Gattaca would be an interesting analysis … I haven’t seen it in a while so I wonder who the IC is – is it Jude Law? What about the brother character? Or maybe there’s a hand-off somewhere?
Good choice. Gattica was a great film. I would’ve thought for sure that the IC was Anton (the brother). He keeps trying to get Vincent to see that he can’t exceed the limitations of his genetics and the story really comes to its conclusion when Vincent proves to him that, despite Antons genetic superiority, Vincent will always beat him (at swimming in this case) because he never saves anything for the swim back.
Thanks @decastell – I’m pretty sure you’re right about Anton. I remember the scene at the end where Vincent beats Anton and saves him; it was a very satisfying climax. Maybe Vincent is Steadfast which makes Anton a Change IC?
That said, I seem to recall that Anton isn’t present for a lot of the story, so I wonder if there is a hand-off somewhere. I know Eugene (Jude Law) starts off challenging Vincent a lot … I found this quote:
I’m sure you’re sincere…but I was being groomed for something like this myself. Even without the accident I don’t think I would have made it. My point is–how the hell do you expect to pull this off?
But then I was confused because later in the story, Eugene is actually pushing Vincent towards his dream to overcome his genetics:
Anyway, you don’t have a choice. You run, you may as well sign a confession, turn us both in right now.
I guess it bears more analysis! It’s been a while since I saw it, so maybe Anton is actually present more than I recall.
Wow! Really glad to see Gattaca picking up steam.
SPOOOILERS!!!
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The line “I never saved anything for the swim back” is one of my all time favorite film moments. Now that that’s out of the way:
In a way I see the writer treating Jude Law as the brother while the real brother is out of Vincent’s life, although not entirely successfully I’d say. It feels a lot like the Dark Knight where confusion about the IC being either Joker or Dent creates a bit troublesome ending. But what I think is going on there is that the SS Concern of Being (Vincent being like his brother by literally playing a role as another person) is handled with Jude Law’s character, maybe because a brothers’ rivalry felt too cliched or too limiting of Vincent’s whereabouts and movements in the story.
I’ve done a very extensive analyzing on the film, and have come close to a single storyform. But I think it’s a too noisy story with the detective plot and all to arrive at a single definite form. Although the elements that do make the film really good are loud and clear - for example, I’m pretty certain Test and Trust are either the problem-solution pair or focus-direction pair in the OS - and Vincent’s personal throughline quite clearly focuses on a Fantasy of space flight with him being a very definite Steadfast-Success MC.
Damn, it really is a quite a great story for being so unknown.
I was thinking about it more and realized that I was mis-remembering the length of Anton’s absence.
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It was because there is a period in the film where you as audience don’t know who the detective is (or at least I didn’t). So you and @decastell are definitely right, there isn’t even a need for a hand-off. Sorry about that … need to watch it again!