Gattaca is still pertinent 25 years later • Hacker News Board

Re: Gattaca is still pertinent 25 years later

#121

Post by the_af » Sun, Feb 05, 2023, 7:34 PM UTC

cstuder wrote: post #110

js2 wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Despite Gattaca being one of my favorite movies for years I only recently learned, right here on HN, that the cinematographer is Sławomir Idziak, frequent collaborator of Krzysztof Kieślowski, which explains why Gattaca looks so much like one of my other favorites, The Double Life of Veronique . > create a minimalist future environment that still looks beautiful 25 years later. See also: Dark City

And for the love of god, watch the directors cut of `Dark City`, not the cinema version.

I watched the cinema version and found it outstanding. What are the changes in the director's cut?

Re: Gattaca is still pertinent 25 years later

#122

Post by peoplefromibiza » Sun, Feb 05, 2023, 7:34 PM UTC

anonporridge wrote: post #8

The great thing about Gattaca is that the cinematography ages incredibly well on top of the amazing plot. A lot of great sci-fi is marred by cheap effects that look incredibly dated only a decade later. Gattaca chose to focus on the story and create a minimalist future environment that still looks beautiful 25 years later.

that's because props >> vfx

props cost much more, so you have to focus on everything else, because you cannot rely on tons of CGI to fill the gaps

jaws is still a terrifying movie about a killer fish, meg is already a joke.

Re: Gattaca is still pertinent 25 years later

#123

Post by Filligree » Sun, Feb 05, 2023, 7:34 PM UTC

whatshisface wrote: post #61

Vecr wrote: post #44

One thing I don't understand about the movie, even after reading the screenplay etc. is why does Vincent claim the doctors knew the exact time of his death just seconds after he was born? They clearly don't and can't, given the entire rest of the movie. Are the doctors just reading out the exact middle of the probability distribution (or the time with the absolute highest probability), to way more precision than actu…

I always took it as implied that, although the 99% chance was their real knowledge of the distribution, this was a story about the one guy that ended up flying to space.

He does not actually fly to space in-movie, and from what I recall, it seems entirely plausible that he'll have a heart attack and die during the first flight. With all the implications that has for the rest of the team.

Re: Gattaca is still pertinent 25 years later

#124

Post by reducesuffering » Sun, Feb 05, 2023, 7:35 PM UTC

Isn't Gattaca already here? Another commenter mentioned 0 down syndrome children born in Iceland. Aren't we already doing embryo selection as prospective parents in "1st world" countries?

Re: Gattaca is still pertinent 25 years later

#125

Post by InspiredIdiot » Sun, Feb 05, 2023, 7:36 PM UTC

curiousgal wrote: post #114

whatshisface wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It tells you something about HN that there are like ten replies arguing that he should have the right to be selfish, and only one that recognizes that he was doing exactly what people from minorities did in the past to overturn the belief that they couldn't do anything.

I think the reason is because I am an actual mintority who is doing the same thing. It's exactly why I relate to the movie despite being a woman.

I'm glad you relate to it because it is amazing but if there is one criticism I could level, it is that the only female character seems like she is ~drugged~ for most of the movie. Uma Thurman is a good actress so I have to assume it was the direction/script.

Edit. Sorry, I was getting hyperbolic. There just isn't much development of her character so it is hard to see what the relationship between her and Ethan Hawke's character is even based on.

Re: Gattaca is still pertinent 25 years later

#126

Post by the_af » Sun, Feb 05, 2023, 7:36 PM UTC

Bayart wrote: post #45

anonporridge wrote: post #8

The great thing about Gattaca is that the cinematography ages incredibly well on top of the amazing plot. A lot of great sci-fi is marred by cheap effects that look incredibly dated only a decade later. Gattaca chose to focus on the story and create a minimalist future environment that still looks beautiful 25 years later.

Your point can be extended to other sci-fi movies that rely on practical effects and sober aesthetics, 2001 comes to mind.

