Challenging the Idea of Humanity Adine May Reedman 12th Grade

‘Gattaca’ (1997) directed by Andrew Niccol, follows the life of Vincent Freeman. Vincent was born with mutations in his DNA, therefore illegally purchases the DNA of genetically superior Jerome Morrow, to fulfill his career aspiration of space exploration through Gattaca’s program. Through this, he fosters a romantic relationship with Irene. ‘Gattaca’ was produced amidst the controversial DNA sequencing research conducted by the ‘Human Genome Project’ in the 1990s. In response, Niccol explores the social and ethical implications of research in such fields. Contrastingly, ‘Blade Runner’ (1982) directed by Ridley Scott follows Rick Deckard on his hunt to ‘retire’ (execute) the escaped Nexus-6 replicants on earth. Nexus-6 leader, Roy Batty endeavors to prolong their four-year lifespan, while Nexus-7 experiment, Rachael discovers her identity. ‘Blade Runner’ is an adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s ‘Do Android’s Dream of Electric Sheep?’ and a response to the advancement of humanoid intelligence robots in the 1970s for entertainment and service purposes. The target audience of both films is directed to a male audience, as the actors in both films are heavily male dominated, while women are sexualized. As a dystopia, the nature of...