Gattaca
In "the not-too-distant" future, where genetic engineering of humans is common and DNA plays the primary role in determining social class, Vincent (Ethan Hawke) is conceived and born without the aid of this technology. Suffering from the nearly eradicated physical dysfunctions of myopia and a congenital heart defect, as well as being given a life expectancy of 30.2 years, Vincent faces extreme genetic discrimination and prejudice. The only way he can achieve his life-long dream of becoming an astronaut is to break the law and impersonate a "valid", a person with appropriate genetic advantage.
Vincent assumes the identity of Jerome Eugene Morrow (Jude Law), a former swimming star who, despite a genetic profile "second to none", attempted to commit suicide by jumping in front of a car, paralyzing himself from the waist down. However, as the incident occurred outside the country, no one knows of his newly acquired disability. Thus, Vincent can "buy" Eugene's identity with no one the wiser. Vincent is now a "borrowed ladder" (a reference to the ladder structure of an un-coiled DNA strand) or in harsher language, a de-gene-erate, and is hoping to hide his true identity in order to fulfil his life-long dream...
Gattaca Learning Guides
Click on the files below to access the Learning Guides to assist you in your film study of 'Gattaca'
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Gattaca Film TrailerWatch the trailer and identify the main themes and issues that are emphasised.
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Gattaca Clip OneClip of Vincent explaining his daily routine and the role of a de-gene-erate
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Gattaca Clip TwoClip of Vincent and Eugene arguing as Vincent attempts to destroy all the samples and Eugene tells him, 'You are Jerome Morrow'
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Gattaca Clip ThreeThe Final Swim - Vincent and Anton swim one last time in order to prove that a 'Valid' is not better than an 'In-Valid'
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TED Talks Video - Jennifer Doudna:
We can change our DNA, but let's do it wisely...
Geneticist Jennifer Doudna co-invented a groundbreaking new technology for editing genes, called CRISPR-Cas9. The tool allows scientists to make precise edits to DNA strands, which could lead to treatments for genetic diseases … but could also be used to create so-called "designer babies." Doudna reviews how CRISPR-Cas9 works — and asks the scientific community to pause and discuss the ethics of this new tool.
Social, Political, and Historical SettingRead at least three of the listed news articles related to 'Genetic Engineering' - this will increase your understanding of the language, work and progress in this scientific field, as well as highlighting what is already possible and happening in our lifetime...
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Characterisation Chart: Vincent
Complete the following 'Characterisation Chart' for the character of Vincent. This is an important task as the whole film revolves around Vincent's development from what he is, to what he wants to be...
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Close Analysis of Key Scenes
Access and complete at least one 'Close Analysis' task for one of the three key scenes from the film.
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Relationship Development
Choose one of the four relationships and complete the table to show how the chosen relationship develops throughout the film. Remember to include film techniques in your analysis to show 'how' we see this change (dialogue, acting, lighting, camera work, etc)
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Essay Writing Materials and Notes
Now that you have analysed the film 'Gattaca,' you should be focusing on applying your understanding in an analytical essay. Below is a selection of materials that will aid your analysis and help you to formulate an argument in essay form. Ensure you are familiar with the attachements before planning your essay response.
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Essay Planning - Argument Tree
Writing a good essay plan is an essential step for writing a fluent, coherent, and insightful essay. Creating a 'Mind-Map,' 'Argument Tree,' or even a 'Brain Storm' will be a very useful revision tool as well as an aid for composing your analytical essay.
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Click below for an example of an 'Argument Tree':
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