And Blade Runner. The original settings/artwork are miles ahead the 2049 sequel just for this reason.

Re: Gattaca is still pertinent 25 years later

#127

Post by evan_ » Sun, Feb 05, 2023, 7:37 PM UTC

losvedir wrote: post #77

snissn wrote: post #28

this line lives so deep in my brain: "You want to know how I did it? I never saved anything for the swim back"

I never understood that. I don't think the movie is clear exactly what happens, but he... does swim back, right? Or does he just flounder and rely on his brother bringing him back?

He didn’t limit himself planning for the future, rather he found that when the time came he had strength he didn’t realize he had.

Re: Gattaca is still pertinent 25 years later

#128

Post by Filligree » Sun, Feb 05, 2023, 7:38 PM UTC

fallingknife wrote: post #19

rzzzt wrote: post #5

I understand this article appeared in Nature Genetics and so explores the genetics aspect of the movie (which is admittedly heavily emphasized, starting with the G-A-T-C letters highlighted in the title and opening credits), but I always thought it is about the practice of discrimination in general, regardless of what "quality" is chosen to put people in sets of "A" and "B". How literally should the audience take thi…

The part that I could never get over is that the discrimination against the main character actually made sense. He's trying to hide his heart condition to go in an important space mission. edit: HN is rate limiting me so I can't reply, but to davesque's comment below: > no one wants to live in a world where their life and capabilities are pre-determined But we do live in that world. It was determined that I would nev…

> The part that I could never get over is that the discrimination against the main character actually made sense. He's trying to hide his heart condition to go in an important space mission.

That's the part I also couldn't ever get over. He's shown to have a serious heart condition, and then cheats his way onto a space mission?

Yes sure, discrimination bad and all that but— that's a human judgement. In actual fact, he's dramatically increasing the risk of failure of said mission, along with the risks to everyone else involved with it.

My own take-away was that, grit or not, he's incredibly selfish.

Re: Gattaca is still pertinent 25 years later

#129

Post by agumonkey » Sun, Feb 05, 2023, 7:38 PM UTC

jimbob45 wrote: post #66

agumonkey wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Last time I watch Terminator 2, I stopped frame by frame during the mall shooting scene, and I realized how cheap some effects were, but how editing made it subtly perfect. It just conveys the blow to represent the T1000 liquid metal visually. No need to do more. I think today's era is obese.. too much power, too available .. no constraint.. the movie gets lost in the technology.

I know exactly which scene you’re talking about and I haven’t seen that movie in decades. I thought the point was to subvert audience expectations though. Cameron would have the first real SFX on screen be practical so that you think you’re going to see something fairly run-of-the-mill. Then, the shrapnel shrinks digitally and you realize T2 is like nothing you’ve seen.

Well even the first bullet impacts were suspiciously strange but yeah you don't fully get slapped until the body regenerate.

I really wonder how these people (movies, tv or music) felt about things and what emotions made them operate / edit / select shots and tricks to use.

Re: Gattaca is still pertinent 25 years later

#130

Post by the_af » Sun, Feb 05, 2023, 7:39 PM UTC

anonporridge wrote: post #8

The great thing about Gattaca is that the cinematography ages incredibly well on top of the amazing plot. A lot of great sci-fi is marred by cheap effects that look incredibly dated only a decade later. Gattaca chose to focus on the story and create a minimalist future environment that still looks beautiful 25 years later.

I totally, 100% agree. Gattaca is amazing, and my all time favorite Blade Runner also has outstanding practical effects (flawed, sure, but you stop noticing soon enough).

One of my favorites that, while very cool in general, suffers from some dodgy effects is Aliens. In general I wouldn't change a bit from it, but some of the dropship scenes are terrible and were pretty bad even back then.

Then again, be careful what you (um, I) wish for: if they were to touch up Aliens they wouldn't stop at the dropship and they would ruin it with unnecessary CGI.