![gattaca there is no clone for the human spirit gattaca there is no clone for the human spirit](https://s3.studylib.net/store/data/008030145_1-ed2ee3f8cf4ecc6dc2b1ee1ff68fab41-300x300.png)
The society in Gattaca ignore biblical morality by “straightening what God hath made crooked”, genetically determining the life and future of a child while they are still in utero, thus putting the fate of their child in the hands of science, rather than God. The lives of Jerome and Anton serve to exhibit the adverse consequences caused the burden of perfection, and the fact that even the elite in a genetically-focused society will be ‘imperfect’.
![gattaca there is no clone for the human spirit gattaca there is no clone for the human spirit](https://images.slideplayer.com/24/7233187/slides/slide_58.jpg)
He views himself as perfection incarnate, so his loss can only be explained by a lack of effort on his own part. He only sees one side of the battle his own. I beat myself.” This displays once again that Anton cannot comprehend Vincent’s success, whether in the water or in the offices of Gattaca he does not understand the strength of Vincent’s human spirit, and what it enables him to accomplish. When the two are reunited during Anton’s investigation into the murder of the Mission Director, Vincent references his defeat of Anton, causing Anton to defend himself, saying, “You didn’t beat me that day. After being defeated by Vincent in the game of ‘chicken’, Anton is left confounded by his failure, struggling to comprehend how his invalid brother, with the genetic odds stacked so severely against him, was able to achieve the impossible. He displays excessive cockiness and braggadocio before the second swimming scene with Vincent, by saying “You’re sure you want to do this? You know you’re going to lose.” This highlights Anton’s belief in his own genetic strength, and that he is capable of achieving his goals without effort or perseverance. This same coping difficulty is shared and suffered by Vincent’s valid brother, Anton Freeman. This indicates to the viewer that Jerome’s belief in his own genetic perfection was shattered after the loss, and he is unable to cope with the failure he endured. In an outburst of honesty, Jerome tells Vincent, “ was never meant to be one step down on the podium”. He appears from behind a pillar, as if he was concealing himself from the shame of his failure. When the viewer first meets Jerome, he is displayed as attractive man, miserably confined to a wheelchair. However, he sunk into a life of self-loathing abuse, finding solace in alcohol after placing second in a swimming race. With superb genetic gifts, such as “a heart of an ox” and “IQ off the register”, Jerome is genetically determined for glory. One of the most obvious victims of this burden was the wheelchair-bound demigod Jerome Morrow. While the ‘invalids’ of society suffer from discrimination, the ‘valids’ are forced to endure their own, unique hardship the burden of perfection, which proves to detrimentally impact the elite.
![gattaca there is no clone for the human spirit gattaca there is no clone for the human spirit](https://static.anarchivism.org/cyberpunkreview-archive/www.cyberpunkreview.com/images/gattaca17.jpg)
Niccol alerts the viewer to the concepts displayed in the film, including the burden of perfection, discrimination and the strength of the human spirit are raised, and allows the viewer to contemplate their own desires for a perfect future society. The film serves as a cautionary tale for modern society, by raising questions about genetic determinism, and the issues it could cause for us in the not-too-distant future. Genetic determinism provides the foundation for Andrew Niccol’s science fiction film Gattaca.