The Ties That Bind Gattaca and George Seferis

One of my personal criteria for thinking about books and movies and how successful they were is their "stickiness," by which I mean, how well I remember that book or movie or show, etc. I'm not thinking of remembering every detail, but recalling characters, scenes, emotions that I felt, etc.

George Seferis's poetry is an example in literature for me. I'm fond of Mediterranean landscapes, as those familiar with my poetry know. Seferis immediately conjures these for me, puts me into the landscape of the Greek isles immediately. In addition, Seferis brings in a wonderful historical sense to his poetry, as if his poems hinge on the ancient temples and partial columns scattered by Hellenistic culture. While C.P. Cavafy, another fantastic Greek poet, explores history as well, his approach is more upfront and takes on a narrator role. Seferis, instead, explores history by a glance or at an angle. His history is embedded in the modern, speaks through the images and words of his poetry. This line, "I woke with this marble head in my hands," stuck with me immediately (it's from his poem "Mythistorema") and has lived in my head ever since. This surrealistic image contains history from the start, history with a ghostlike, solid present.

Gattaca, a brilliant exploration of the ethics and morals of genetic selection encased in a murder mystery, is my example from film. I'm partial to its sensibilities anyways simply because it is science fiction, but Gattaca is more than a run-of-the-mill sci-fi flick. I remember very specific images from this movie: the DNA check, the swim into the ocean, the cars, scenes, motivations, and so on. The film encapsulates so very much in its reels: the power of dreams and resilience, sacrifice and loss, jealousy, and so much more. Vincent (Ethan Hawke) does not, in the end, succeed only by his own abilities. Instead, his abilities and hard work are allowed to bear fruit by the assistance of others. Jerome (Jude Law) sells his DNA--essentially--after an accident ruins his life. He bitterness is overcome and his sacrifice turns to a sad nobility. Dr. Lamar (Xandar Berkeley), I one of the best scenes in film, tells a story that reveals his own hopes. The scene itself is revelatory of an entire background to the movie: those that make possible our success are often unknown or do so in the background. Caesar (Ernest Borgnine) also assists day in and day out in the most basic and perhaps most important way. The whole movie is a masterpiece of tone and letting the story and characters carry the day. It treats its audience as intelligent, thinking beings, and succeeds gloriously.