Idle 'Gattaca' Thought ...

[andraste]

... you know, it's never occurred to me to question this before, but I've just finished an assignment on the film and I was wondering: is there a non-homoerotic explanation for the gift Jerome/Eugene gives Vincent/Jerome at the very end?

I've always thought the script started life as a love story about two guys and later had Uma Thurman forced into it with a crowbar, but it's possible the director did not expect the audience to be thinking that.

Comments

[bride-of-lister.livejournal.com]

I've always wondered that too... I mean most of my Bio class could see the slash so it wasn't just me.

[andraste]

I've always wondered that too... I mean most of my Bio class could see the slash so it wasn't just me.

Dude, Jerome gives Vincent a lock of his hair! If your Bio class didn't spot the slash after that, I would be worried about their eyesight.

[monanotlisa.livejournal.com]

I watched Gattaca before I was into slash fanfic, and I've always considered the homo-eroticism canon.

[andraste]

I watched Gattaca before I was into slash fanfic, and I've always considered the homo-eroticism canon.

The general consensus seems to be that, no, there is no other explanation *g*.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

As the script was written by the director (Andrew M. Niccol, who also was the scriptwriter but not the director for The Truman Show), I think distortion of authorial intention can be excluded, so presumably the homoeroticism was intentional, but so was Uma. *g*

[kattahj.livejournal.com]

Well, there are always producers/studios, they could have been pushing for the Uma...

And yeah, I always assumed the homoeroticism was intentional too, especially since I saw Gattaca and The Talented Mr. Ripley back to back, so I was all, "What is it about Jude Law that makes other guys fall in love with him and want to be him at the same time?"

[selenak.livejournal.com]

My own reaction to The Talented Mr. Ripley was more "that casting was inspired, because now I finally understand why everyone is hung up on Dickie Greenleaf!" Meaning: reading the novel, I found Dickie so spectacularly selfish and unpleasant that I wondered not just what Tom but Marge and well, everyone, saw in him, and the Sixties film version with Alain Delon as Ripley didn't help there, but the new one, while having Dickie no less self-absorbed than he is in the novel, let him be played by an actor with enough charisma and looks to make it clear what the attraction was to begin with.

[kattahj.livejournal.com]

I was never really into Jude Law physically, just acting-wise. But of course, then minisinoo started using him for Warren in her X-men stories, and now whenever I see him, I go, "Ooh, Warren! <3!" which has certainly changed my perspective a bit.

[andraste]

And yeah, I always assumed the homoeroticism was intentional too, especially since I saw Gattaca and The Talented Mr. Ripley back to back, so I was all, "What is it about Jude Law that makes other guys fall in love with him and want to be him at the same time?"

It is kind of weird and disturbing if you watch them together, especially since he effectively ends up dead by gay love in both films. I've never needed an explanation for why people want to sleep with Jude Law, though ...

[andraste]

As the script was written by the director (Andrew M. Niccol, who also was the scriptwriter but not the director for The Truman Show), I think distortion of authorial intention can be excluded, so presumably the homoeroticism was intentional, but so was Uma. *g*

This is what I get for not paying enough attention to the credits *g*. Possibly the tacked-on feeling of the heterosexual romance is just due to the usual 'oh, I guess I should put a woman in this' effect that afflicts more than a few in Hollywood ...

[wee-warrior.livejournal.com]

I've always thought the script started life as a love story about two guys and later had Uma Thurman forced into it with a crowbar, but it's possible the director did not expect the audience to be thinking that.

Well, when my friend and I watched the movie we decided that Vincent ditching both the program and Uma for Jerome would ultimately have been the more satisfying ending... I've definitely always thought that Jerome had a thing for Vincent that went beyond "take my identity." Of course, it ultimately doesn't help that Uma doesn't really have anything to do in the movie other then look period.

[andraste]

Well, when my friend and I watched the movie we decided that Vincent ditching both the program and Uma for Jerome would ultimately have been the more satisfying ending... I've definitely always thought that Jerome had a thing for Vincent that went beyond "take my identity." Of course, it ultimately doesn't help that Uma doesn't really have anything to do in the movie other then look period.

Irene has sufficiently little to do that she could be removed from the film with very little effect on the plot; the relationship between Jerome and Vincent is much more central to the themes of the story.

The two of them running away together would certainly have been a happier ending than Jude Law in an incinerator, although I do like the finale as it stands. I think I just have a fondness for bittersweet endings *g*.

[wee-warrior.livejournal.com]

The two of them running away together would certainly have been a happier ending than Jude Law in an incinerator, although I do like the finale as it stands. I think I just have a fondness for bittersweet endings *g*.

I'd also say, given the tone of the movie it doesn't really lend itself to a happy ending. Given the whole Irene situation, it just smacked a little of "we can't have them be gay, so let's kill one of them off," which was somewhat irritating.

And now that I think about, I think we had Jerome ditch Vincent and run away with Irene, because we felt sorry for her having so little to do and being rather tossed aside at the end.

[andraste]

Given the whole Irene situation, it just smacked a little of "we can't have them be gay, so let's kill one of them off," which was somewhat irritating.

Quite.

And now that I think about, I think we had Jerome ditch Vincent and run away with Irene, because we felt sorry for her having so little to do and being rather tossed aside at the end.

Oh, I like that idea *g*. Jerome did say "I think she likes us" and who wouldn't want to run away with Jude Law?