricts the number of choices you have left to make. It's very sci fi, in a very non-conventional way. I really think you're gonna love it.
Hell yeah! I was wondering when you were gonna get to this movie. Both Jude Law and Alan Arkin were very underrated in this one.
Agreed!
So happy to see this reaction. This has been a personal fav for many years. “...I never saved anything for the swim back.” Words to live by.
My 9th grade biology teacher showed this film to our class, and ever since that day.. I have been in love with film, and I realize how beautiful the art of cinema really is and how much more there is behind the film itself.
Glad to hear about another science class showing; in this vein, sprinkling some sci-fi in the class is an actually brilliant idea; we definitely learned about DNA from this film and a talk at the end.
10:55 Where Vincent/Jerome "enjoys" the smoke in the glass, the music in the background is Django Reinhardt's "Nuages" (Clouds)
Such an underated movie. Watched it many years ago and it blew my mind. A shame so many people don't know it's existence!
He is not obsessed to be perfect. He is driven to be given all the opportunities everyone else, no matter how they are born.
One of my top 3 films. Glad you found it.
Ah yes another good one! Saw this one too in the movie theatre when it came out and I liked it a lot.
Guanine
Adenine
Thymine
Thymine
Adenine
Cytosine
Adenine
;)
Oh snap!
@@JamesVSCinema Haha was well proud of myself when that clicked while watching the movie the first time. 😁
I watched this in middle school science and we learned about this haha
I first watched this my high school science class and the teacher pointed out this fact about the title, I always thought it was cool that they named it like that.
@@jmuench420 Indeed. :)
The doctor was the guy in the wheelchair's father. He knew the whole time.
I’m so glad you chose to review this movie. A personal favorite of mine that has always made me tear up at the end. The score plays a huge character role in this movie IMO. Thank you!
I love this movie, watched it growing up. Such a gem and glad you checked it out :D
You touched on it a bit, I really like how the explores class structure in its world building
Glad you caught this!
I was so bummed that we didn't get your reaction to when they where swimming as adults and Vincent answered his question on how he was beating him, and Vincent says,
"I never saved anything for the swim back."
That was the most defining moments of the movie.
A lot of reactors miss the significance of that scene.
Very underrated barely known film. It's a gem. "Gattaca" is a play on DNA markers
one of the greatest movies ever made
ah man, so glad you did this one. One of my favorite Sci-Fi films ever. So well shot, that futuristic style that's all built to look 40's noir. The lingo and slang all being pulled from that era as well. The writing is insane. Knew you'd love it before I even clicked on the video. I need to watch this film again, it's been a minute.
The film poster from my time: 'There is no gene for the human spirit". Sums it up for me. Excellent, underrated movie!
This is truly an amazing movie. Nice to see others' reactions to it. Thanks for posting.
I have been waiting for my favorite movie reviewers to make their way to this masterpiece. I watched this for the first time in Biology 101, freshman year in college, and I was absolutely floored by this movie. Excited to hear your thoughts, man!
Great movie! I don't think a lot of people (especially people younger than me - I'm old) know about this movie. I'm so glad you watched it!
Hope this brings a bigger audience to this movie!
One of the small details that get me every time: in Vincent and Jerome's apartment - the staircase, and the act of climbing it. A double helix...
Director Josef was played by Gore Vidal, the novelist. He was a fascinating figure, a good writer (his novels aren't as strong as his nonfiction, in my estimation), and had several of the most entertaining "intellectual feuds" ever. Check out his fight on Dick Cavett with Norman Mailer. Freaking gold.
I love Vincent's answer when his brother asks him how he won "This is how I did it, Anton: I never saved anything for the swim back.".
the thing that's so shocking to everyone about who killed the guy is that these people have had those murderous traits filtered out, so the idea that one of these superior humans could do something so flawed and base sort of shatters their worldview.
Ive seen this movie many times over 5 years and I have never seen it that way, thanks!!!
I was just thinking about this movie while watching Reality Bites last night. Haven’t seen this for a while. Glad you’re watching it.
Hey! Happy to bring back some memories!
Another great Ethan Hawke movie, one of my favorites in the genre
I love your ongoing thoughts throughout this so much.
I couldn’t believe you figured out it was his brother right away!
He is a film maker, he studies stories and film plot
I always relate this movie to the first time I watched it at university on the south coast of England with my friends there. We all loved it, 2 of them actually did swim out like in the film (they didn't go until they couldn't go any further you'll be happy to know). I'd like to add you are really appreciated in these times man. Peace and love from the UK.
There are so many moments that call back to earlier parts of the film. Some of my favorites are when Jerome's silver turns to gold in the incinerator, and the doctor looking on Vincent with hope for his child's future, after the beginning when Vincent's own parents lost any they had for him. Writing and filmmaking this good is a rare treat
It makes my heart happy how much you enjoyed this movie. To mention a few, from Amadeus to Excalibur and Galaxy Quest, this movie is in my top ten of all-time favorites. This story painted an incredible picture of this futuristic world, but instead of capturing classism by the color of one's skin, it was by your DNA. When I first saw this movie, and maybe even to this day, I can't recall ever seeing such an original idea. The accompanying score was perfect too!
This movie was the first one that I ever sat down and deeply analyzed with a pencil and paper. It's something special.
I remember seeing this when it first came out and it continues to stay with me even today. Like you said, the parallels between aiming for flawless social media perfection makes it even more powerful and relevant today. I think it's hugely underrated and a sci-fi classic.
The Director, Andrew Niccol, is also the man who wrote "The Truman Show" with Jim Carrey, another '90s Sci-Fi Masterpiece. An absolutely must-watch if you haven't already.
One of my favourite movies. I replayed it to learn English back in the day!!!
That’s so cool! How’s your English now? Any improvements because of it?
Very underrated sci-fi.
I saw this in 7 th Grade. Had such an impact on me I never forgot it. The writing is so good.
A superb film…a favorite of mine since I first saw it in 1997
If you like sci-fi I have to recommend these sci-fi films: Annihilation (mixes horror elements), Predestination (time travel mind melter; also starring Ethan Hawke), Upgrade (action/revenge, very clever camerawork), and Hardcore Henry (first person action orgy). These are all very different but are all sci-fi. Bladerunner 2049 was awesome too. Also, the "old grandpa" at the beginning was the late great Ernest Borgnine. I believe he won an Oscar for Marty way back in the day. He's also in the classic war film Dirty Dozen, another film you should watch. Thanks for the upload.
Equilibrium is cool, too
Equilibrium has some good ideas but fails in execution
I recommend Lord Of War