Gattaca Key Scene Analysis
Chapter 4-5: The Turning Point
Action:
1. Family at dinner,
Vincent sitting to
the side reading a
‘Careers in Space’
book
Gives the Effect of…
Separation/Isolation,
Vincent is an outsider,
Retro film stock
emphasises the scene is set
in the past (flashback)
Verbal Techniques:
Voice-Over
Gives the Effect of…
Gives insight into the
situation, ties the whole
segment together.
2. Discussion about
Vincent’s future
Visual Techniques:
a. Fade in to Mid-Shot, Semi
Deep Focus.
b. Retro film stock
c. Composition: Three at
dinner table and Vincent
sitting by himself
Alternating close-ups of
Vincent’s Mother and Father
Emphasises the meaningful
looks between them,
suggests they have
discussed this previously
and are on the same page.
Supports the idea that
they’re in agreement, that
he needs to face facts that
his goals are unrealistic.
3. Sitting outside
job interview,
meets the
interviewer, leaves
again.
a. Reasonably close mid-shot
of Vincent sitting outside
b. Close-Up of handshake,
envelope he has licked, sample
beaker
Closeness allows us to see
his nervousness.
Close-Ups of handshake etc
emphasise their importance
– they are all barriers to
him succeeding.
Voice-Over + Dialogue:
“My goals didn’t change much…
much to my parents dismay”
“Vincent, you have to be
realistic” (Mother)
“The only way you’ll see the
inside of a ship is if you’re
cleaning it” (Father)
Voiceover + intentional lack of
dialogue
4. Boys standing on
the beach, about
to play ‘chicken’
with another swim.
Two-shot, mid shot + retro
film stock (still).
Vincent walks out of shot first
Vincent walking out of shot
first suggests confidence/
willingness to compete
Dialogue “You know you’re going
to lose”
Plus intentional lack of dialogue
from Vincent
The voiceover and the lack
of dialogue in the interview
emphasise the fact that the
boss has made up his mind
based on genetics, and
there is nothing Vincent can
say to change his mind.
Emphasises that Vincent is
focused on the job ahead,
and that actions are louder
than words.
Action:
5. Vincent starts
to beat Anton
Visual Techniques:
a. Camera begins dropping
below the surface
b. Underwater shot of one
swimmer from low angle
Gives the Effect of…
a. Effectively foreshadows
what is to follow
b. Emphasises that Vincent
is now ahead on his own.
Verbal Techniques:
Music builds in volume,
Voiceover with key quotes:
“Something was very different
that day”
Gives the Effect of…
Voiceover gives insight that
today will not be like all the
other times – adds to the
drama and tension
6. Anton runs out
of strength/
energy
Camera repeatedly drops
below the surface of the
water (Possible Point of View
shot?)
Echoes what is happening
to Anton, and involves the
viewer in what he would be
feeling.
Music builds in volume +
Dialogue of Anton calling out to
Vincent
Significant as this is
probably the first time
Anton has had to rely on
someone else to save him.
He’s scared, and this
affects him deeply.
7. Vincent dives
under and rescues
his brother
a. Underwater shot from low
angle with soft focus
b. Close-up shot of Anton’s
face as he is rescued
Voiceover with key quotes:
“It was the first time my
brother was not as strong as he
thought he was, and I was not
as weak”
8. Vincent drags
Anton back
through the water
to safety
Two-Shot, Mid-Shot with the
camera reasonably close to
the boys.
a.The shot emphasises
what Anton is going
through – slipping below
the surface with soft focus
to echo how his life is
slipping away.
b. The close-up emphasises
how weak and helpless
Anton is at this point.
The closeness involves the
audience and lets them see
how helpless Anton is at
this point.
Voiceover with key quotes:
“It was the moment that made
everything else possible”
(As above)
Key quotes emphasise how
important that moment is to
Vincent
Action:
9. Vincent tears
himself out of the
family photo
Visual Techniques:
a. Close up of the family photo
as Vincent tears himself out
of it.
b. Zooms out and focus
deepens as Anton’s face fills
the spot where Vincent was in
the photo.
Gives the Effect of…
Vincent is symbolically
removing himself from the
family, and Anton is filling
the gap left by him.
Verbal Techniques:
Sound effect: Tearing of photo
Gives the Effect of…
Emphasises that Vincent is
tearing himself out of the
family, and how much this
might hurt.
10. Vincent walks
out, never to
return.
a. Alternating mid-shots
between Vincent and Anton
(Family photo appears again).
b. Tracking shot as Vincent
walks out without looking back.
c. POV shot through the blinds
(assumedly) from Anton’s
viewpoint.
The fact that the two
brothers are on different
sides of the room and
never in the same shot
emphasises the difference
between them.
Intentional lack of dialogue.
Sound of footsteps with
intentional lack of music behind
them.
Lack of dialogue emphasises
the distance between the
two brothers.
Lack of music emphasises
the heavy, hollow ring of the
footsteps, which probably
echo how Vincent is feeling
(heavy and hollow)