The movie GATTACA sheds light on the benefits and risks of genetic manipulation and raises concerns about the possibility of an unequal world in which genes determine human class in the future.
I watched the movie GATTACA. From the first moment I saw the title, it stuck with me. GATTACA, which is also the name of a top aerospace company in the movie, is a combination of the human DNA sequences A (adenine), C (cytosine), G (guanine), and T (thymine). The use of “GATTACA” in the title of the movie and in the name of the company that is the main setting of the movie is a clear indication that the movie is about the DNA gene. The movie tells the story of Vincent, the main character, who was born with inferior genes through natural insemination. He works harder than anyone else to fulfill his dream of becoming an astronaut. However, because of his inferior genes, he faces discrimination that prevents him from even getting started in the job he so desperately wants. Just as he is about to give up on his dream, he meets Jerome Murrow. Jerome Murrow is a very promising swimmer, a man with superior genes. With Jerome’s help, Vincent hides his inferior genes and borrows Jerome’s superior genes to get his dream job at GATTACA. He gets closer and closer to his dream of becoming an astronaut as he passes daily background checks, not only through his appearance but also through the transplantation of Jerome Murrow’s urine, blood, and skin. Released in 1997, the movie sends an important message about the problems and dangers of genetic manipulation in the near future. In this blog, I will share my thoughts on the future of genetic engineering as seen through the movie GATTACA.
If genetic modification could be used to ensure that a child born through genetic modification would inherit only the best genes and strengths of the parents, few people would be against it. In the movie, Vincent, born through natural insemination, is labeled as “in-valid,” or socially unfit, with 60% neurological diseases, 40% depression, 89% concentration disorder, 99% heart disease, and a life expectancy of 30.2 years. His younger brother Anton, on the other hand, was born through genetically engineered artificial insemination and has been nullified of all possible diseases. Vincent has a different starting point from birth. At this point, you might think that genetic modification through artificial insemination would have a hopeful and positive effect on everyone. In reality, genetic modification is a very useful technology for humans, and efforts are currently underway to study and apply it in many fields.
For example, the human body produces an essential hormone called insulin, which is sometimes deficient due to congenital or acquired causes. This causes diabetes. To prevent diabetes, insulin must be supplemented, and even normal humans produce very little insulin. Until now, insulin has been extracted from animals such as cows and pigs, but animal insulin has a different structure than human insulin, which can cause seizures in sensitive people. However, through genetic engineering research, we have found that if we cut out the gene that causes the human body to produce insulin and bind it to the DNA of E. coli, inject it into E. coli and let it grow, it will produce human insulin. And because E. coli divides rapidly – once every 20 minutes – the insulin could be produced in large quantities, making insulin affordable for people with insulin-dependent diabetes. Genetic modification has opened up a wide range of possibilities, from the simple cure of diabetes to the treatment of many dangerous diseases, and, as in the movies, genetic modification could even lead to a life free of all diseases through artificial insemination. Until now, I have been in favor of genetic modification based on short-term thinking, seeing only the advantages of genetic modification.
However, after watching this movie, I was able to reconsider the dark side of such short-term thinking. As I mentioned earlier, if genetic modification can eliminate inferior genes and create superior genes, it will have a positive outcome in that people will not have to be discriminated against due to their innate characteristics. However, the movie warns of the opposite. Vincent, who hasn’t benefited from genetic manipulation, works harder and more passionately than anyone else to pursue his dream of becoming an astronaut, but because his genes are inferior, he is denied the opportunity to pursue his dream and is forced to find vicarious satisfaction as a janitor at his dream job, GATTACA. On the other hand, Jerome Murrow, whose superior genes are disguised by Vincent, is able to become an elite astronaut because of his superior genes, even though he has no knowledge or ability to be an astronaut. This is a very unequal situation. Regardless of an individual’s ability or willingness, a simple genetic test can classify a person as ‘valid’ if their genes are superior or ‘in-valid’ if they are inferior, thus creating a classification of human beings.
So, would giving everyone the opportunity to genetically modify their genes level the playing field? A little thought shows that this is a far-fetched claim. In fact, the technology depicted in the movie GATTACA already exists. The highly controversial “bio-tech” procedures that allow for the creation of so-called “super babies” through genetic manipulation are extremely expensive, so the lower classes will continue to have children through natural childbirth and the upper classes through artificial insemination, which will only accelerate the rise of the haves and have-nots. If genetic manipulation is allowed, in the future, people will be discriminated against on the basis of their genes, not their skills or knowledge, and a genetic caste society will emerge. This will lead to an unfortunate outcome that is no different from the regression to a caste society like that of the Joseon Dynasty in history.
“It’s up to you to decide your fate, whether it’s possible or not!” ”I beat you by leaving no power to go back!”
These two lines are memorable from the movie. We’ve heard them many times before in famous books, speeches, and other places. I, too, have always taken them for granted, even though I don’t always realize and practice them. However, after watching this movie, I realized that people born with inferior genes due to genetic manipulation are inevitably doomed to an insurmountable fate, just as the characters in the movie have no place to turn back to, even if they have the power to turn back. If genetic manipulation were to give everyone a “valid” destiny, there would be no need or reason to oppose it. However, if human genetic modification is allowed in the near future, human beings will inevitably be divided into ‘in-valid’ and ‘valid’, which will lead to an unhappy future, not a happy and healthy future for humanity.
