MovieChat Forums > GATTACA (1997) Discussion > Why was everybody going to Titan??? In s...

Why was everybody going to Titan??? In suits?? What was their mission???


Why was everybody going to Titan and wearing regular suits??? What were they doing there??? digging for minerals? just visiting?

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In Gattaca Vincent claims that no one knows what the surface of Titan is like due to its dense cloud layer, and proudly states that his mission will be the first to discover what's really down there.

At the time the film was made, this was true. However, in 2005 the Huygens probe landed on Titan and photographed the surface.

What, you thought I was being serious? 

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They were going in suits because the advanced technology of their space capability enabled them to maintain the preferred aesthetic style of their society - even while traveling.

The whole of Gattaca is depicted as a 1950s or earlier, noir throwback on the surface, but underpinned by future technology that is well in advance of the way things look. Eg all the cars look like 50s/60s coupes, but whine because they are electic.

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That part kinda annoyed me to be honest. They were going up to a mostly unknown environment, just dressed in regular suits? I mean I understand the movie wasn't actually about the space travel at all but still.

I am a God

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That's what I considering the biggest flaw in the movie. I think a back story about people migrating off the planet would be more interesting but maybe that didn't want to be too much Blade Runner. We don't get a whole lot of motivation for him to go through all that trouble.

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[deleted]

Sorry, other responders, but I think you're missing the point. What was on Titan didn't matter at all; what mattered is that it was his dream to go to space; a powerful dream that inspired him.

Also, it's clear the intention was to tell a solid and thought-provoking science fiction story without relying on the usual tropes of aliens and space battles and laser guns. The filmmakers even gave it a stylized, archaic look, so that it's feels both familiar yet exotic, retro and futuristic, and NOT "realistic".

The characters and story are front and center, not technology or special effects. Considering how well it achieved that goal, I think it's a bit silly to quibble over a costume.

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Agreed. I think that it was also a good direction to leave the nature of the space program mysterious so as to make the viewer 'think' about what was on the horizon.

Many great stories use this trick, too. That whole 'what's in the box?' mentality is a great way to spark the imagination, but I digress. The story to reach that conclusion was the film's theme and it did it brilliantly. Heck, in today's day and age it could very well be an 'origin story', but fortunately that will likely never be the case and this film's legacy will remain as a standalone treasure.

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Yeah I think they left the details of the space mission vague on purpose. If they described the mission and it was something too exciting like setting up colonies on other planets or fighting aliens, it would have distracted from the real plot. If it was something boring or something that will have been accomplished when future audiences watch this movie, it is going to make his dream of going to space much less exciting.

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The idea of wearing suits during space travel has been touched on. Regarding why go to Titan? It's a rich mixture of atmosphere, oceans and geological landforms.

I am the Alpha and the Omoxus. The Omoxus and the Omega

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The movie wasn't really about going up into space. That was just the ultimate prize that was motivating Vincent. This movie was about bigotry based on genetics and about how drive and determination was actually more important than natural ability derived from the genetic procedure. It was about overcoming deficits and exceeding the limitations society places on you based on your biology.

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Yes, and then he died three days after take of because of his heart condition and one of the most crucial missions in history failed.

Sorry but entire premise of Gattaca is flawed. I am supposed to identify with underdog but I don't. We do everything in our power to make sure astrounauts are in the best possible shape, if we could test DNA for potential we would do that just to make sure that only the best from the best will be out there. This is how it must be until technology will be perfected enough for casual joe to use it. It would be great movie in any other context, in nearly any other field, it would be great to see him live a normal life and see him being denied insurance or trying to find job, coming to terms with his parents and the pain they inflicted upon him, but no space stuff, sorry but you are just not good enough, just like I am not good enough to be astrounat.

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Yes, and then he died three days after take of because of his heart condition and one of the most crucial missions in history failed.



Knowing Vincent, he overcame this obstacle.


I am the Alpha and the Omoxus The Omoxus and the Omega

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They were Morman Missionaries.

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It explains that "flaw"

It shows how in one scenario Vincents brother, a valid, fails where Vincent succeeds.

You missed a premise of the movie which was to show that tech isn't perfect because it can not predict human "spirit".

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