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Equilibrium (film)
Encyclopedia
Equilibrium is a 2002 American science fiction
action film written and directed by Kurt Wimmer
. It stars Christian Bale
as John Preston, a warrior
-priest
and enforcement officer
in a future dystopia
where both feelings and artistic expression are outlawed and citizens take daily injections of drugs
to suppress their emotions. After accidentally missing a dose, Preston begins to experience emotions which make him question his own morality
and moderate his actions, while attempting to remain undetected by the suspicious society in which he lives. Ultimately he aids a resistance movement using martial arts
, which he was taught serving the very regime
he is to help overthrow.
The film co-stars Taye Diggs
, Angus Macfadyen
, Sean Pertwee
, Emily Watson
, David Hemmings
and Sean Bean
. While the film did not perform well at the box office upon its initial release, it has since gained a cult following
.
n city-state of Libria. After a Third World War devastated the Earth
, a totalitarian state emerged whose ideology
determined human emotion to be the root cause of conflict. All emotionally stimulating material is banned and "sense offenders" are ruthlessly persecuted. Illegal materials are rated "EC-10" for "emotional content" (a reference to the MPAA film rating system
), and destroyed by immediate incineration. All citizens of Libria are required to take regular injections of the emotion-suppressing drug Prozium.
Libria is governed by the Tetragrammaton
Council, which is led by a reclusive figurehead known as "Father" (Sean Pertwee
). Father never interacts with anyone outside the ruling council, but he is omnipresent on giant video screens throughout the city. The Tetragrammaton Council uses its police state
apparatus to enforce conformity
. At the pinnacle of Librian law enforcement are the Grammaton Clerics, who are trained in the deadly martial art of gun kata
. The Clerics regularly raid the region outside the city known as "the Nether" where they locate and destroy emotionally stimulating materials such as art and music and pursue and execute the people using them. Despite their efforts, however, a resistance movement
, known as "the Underground", has emerged in Libria.
The film's main protagonist
is the high ranking Grammaton Cleric John Preston (Christian Bale
). He is a widower whose wife, Viviana, was executed for "Sense Offense". After a raid on a group of rebels, Preston notices his partner, Errol Partridge (Sean Bean
), taking a copy of Yeats poems instead of leaving it to be incinerated. He tracks down Partridge in the Nether and executes him. Before his death, Partridge says to Preston that all the consequences of feeling are a "cost he would pay gladly". The next morning Preston accidentally breaks his vial of Prozium, and as he is unable to receive a replacement he begins to experience emotions himself.
Preston is assigned the career-conscious Brandt (Taye Diggs
) as his new partner. Together, they arrest Mary O'Brien (Emily Watson
). Preston's emotional confusion is exacerbated during her interrogation. Without Prozium Preston finds it increasingly difficult to maintain his monotone and emotionless facade in front of his son and his suspicious partner. Preston falls in love with the imprisoned Resistance member Mary, and he also feels remorse for having killed Partridge. He eventually contacts the Resistance and is summoned before Vice-Counsel DuPont (Angus Macfadyen
) for suspicious behavior. DuPont tells him to redouble his efforts to exterminate the Resistance and to find the traitor among the clerics. The Resistance meanwhile convinces him to assassinate Father to set off a revolution. Their plan to disrupt Prozium production through sabotage will then lead to an uprising of the emotionally-awakened populace.
As Preston unsuccessfully attempts to stop Mary O'Brien's execution he is caught breaking down in a wave of emotions by Brandt, who arrests him and brings him before the Vice-Counsel. Having convinced DuPont that his colleague is the real traitor, Preston rushes home to destroy the evidence of his nonconformity and finds his son as an unexpected ally.
