History Film / Gattaca

* ForeShadowing: There are some slightly subtle hints that the lead investigator is [[spoiler:Vincent's brother Anton]], easier to catch on a rewatch. Right off the bat, when his partner wants to run a check on Vincent's background, he quickly insists he's already run it, and it turned up no known relatives--[[spoiler:because he knows very well that if anyone else looked it up, he would come up as a relative]]. He spends the whole film trying to steer the investigation off of the In-Valid, even to the derision of his subordinates, and makes pointed inquiries about the hiring process and what would be done if someone exceeded their potential. He is also [[spoiler:the only person besides Irene to notice that Vincent and Jerome are different people]]. Add to that, one scene shows him [[spoiler:swimming in a small indoor pool. He is still obsessed with his loss to his imperfect brother.]]

* ForeShadowing: There are some slightly subtle hints that the lead investigator is [[spoiler:Vincent's brother Anton]], easier to catch on a rewatch. Right off the bat, when his partner wants to run a check on Vincent's background, he quickly insists he's already run it, and it turned up no known relatives--[[spoiler:because he knows very well that if anyone else looked it up, he would come up as a relative]]. He spends the whole film trying to steer the investigation off of the In-Valid, even to the derision of his subordinates, and makes pointed inquiries about the hiring process and what would be done if someone exceeded their potential. He is also [[spoiler:the only person besides Irene to notice that Vincent and Jerome are different people]]. Add to that, once scene shows him [[spoiler:swimming in a small indoor pool. He is still obsessed with his loss to his imperfect brother.]]

* ForeShadowing: There are some slightly subtle hints that the lead investigator is [[spoiler:Vincent's brother Anton]], easier to catch on a rewatch. Right off the bat, when his partner wants to run a check on Vincent's background, he quickly insists he's already run it, and it turned up no known relatives--[[spoiler:because he knows very well that if anyone else looked it up, he would come up as a relative]]. He spends the whole film trying to steer the investigation off of the In-Valid, even to the derision of his subordinates, and makes pointed inquiries about the hiring process and what would be done if someone exceeded their potential. He is also [[spoiler:the only person besides Irene to notice that Vincent and Jerome are different people]].

* {{Zeerust}}: The movie focuses its future speculation on genetic engineering, so it's natural that other aspects of the film's future would be less well thought out. Still, it can be a bit odd watching the movie and wondering why the televisions and computer monitors look like they're stuck in TheNineties, why Pluto is still a planet, and why nobody knows 0[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huygens_probe what Titan's surface looks like.]] The aesthetics of the film also deliberately invoke this. The fashion and cars look like they're out of the 50s.

* MissedHimbythaMuch: Vincent and [[spoiler:Anton]] conveniently never come properly face to face until the very end, keeping [[spoiler:them from recognising each other]]. While [[spoiler:Anton]] knew Vincent was there and [[spoiler:was actively looking for him]], Vincent has no clue who [[spoiler:Anton truly is until the very end]].

* BackAlleyDoctor. Tony Shalhoub's character in addition to dealing in genetic profiles, also seems a skilled surgeon, dentist, and optician to make the identity swaps to work. Justified due to likely being one of the genetically perfect elite himself.

Compare and contrast Aldous Huxley's ''Literature/BraveNewWorld''.

** It also serves to highlight the importance of those who do notice; such as showcasing Vincent's bond with Irene and Foreshadowing [[spoiler: that the lead investigator is Anton, who can recognise Vincent, as he still appears unconvinced by the performance and the results in the scene where he tests the real Jerome, only leaving without a word]].

* AllegedLookalikes: The fact that DNA samples are more noticed than faces is mentioned. Vincent is initially skeptical, as he and Jerome look almost nothing alike, but is convinced that nobody looks at ID photos anymore. The photo on Jerome that comes up on the ID is actually a blend of Ethan Hawke and Jude Law's faces, making both of them using it at one point slightly more believable. The only person who notices that Vincent and Jerome look different is [[LoveInterest Irene]].

* PoliceAreUseless: The police constantly focus on Vincent, assuming that the In-Valid must be responsible for the murder at Gattaca. If not for the combination of the fact that [spoiler: Anton] refuses to accept the assumption that 'the invalid' [spoiler: aka his brother] is automatically the murderer, regularly trying to redirect the investigation to other possibilities, and his older partner's dedication to searching every nook and cranny for evidence, the murder case might never have been solved.

* PoliceAreUseless: The police constantly focus on Vincent, assuming that the In-Valid must be responsible for the murder at Gattaca. If not for the one rational cop on the investigation (old cop, who is clearly In-Valid and yet superior thanks to years of experience), not only would they have failed to find the murderer, they wouldn't even have come close to finding Vincent.

* CassetteFuturism: In addition to the Zeerusty anesthetics, the world of Gattaca features several elements from the 90s, specifically the computers and the J1773 inductive chargers the electric cars use, the latter of which was only used with 90s electric cars like the General Motors EV-1.

** Or another interpretation is that the pianist is natural born with the kind of birth defect that's usually engineered out.

** Also subverted [[spoiler:by the doctor. He knew full well that Vincent wasn't Jerome, he just didn't care. His own son wasn't everything the clinic promised.]]

* HeroicSuicide: [[spoiler:Eugene]] kills himself in the end by [[spoiler:activating the incinerator while he's inside so that Vincent can continue to live under his name, having gained his utmost respect]].