‘Gattaca’:

Opening Film Situation

When the scene opens, we see a young man named Vincent engaged in some puzzling activities: among other things, he is scraping his skin, attaching a false tip to his finger and injecting some blood into it. Why is he doing these things? Vincent was born into a society where most people are the products of genetic engineering. Vincent’s parents, however, chose to have their son the ‘natural’ way. However, in this society (set, we are told, in the “not-too-distant future”), those born in the conventional way are the victims of prejudice. Such people can never enter ‘good’ schools or get good jobs. It is very difficult, if not impossible for them to obtain medical insurance, as their natural, congenital flaws dub them “high risk”. All people in this society are subject to frequent DNA checks as a way to verify their identities.

Since his childhood, Vincent has always dreamed of becoming an astronaut. However, since everyone in this society is judged soley on the quality of his or her DNA, people like Vincent have no chance of realizing such grand dreams.

Determined to realize his dream, Vincent decides to buy the DNA of a man named Jerome. Jerome is thought to have an excellent genetic ‘quotient’. Vincent assumes Jerome’s ‘DNA’ identity so that he can realize his dream of being accepted into the famed Gattaca Institute and become an astronaut.

In the course of the movie, we will wee Vincent’s early life and all the events that led up to his present situation.