As part of a plot by the Underground, the leaders of the Resistance then turn themselves in to grant Preston an audience with Father. Father turns out to be Vice-Counsel DuPont, who also does not take Prozium. Preston goes on a rampage, shooting his way to DuPont's office, which is filled with artwork and ornate furniture. It also becomes clear from DuPont's choice of words that he, too, has been reading the poems of Yeats. DuPont taunts him, asking Preston how it felt to betray the Underground. Preston kills first an army of guards then Brandt, with a katana
. Finally Preston and DuPont face each other in a gun kata battle in which Preston emerges victorious. DuPont tries to convince Preston to spare him, asking if taking his life is worth the emotional cost knowing he is killing someone who is "feeling" and knows how beautiful life can be. Preston repeats the last words of Partridge and announces that he gladly will pay the cost, shooting DuPont in the chest. He then destroys the propaganda
machines that have indoctrinated the people of Libria while the Underground detonates bombs and takes control of the city. The film ends with Preston holding O'Brien's red ribbon, smiling.
The Gun Kata shown in Equilibrium is a hybrid mix of Kurt Wimmer
's own style of Gun Kata (which he invented in his backyard) and the martial arts style of the choreographer. They disagreed on the appropriate form of Gun Kata, with Kurt Wimmer advocating a smoother, flowing style and the choreographer supporting a more rigid style. Much of the Gun Kata seen in the film is based on the choreographer's style. Kurt Wimmer's Gun Kata is dispersed sparsely throughout the movie, most notably in the introductory scene with the silhouetted man, played by Wimmer himself, practicing with dual pistols.
Most of the filming used locations in Berlin, due to its unique mixture of fascist
and modern
architecture. According to the visual effects supervisor Tim McGovern who worked alongside Kurt Wimmer, the fascist architecture was chosen "to make the individual feel small and insignificant so the government seems more powerful." In addition, the modern architecture that is also found in Berlin, emphasizes the futuristic and stolid appearance of the city state of Libria. Moreover, while the city state of Libria has thick walls represented by an abandoned fortress-like East German military base, the exterior of the city is filmed in the decrepit neighborhoods of East Germany, where many of the surviving rebels reside. In addition to the geographic location, a few European art directors also made substantial contributions to the production.
Equilibriums locations include:
Equilibrium is a 2002 American science fiction
action film written and directed by Kurt Wimmer
. It stars Christian Bale
as John Preston, a warrior
-priest
and enforcement officer
in a future dystopia
where both feelings and artistic expression are outlawed and citizens take daily injections of drugs
to suppress their emotions. After accidentally missing a dose, Preston begins to experience emotions which make him question his own morality
and moderate his actions, while attempting to remain undetected by the suspicious society in which he lives. Ultimately he aids a resistance movement using martial arts
, which he was taught serving the very regime
he is to help overthrow.
The film co-stars Taye Diggs
, Angus Macfadyen
, Sean Pertwee
, Emily Watson
, David Hemmings
and Sean Bean
. While the film did not perform well at the box office upon its initial release, it has since gained a cult following
.
n city-state of Libria. After a Third World War devastated the Earth
, a totalitarian state emerged whose ideology
determined human emotion to be the root cause of conflict. All emotionally stimulating material is banned and "sense offenders" are ruthlessly persecuted. Illegal materials are rated "EC-10" for "emotional content" (a reference to the MPAA film rating system
), and destroyed by immediate incineration. All citizens of Libria are required to take regular injections of the emotion-suppressing drug Prozium.
Libria is governed by the Tetragrammaton
Council, which is led by a reclusive figurehead known as "Father" (Sean Pertwee
). Father never interacts with anyone outside the ruling council, but he is omnipresent on giant video screens throughout the city. The Tetragrammaton Council uses its police state
apparatus to enforce conformity
. At the pinnacle of Librian law enforcement are the Grammaton Clerics, who are trained in the deadly martial art of gun kata
. The Clerics regularly raid the region outside the city known as "the Nether" where they locate and destroy emotionally stimulating materials such as art and music and pursue and execute the people using them. Despite their efforts, however, a resistance movement
, known as "the Underground", has emerged in Libria.
The film's main protagonist
is the high ranking Grammaton Cleric John Preston (Christian Bale
). He is a widower whose wife, Viviana, was executed for "Sense Offense". After a raid on a group of rebels, Preston notices his partner, Errol Partridge (Sean Bean
), taking a copy of Yeats poems instead of leaving it to be incinerated. He tracks down Partridge in the Nether and executes him. Before his death, Partridge says to Preston that all the consequences of feeling are a "cost he would pay gladly". The next morning Preston accidentally breaks his vial of Prozium, and as he is unable to receive a replacement he begins to experience emotions himself.
