Question about the movie Gattaca... (Possible spoilers)

[Mark07]

I just finished watching Gattaca on Blu and I have a question about the ending of the movie.

Possible spoilers...

[Show spoiler]What was the significance of the piece of Eugene's (the real Jerome) hair to Vincent? Also why did Eugene burn himself?

[Petra_Kalbrain]

Originally Posted by Mark07

What was the significance of the piece of Eugene's (the real Jerome) hair to Vincent? Also why did Eugene burn himself?

The hair, I can only surmise that it was a simple gratitude factor. If it wasn't for Eugene man, Vincent never would have been able to accomplish his dream.

Eugene burning himself is clearly out of respect for Vincent. In order for the truth to remain hidden and Vincent not being uncovered, there is only one thing to do with the evidence... get rid of it.

[ixlegitballinxl]

might need for samples in the future?.... some people are never satisfied..perfect or not....his only friend left for a year...see ya later

[eddievanhalen]

Originally Posted by Mark07

What was the significance of the piece of Eugene's (the real Jerome) hair to Vincent? Also why did Eugene burn himself?

In my opinion it has to do with what Vincent says at the beginning, something like "we were once part of a star". Jerome giving some of his hair to Vincent is a way to be back to where he came from, remember Jerome says to Vincent when he gives the envolope "not until you're up", not until he's upstairs, but up in the spaceship on the way to Titan.

[Mark07]

thanks alot for the responses guys.

[WickyWoo]

Eugene burning himself is clearly out of respect for Vincent. In order for the truth to remain hidden and Vincent not being uncovered, there is only one thing to do with the evidence... get rid of it.

The hair was for his "collection of body matter" to leave around

He burned himself because he had been trying to commit suicide for years. Vincent's dream gave him purpose, and once that purpose was fufilled, he didn't see a reason to go on living. That's why he left him the fridge full of everything "to last 2 lifetimes"

[JamesN]

I thought the gift of the hair at the end echoed Irene offering her hair to Vincent earlier. In that society, it was apparantly a gesture of one individual opening up to another (since the recipient could then obtain a complete genetic profile of the other). Obviously Eugene knew that Vincent already knew everything about him, but I saw it more as a symbolic genture of bareing his soul to Vincent. It doesn't make sense that the hair was simply more genetic material for Vincent to use in the future, since Eugene had already left him a lifetime supply of other materials.