Gene genie
The Age Monday July 10, 2006
Decoding a film's DNA can be enlightening.
MUCH of Hollywood screenwriting theory and film analysis is based around the
"three-act structure", which, according to Syd Field (author of the influential
Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting), "is a beginning, middle and end. The
beginning corresponds to act I, the middle to act II and the end to act III."
However, the three-act structure has its detractors, such as screenwriting guru John
Truby, who believes the three-act analysis is simplistic with regard to the plot density
of many films today.
Field's model starts with act I, the set-up. Characters and relationships are
established and the dramatic premise is launched.
So if we look at act I of Gattaca, the main character, Vincent, born naturally as a
"faith birth", aspires to become an astronaut. To do this he must take on the genetic
identity of someone else. His relationship is established with his family, Eugene and
Irene among others.
Act II is the confrontation where, Field says, "the main character encounters
obstacles that keep him/her from achieving their dramatic need, which is defined as
what the character wants to win/gain/get or achieve".
So in this act, Vincent is implicated in the murder of the mission director. This gets in
the way of his need to go into space.
Act III is the resolution. Through her discovery of Eugene, Irene finally unearths the
truth about Vincent as Jerome. Vincent confronts his brother Anton and finally makes
it into outer space.
However, according to Truby, the beginning, middle and end concept "is not wrong,
but simplistic".
Truby approaches screenplay structure differently. He calls his model "the seven key
structure steps" (which he expands to 22 in his classes): 1. problem/need; 2. hero's
desire; 3. opponent; 4. plan; 5. the battle; 6. self-revelation; 7. new equilibrium.
Let us look at Gattaca in light of this model.
Problem/need. According to Truby, "the problem is the difficulty the hero finds
him/herself in at the beginning of the story. The hero is aware of what the problem(s)
is but does not know how to solve it." Truby also believes that "every character
begins with certain weaknesses that are holding him/her back. These weaknesses
are fundamental and deep-seated."
Vincent's problem is that he is a faith-based birth, with a "99 per cent probability" of a
heart disorder and a "life expectancy of 30.2 years". The "need" is what the hero
must fulfil in order to have a better life.
For Vincent, this is space travel.
Hero's desire. Truby believes that desire is "what your hero wants in the story,
his/her particular goal". Vincent's need and desire - to fly into outer space - are
inextricably linked.
Opponent. This is the character who most wants to keep the hero from achieving his
desire. In Gattaca, Vincent's opponent is more than a character. It is his own
personal genetic make-up that he believes holds him back. The system at Gattaca is
also constantly vigilant in monitoring for "the ladders" that use "genetically sound"
people to achieve their goals.
Finally, it is the detectives, Anton and Hugo, who are trying to track Vincent down as
the "invalid" who is a suspect in the murder of the mission director.
Plan. This is "the set of guidelines the hero will use to overcome the opponent and
reach the goal". Truby also says that "the hero is tested by how he/she can adjust
both plan and action to overcome the opponent". Vincent uses Eugene's genetic
material to pretend to be someone else so he can work at Gattaca. Then in adjusting
his plan, Vincent also uses a vial of Eugene's blood, which he swaps when being
tested for blood as a suspect for the mission director's murder.
The battle. This is "the final conflict between hero and opponent and determines
which character achieves the goal". The battle occurs between Vincent and his
brother Anton as a battle of wits when Vincent calls Eugene and tells him "you need
to be yourself for today", and a battle of strength when Vincent beats Anton at
swimming, saving his life for the second time.
Self-revelation. Truby states that "upon passing through the crucible of battle, the
hero learns a revelation about who he/she is. The hero strips away the facade he/she
has lived behind and sees him or herself honestly for the first time".
Vincent gains these revelations through his relationships with Anton; Irene, the
woman who falls in love with him; and Lamar, the medical tester at Gattaca. When
Vincent is at risk of imminent exposure by Lamar as an invalid, Vincent says to him,
"Just remember that I was as good as any and better than most." This is a far cry
from what Vincent believed near the beginning of the film: "From an early age I came
to think of myself as others thought of me. Chronically ill."
New equilibrium. In this stage, Truby says, "the hero has moved to a higher or lower
level as a result of going through his/her crucible. This is a fundamental change; the
audience senses that the hero will remain at this changed state from then on."
And so Vincent moves to a higher level - literally and figuratively. After testing
Vincent, Lamar even calls him by his real name. Although he has bent the rules to
get there, Vincent finally goes into space as himself.
Field's model gives an overview but Truby's model is more detailed in the insights
that it gives into Gattaca's characters and situations.
Paul Byrne is a teacher and writes screenplays.