Preston is assigned the career-conscious Brandt (Taye Diggs
) as his new partner. Together, they arrest Mary O'Brien (Emily Watson
). Preston's emotional confusion is exacerbated during her interrogation. Without Prozium Preston finds it increasingly difficult to maintain his monotone and emotionless facade in front of his son and his suspicious partner. Preston falls in love with the imprisoned Resistance member Mary, and he also feels remorse for having killed Partridge. He eventually contacts the Resistance and is summoned before Vice-Counsel DuPont (Angus Macfadyen
) for suspicious behavior. DuPont tells him to redouble his efforts to exterminate the Resistance and to find the traitor among the clerics. The Resistance meanwhile convinces him to assassinate Father to set off a revolution. Their plan to disrupt Prozium production through sabotage will then lead to an uprising of the emotionally-awakened populace.
As Preston unsuccessfully attempts to stop Mary O'Brien's execution he is caught breaking down in a wave of emotions by Brandt, who arrests him and brings him before the Vice-Counsel. Having convinced DuPont that his colleague is the real traitor, Preston rushes home to destroy the evidence of his nonconformity and finds his son as an unexpected ally.
As part of a plot by the Underground, the leaders of the Resistance then turn themselves in to grant Preston an audience with Father. Father turns out to be Vice-Counsel DuPont, who also does not take Prozium. Preston goes on a rampage, shooting his way to DuPont's office, which is filled with artwork and ornate furniture. It also becomes clear from DuPont's choice of words that he, too, has been reading the poems of Yeats. DuPont taunts him, asking Preston how it felt to betray the Underground. Preston kills first an army of guards then Brandt, with a katana
. Finally Preston and DuPont face each other in a gun kata battle in which Preston emerges victorious. DuPont tries to convince Preston to spare him, asking if taking his life is worth the emotional cost knowing he is killing someone who is "feeling" and knows how beautiful life can be. Preston repeats the last words of Partridge and announces that he gladly will pay the cost, shooting DuPont in the chest. He then destroys the propaganda
machines that have indoctrinated the people of Libria while the Underground detonates bombs and takes control of the city. The film ends with Preston holding O'Brien's red ribbon, smiling.
The Gun Kata shown in Equilibrium is a hybrid mix of Kurt Wimmer
's own style of Gun Kata (which he invented in his backyard) and the martial arts style of the choreographer. They disagreed on the appropriate form of Gun Kata, with Kurt Wimmer advocating a smoother, flowing style and the choreographer supporting a more rigid style. Much of the Gun Kata seen in the film is based on the choreographer's style. Kurt Wimmer's Gun Kata is dispersed sparsely throughout the movie, most notably in the introductory scene with the silhouetted man, played by Wimmer himself, practicing with dual pistols.
Most of the filming used locations in Berlin, due to its unique mixture of fascist
and modern
architecture. According to the visual effects supervisor Tim McGovern who worked alongside Kurt Wimmer, the fascist architecture was chosen "to make the individual feel small and insignificant so the government seems more powerful." In addition, the modern architecture that is also found in Berlin, emphasizes the futuristic and stolid appearance of the city state of Libria. Moreover, while the city state of Libria has thick walls represented by an abandoned fortress-like East German military base, the exterior of the city is filmed in the decrepit neighborhoods of East Germany, where many of the surviving rebels reside. In addition to the geographic location, a few European art directors also made substantial contributions to the production.
Equilibriums locations include:
Equilibrium is a 2002 American science fiction
action film written and directed by Kurt Wimmer
. It stars Christian Bale
as John Preston, a warrior
-priest
and enforcement officer
in a future dystopia
where both feelings and artistic expression are outlawed and citizens take daily injections of drugs
to suppress their emotions. After accidentally missing a dose, Preston begins to experience emotions which make him question his own morality
and moderate his actions, while attempting to remain undetected by the suspicious society in which he lives. Ultimately he aids a resistance movement using martial arts
, which he was taught serving the very regime
he is to help overthrow.
