Production Techniques from “Gattaca” and Their Importance

In the movie “Gattaca”, the director uses lots of production techniques to prove his point and ideas about a futuristic world where they “have discrimination down to a science”.

In the movie are used lots of color filters. The most important images are shot through a range of yellow, green and blue filters as if the camera were filtering out any imperfections. Gattaca has a special yellowish-orange glow that makes it look cold and unnatural. All the filters used create a state of inhumanity and discomfort.

In the beginning of the movie we are told that the action takes place in the future, but from the look of the buildings designs they are not too for into the future. This is important because makes the story more credible, as genetic engineering might be closer than we imagined. The building of Gattaca is designed b Frank Lloyd Wright, and doesn’t seem to have any right angles. Inside, in a boring office complex, were at anonymous regulated rows of workstations are young men and women typing cryptically at tiny computer terminals. This shows a possible way the society could end up: soulless robots. Just as impressive as the buildings architecture are the 5as automobile shapes and retro furniture in Vincent’s room. All this creates a futuristic look: a future darned together from patches of old technology.

Using all this, the director increased the viewer sense of alienation from that dystopic world. He did not want to encourage viewer empathy with the characters by often presenting them in shots which increases a range of them being dwarfed or limited y the architecture or landscape. There are also restricted interactions with the nature and the nature seems very hostile, for example the sea. Also, in some scenes is a lack f resolution which increases the viewer empathy, especially when scenes are cut abruptly between place and time. The voice over narration of Vincent keeps alienating the viewers as they are told what happened rather than experiencing emotions and events for themselves. There is also a very narrow range of body types which also reinforces the sense of cold perfection.

By using lots of production techniques, the movie director condemn the inhuman assumptions of a obsessively soulless society that defines people by their genetic make-up, and makes them “suffer under the burden of perfection”.