Gattaca and Jurassic Park

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The films Gattaca, directed by Andrew Niccol in 1997, and Jurassic Park, directed by Stephen Spielberg in 1993 seem like two films that have no connection. Gattaca is a film about a man, Vincent Freeman, overcoming his genetic disadvantage to become an astronaut. Jurassic Park on the other hand is a film about bringing dinosaurs back to life, while also causing massive chaos. However, despite these major differences in plot, both films are based on a similar idea, genetic engineering. Genetic engineering is defined as the process of directly affecting the genetic makeup of an individual using biotechnology. In fact despite having two totally different plots, Gattaca and Jurassic park approach the technology of genetic engineering from very similar angles. Gattaca is a 1997 film about Vincent Freeman who is born of normal birth. In his society individuals born of normal birth are inferior to individuals of genetic birth. The individuals of genetic birth have been genetically engineered to have superior genetics. They have been removed of all genetic diseases and filled with the most desirable traits. The film follows Vincent as he tries to impersonate an individual of genetic birth to reach his goal of piloting a one man mission to Saturn’s moon Titan. The role genetic engineering plays in the movie is an indirect one. The viewer is only shown once how the process of genetic engineering occurs. However, the use of this technology has caused a divide in society. The superiority of one’s genetic makeup determines their role in society. Those that have been genetically engineered tend to hold a higher role in society then those born of normal birth. Furthermore, indivudals are genetically engineered to play certain roles in societ... ... middle of paper ... ...start escaping. This can be seen in genetically modified plants in today’s society. These plants we genetically modified, are populating none genetically modified plants causing a new hybrid. Thus, very little of what we eat is actually natural. Despite the difference in plot between Gattaca and Jurassic Park, both films cover genetic engineering in a very similar light. Both convey how genetic engineering causes chaos in society, whether it be creating rifts in society, or creating meat hungry dinosaurs. Works Cited Gattaca. Dir. Andrew Niccol. By Andrew Niccol. Perf. Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, Jude Law. Columbia Pictures, 1997 Jurassic Park. Dir. Steven Spielberg. By Michael Chrichton. Perf. Sam Neill and Laura Dern. Universal Pictures, 1993. Wilson, Tracy V. "Can Scientists Clone Dinosaurs?" HowStuffWorks. HowStuffWorks.com, 15 Jan. 2008. Web. 23 Mar. 2014.

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