Topic 8 - Troubling Bodies

MCC248 Screen Texts

Presented by:DAMIAN CHEONG (32441606)IMELDA STEPHANI (32391195)

Outline

i) What are troubling bodies? ii) Gattaca (1997) - The Movieiii) Personal attitude towards successiv) Characterization/Character analysisv) Disabilityvi) Class systemsvii) Conclusion

What are troubling bodies?

• People with disabilities negotiate a complex identity that involves both physical difference social stigma.

• From an ‘individual’ point of view, disability is something that a person must overcome, usually social restrictions.

• Disabled people are seen as having a disability and are disempowered not by their bodies but by inflexible social practices and power imbalances that see these bodies as inferior or troubled.

What are troubling bodies?

• Cinematic representation of disability creates a powerful social barrier through the perpetuation of prejudicial attitudes. (Eg, perceptions, beliefs, social norms)

• For an instance, a person who is on a wheelchair is not seen as disabled because of his inability to walk, but seen as disabled due to the absence of ramps.

Gattaca (1997) by Andrew Niccol

In the not-too-distant future, a less-than-perfect man wants to travel to the stars. Society has categorized Vincent Freeman as less than suitable given his genetic make-up and he has become one of the underclass of humans that are only useful for menial jobs.

To move ahead, he assumes the identity of Jerome Morrow, a perfect genetic specimen who is a paraplegic as a result of a car accident. With professional advice, Vincent learns to deceive DNA and urine sample testing. Just when he is finally scheduled for a space mission, his program director is killed and the police begin an investigation, jeopardizing his secret.

Personal attitude in achieving success

Character Analysis of Vincent Anton Freeman:• Seen a an ‘Invalid’ in Gattaca

• non-perfect human’ known as ‘God’s child’

• Inferior genetics

• Has a heart problem, myopia

• Physical appearance fits Gattaca’s expectation.

• strong willed & determined to succeed

• Intelligent & persistent

• A first-class navigator who dreams of space travel

• Helps Jerome by fulfilling his potential and using his

identity

Character Analysis of Jerome Eugene morrow:

• Valid employee in Gattaca

• Superior genetics known second to none

• Perfectionist

• Confident

• Determined

• Intelligent & Persistent

• Helped Vincent achieve validity & lived his dreams

through Vincent

• Commits suicide at the end because he has no

reason to live

Disability

• People with physically abled bodies, intact limbs proper sense are those who

are perceived as normal beings, while others with physical defects such as

missing limbs or encounters physical difficulties known as the disabled

• Gattaca gives us a model of society built on eugenics (a scientific

program to improve the human breed) challenging our concepts of ‘human’

and ‘individual identity’, and values

• For those who is born under traditional

means without genetic manipulation, faced

discrimination and prejudice known as the

‘In-valid’ in a ‘Valid’ world

• Disability in society is often seen as an individual with weaker personality

• The character ‘Vincent’ in Gattaca challenges discrimination against the ‘inferior’ by staying strong and keeping his faith in order to fulfil his dreams

• Vincent is determined to become stronger instead of sinking into despair and accepting his imperfections

• The constantly reminder of his genetic inferiority made him a more

determined person although he now falls

into the category of a detested segment

of society, one of those who refuses to

play the hand that he was dealt. I'm more

commonly known as a 'borrowed ladder',

or a 'de-generate'

Disability

Vincent’s struggle for acceptance

• Vincent’s parents attempts to discouraged him

from pursuing his dream of travelling into space

• He faced one defeat after another by his younger brother Anton in the game of ‘chicken’ but never gave up hoping for a turn of the tide someday

• Entered Gattaca as a cleaner just be to be able to get closer to travelling into space

• An extreme makeover, making sacrifices by operating

on his legs to be 2 inches taller, in order to use Jerome’s identity

• Assaulted an officer in fear of getting exposed

Jerome Eugene Morrow

• Ironically, Jerome who is genetically superior & recognized

was portrayed as the weaker individually

• Eugene never suffered from the routine discrimination of an 'in-valid.’ He suffered under the burden of perfection

• Its silver. Jerome Morrow was never meant to be one step down on the podium. With all I had going for me, I was still second best’ Jerome reflected a sense of disappointment and frustration

• Turned to alcohol after the accident

• Commits suicide at the end because he

has no reason to live.

Class systems• Stereotyping forms the basis of prejudice

• 2 different social class - the genetically modified and the non-genetically modified groups of human being

• ‘Gattaca’ is already here and has been for hundreds, if not thousands of years. People are born into a certain class, monetary or intellectual or whatever and thus have expectations thrust upon them

• Vincent is born as a certain class with certain expectations, and is thus seen as having potential limited use within society from birth. He has to fight to prove himself to be seen as relevant by the ruling elite, to have access to the tools of success. He has to pretend to be something else to be accepted in to the society of 'genetic superiors'.

Movie stills

Questions

Presented by:

DAMIAN CHEONG (32441606)

IMELDA STEPHANI (32391195)

Topic 8 - Troubling Bodies

MCC248 Screen Texts