The film co-stars Taye Diggs
, Angus Macfadyen
, Sean Pertwee
, Emily Watson
, David Hemmings
and Sean Bean
. While the film did not perform well at the box office upon its initial release, it has since gained a cult following
.
n city-state of Libria. After a Third World War devastated the Earth
, a totalitarian state emerged whose ideology
determined human emotion to be the root cause of conflict. All emotionally stimulating material is banned and "sense offenders" are ruthlessly persecuted. Illegal materials are rated "EC-10" for "emotional content" (a reference to the MPAA film rating system
), and destroyed by immediate incineration. All citizens of Libria are required to take regular injections of the emotion-suppressing drug Prozium.
Libria is governed by the Tetragrammaton
Council, which is led by a reclusive figurehead known as "Father" (Sean Pertwee
). Father never interacts with anyone outside the ruling council, but he is omnipresent on giant video screens throughout the city. The Tetragrammaton Council uses its police state
apparatus to enforce conformity
. At the pinnacle of Librian law enforcement are the Grammaton Clerics, who are trained in the deadly martial art of gun kata
. The Clerics regularly raid the region outside the city known as "the Nether" where they locate and destroy emotionally stimulating materials such as art and music and pursue and execute the people using them. Despite their efforts, however, a resistance movement
, known as "the Underground", has emerged in Libria.
The film's main protagonist
is the high ranking Grammaton Cleric John Preston (Christian Bale
). He is a widower whose wife, Viviana, was executed for "Sense Offense". After a raid on a group of rebels, Preston notices his partner, Errol Partridge (Sean Bean
), taking a copy of Yeats poems instead of leaving it to be incinerated. He tracks down Partridge in the Nether and executes him. Before his death, Partridge says to Preston that all the consequences of feeling are a "cost he would pay gladly". The next morning Preston accidentally breaks his vial of Prozium, and as he is unable to receive a replacement he begins to experience emotions himself.
Preston is assigned the career-conscious Brandt (Taye Diggs
) as his new partner. Together, they arrest Mary O'Brien (Emily Watson
). Preston's emotional confusion is exacerbated during her interrogation. Without Prozium Preston finds it increasingly difficult to maintain his monotone and emotionless facade in front of his son and his suspicious partner. Preston falls in love with the imprisoned Resistance member Mary, and he also feels remorse for having killed Partridge. He eventually contacts the Resistance and is summoned before Vice-Counsel DuPont (Angus Macfadyen
) for suspicious behavior. DuPont tells him to redouble his efforts to exterminate the Resistance and to find the traitor among the clerics. The Resistance meanwhile convinces him to assassinate Father to set off a revolution. Their plan to disrupt Prozium production through sabotage will then lead to an uprising of the emotionally-awakened populace.
As Preston unsuccessfully attempts to stop Mary O'Brien's execution he is caught breaking down in a wave of emotions by Brandt, who arrests him and brings him before the Vice-Counsel. Having convinced DuPont that his colleague is the real traitor, Preston rushes home to destroy the evidence of his nonconformity and finds his son as an unexpected ally.
As part of a plot by the Underground, the leaders of the Resistance then turn themselves in to grant Preston an audience with Father. Father turns out to be Vice-Counsel DuPont, who also does not take Prozium. Preston goes on a rampage, shooting his way to DuPont's office, which is filled with artwork and ornate furniture. It also becomes clear from DuPont's choice of words that he, too, has been reading the poems of Yeats. DuPont taunts him, asking Preston how it felt to betray the Underground. Preston kills first an army of guards then Brandt, with a katana
. Finally Preston and DuPont face each other in a gun kata battle in which Preston emerges victorious. DuPont tries to convince Preston to spare him, asking if taking his life is worth the emotional cost knowing he is killing someone who is "feeling" and knows how beautiful life can be. Preston repeats the last words of Partridge and announces that he gladly will pay the cost, shooting DuPont in the chest. He then destroys the propaganda
machines that have indoctrinated the people of Libria while the Underground detonates bombs and takes control of the city. The film ends with Preston holding O'Brien's red ribbon, smiling.
