- Lead character in “Gattaca” is an underdog you can’t help but root for some enduring movies.
- We enjoy cheering for a protagonist who must overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
- Freeman’s narrative arc is so captivating that it is possible to argue
The lead character in “Gattaca” is an underdog you can’t help but root for some of the most enduring movies that have the main character.
We enjoy cheering for a protagonist who must overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles in order to achieve their objective. These heroes are best found in films that are set in an Orwellian dystopian society.
You obviously want to see Vincent Freeman (Ethan Hawke) succeed in Andrew Niccol’s science fiction suspense novel Gattaca from 1997.
In fact, Freeman’s narrative arc is so captivating that it is possible to argue that he is a more compelling and interesting figure than Orwell’s Winston Smith in 1984, a dystopian classic and the epitome of the genre. One of the best stories ever written, George Orwell’s masterpiece is widely recognized as a key critique of totalitarian oppression.
But that’s another story—his main character. Compared to Smith, who at times appears to be little more than a passenger rather than an interesting lead, Freeman is a much more nuanced and fascinating character.
Vincent Freeman was an underdog in Gattaca before he even took a breath. People who were modified in utero and created with the best genetic material from their parents are regarded as superior specimens in a future society that permits genetic engineering.
Natural born people are categorized as “invalids,” treated as second-class citizens, and demoted to a lower rank. As a result, Vincent takes odd jobs like waxing floors and cleaning bathrooms to pass the time while harboring space travel aspirations.
His odds of realizing this long-held desire appear to be little to none. For the space program, only “valids” are taken into account. While Winston Smith in Orwell’s novel makes few attempts, asks fewer questions, and eventually achieves little, Vincent is driven to accomplish the impossible.
He embarks on a challenging and captivating hero’s journey because of his drive to beat the hand fate has dealt him. The end product is a fascinating narrative of one man’s tireless efforts to defy the rules and overthrow a totalitarian government that is meant to repress what it views as inferior humans. It is a society where discrimination has literally been reduced to a science, as Vincent observes.
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