Monday, November 12, 2007

Gattacca-Heather Miguel

In the film Gatacca we are taken to a place in the future where your life and death are already planned for you at birth. You are told what you will do, what will happen to you and when and how you will die. The ideology of the people's genetic superiority involves superiority and organization. Control is the ultimate power in this film and you can either have it or not, determined by your genetics. Our book talks about the gender differences at work and in Gatacca, they are clearly apparent. The men have the power and the women do wht they are told, even when it will out them behind in their own work, which in the long run will most likely be a factor on whether or not one is promoted. Irene and Vinecent are both living with heart conditions, which would set them apart and never allow the to go 'up'. However, Vinecent is able to manipulate this insane identity verification system, everyday, and work his way from the janitor to and elite, as two 'different' people. Irene doesn't accept her heart condition, she is clearly bothered by it, but accepts that she will never be able to go up, and continues her work as she is told and goes on with her life as a passive, suspicious but supportive figure. This is a part of gender discrimination. Irene and Vinecent have the same job, same goals, same condition, yet Vinecent gets by it and achieves his dream. Gender discrimination still goes on in the workplace today unfortunately, men are more likely given better pay, higher jobs and more security. I feel that we are trying as hard as we can to overcome this and are succeeding little by little, but we still have a ways to go.

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