Gattaca slipped into theaters in 1997 with good critical reception but was mostly ignored by the viewing public. Its subsequent run on home video has garnered it something of a cult following, but it is still under the radar of mainstream audiences which is a shame. The film has been called a “modern sci-fi classic,” yet its Blu-ray release in March 2008 did not make waves in the high-def community though it at least deserves an honorable mention.
As much as there are “sci-fi” elements to the film, they work more as an impetus to drive the story than what ultimately defines it. Gattaca plays out as a morality tale set in an indeterminate future when genetic engineering has been perfected to the degree that a pregnancy can be manipulated to diminish any “undesirable” traits (physical deficiencies, emotional/psychological disorders, etc). This has led to a society in which Vincent Freeman (Ethan Hawke) is a de facto member of a new lower class of the “in-valid” due to being the product of a “natural” birth.
If it sounds like there is an overriding message about the dangers of our society’s scientific pursuits, there is, but it does not come off overly preachy and serves well as a backdrop for the intricate low-key character driven drama. Motivated by the desire to become an astronaut, a profession only open to the genetic elite, Vincent must cover up his physical imperfections by assuming the identity of Jerome Morrow (Jude Law) whose genetic profile is “valid” but has the physical limitation of being a paraplegic due to an accident.
The movie borrows aesthetically from the film noir genre (presenting a future constructed from elements of disparate pasts) and plays out as a tense combination of thriller, mystery and drama. Vincent constantly has to outmaneuver the genetic profiling of the Gattaca Corp where he works, a murder investigation (led by detectives played by Alan Arkin and Loren Dean) and the societal prejudices of those that surround him (including love interest Uma Thurman). These elements synergize to create a film that can both engender discussion about its themes and is absorbing due to the commendable direction, cinematography, design and acting.
Sony/Columbia provide a stellar AVC encoded 2.40:1 framed 1080p transfer that beautifully reproduces the stylistic look of the film. While so many reviewers apologize for the age of catalog titles (even those a decade old), no such defenses are needed here. The prominent descriptive that comes to mind is “warm” which the image is through and through with resonant saturation that brings out the purposeful use of color such as steely grays and soft blues which symbolically play against lush greens.
Print damage is virtually non-existent allowing the crisp, clear visuals to be showcased with noticeable but modest grain levels and a lifelike dimensionality. Detail is solid throughout, and contrast seldom falters exhibiting clean whites and deep blacks. This is the prime example of an admirable transfer that requires a concerted effort with which to find fault. With such effort a few moments of softness or minimal digital noise can be noticed, but I seriously doubt anyone will pull themselves away from the story long enough.
The audio does not match the heights of the visuals but considering this is a fairly somber film does its job quite well. The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track feels very transparent with a well balanced delivery of the dialog, Michael Nyman’s haunting score and ambient effects through the front channels. There is a discrete use of the rears that reminds you this is a surround track but is never showy.
Dubbed audio is presented in Portuguese and French Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 with optional subtitles in English (SDH), Chinese, French, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish and Thai.
Sony did not create a “special edition” for this release but considering its relatively low profile, getting the movie in high-def is sufficient. The slim amount of extras from the DVD edition is ported over with two new pieces including a surprisingly interesting but short feature on the movie in high-def.
Original Featurette (6:52) – This is a promotional piece at heart and barely worth your time.
Deleted Scenes (10:43) – Six deleted scenes with very poor video quality. These are vaguely interesting with the removed coda to the film being the best.
Substance Test Outtake (00:36) – A short but humorous gag by actor Xander Berkley (Dr. Lamar) during one of Vincent’s drug tests.
Welcome To Gattaca (22:00, HD) – Exclusive to Blu-ray, this feature is not overly long but packs its 22 minutes with a good amount of interview snippets and production details. It is extremely interesting with new content from Law, Hawke, producer Danny Devito and several others involved in the film’s production.
Do Not Alter (14:52) – A featurette on the general history and advances of genetic science narrated by Gore Vidal, who played the director of Gattaca Corp. This is new to the Blu-ray release and while interestingly addressing the subject material does not go into enough depth to really do it justice.
Gattaca is a film that deserves a larger audience and its release in high definition cannot hurt its stature. The film is not perfect but the intelligent script, great acting, precise direction and high production value easily overshadow any flaws.
The Blu-ray release from Sony outdoes all previous home video editions with near perfect high-def video and competent lossless audio. While I wish the special features were meatier, I have owned this film on DVD for the better part of a decade with fewer extras than are provided here so this is still an improvement.
– Robert Searle