The Gun Kata shown in Equilibrium is a hybrid mix of Kurt Wimmer
's own style of Gun Kata (which he invented in his backyard) and the martial arts style of the choreographer. They disagreed on the appropriate form of Gun Kata, with Kurt Wimmer advocating a smoother, flowing style and the choreographer supporting a more rigid style. Much of the Gun Kata seen in the film is based on the choreographer's style. Kurt Wimmer's Gun Kata is dispersed sparsely throughout the movie, most notably in the introductory scene with the silhouetted man, played by Wimmer himself, practicing with dual pistols.
Most of the filming used locations in Berlin, due to its unique mixture of fascist
and modern
architecture. According to the visual effects supervisor Tim McGovern who worked alongside Kurt Wimmer, the fascist architecture was chosen "to make the individual feel small and insignificant so the government seems more powerful." In addition, the modern architecture that is also found in Berlin, emphasizes the futuristic and stolid appearance of the city state of Libria. Moreover, while the city state of Libria has thick walls represented by an abandoned fortress-like East German military base, the exterior of the city is filmed in the decrepit neighborhoods of East Germany, where many of the surviving rebels reside. In addition to the geographic location, a few European art directors also made substantial contributions to the production.
Equilibriums locations include:
Although a science-fiction movie, Wimmer intentionally avoided using futuristic technology that can become obsolete, and he also decided to set his story in an indeterminate future. “I wanted to create more of an alternate reality than get caught up in the gadgetry of science fiction,” he explains. “In fact, there’s no technology in Equilibrium that doesn’t already exist. It’s more like a parallel universe, the perfect setting for a parable.”
reported that 37% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 83 reviews, with the consensus being "Equilibrium is a reheated mishmash of other sci-fi movies." Metacritic
reported the film had an average score of 33 out of 100, based on 22 reviews. The New York Times dismissed Equilibrium for having heavily borrowed from Fahrenheit 451
, Nineteen Eighty-Four
, Brave New World
, and other science-fiction classics.
Roger Ebert
, however, awarded the film 3 stars out of 4, noting that "Equilibrium would be a mindless action picture, except that it has a mind. It doesn't do a lot of deep thinking, but unlike many futuristic combos of sf and f/x, it does make a statement."
Explaining the apparent rift between critical and fan reaction Wimmer claimed in a Dreamwatch
magazine interview that 'the paying customers seemed to get it', and in contrast, the critics 'didn't seem to see that the film had a different message than' Fahrenheit 451 and 1984. In a slightly more emotional statement during a Sci Fi Dimensions interview, Wimmer implied that he values fan reaction above critical reception: 'Why would I make a movie for someone I wouldn't want to hang out with? Have you ever met a critic who you wanted to party with? I haven't.'
Science fiction film
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, and time travel, often along with futuristic...
action film written and directed by Kurt Wimmer
Kurt Wimmer
Kurt Wimmer is an American screenwriter and film director.Wimmer is of German descent, he attended the University of South Florida and graduated with a BFA degree in Art History. He then moved to Los Angeles where he worked for 12 years as a screenwriter before making his 2002 film, Equilibrium...
. It stars Christian Bale
Christian Bale
Christian Charles Philip Bale is an English actor. Best known for his roles in American films, Bale has starred in both big budget Hollywood films and the smaller projects from independent producers and art houses....
as John Preston, a warrior
Warrior
A warrior is a person skilled in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based society that recognizes a separate warrior class.-Warrior classes in tribal culture:...
-priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
and enforcement officer
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
in a future dystopia
Dystopia
A dystopia is the idea of a society in a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian, as characterized in books like Brave New World and Nineteen Eighty-Four...
where both feelings and artistic expression are outlawed and citizens take daily injections of drugs
Medication
A pharmaceutical drug, also referred to as medicine, medication or medicament, can be loosely defined as any chemical substance intended for use in the medical diagnosis, cure, treatment, or prevention of disease.- Classification :...
to suppress their emotions. After accidentally missing a dose, Preston begins to experience emotions which make him question his own morality
Morality
Morality is the differentiation among intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are good and bad . A moral code is a system of morality and a moral is any one practice or teaching within a moral code...
and moderate his actions, while attempting to remain undetected by the suspicious society in which he lives. Ultimately he aids a resistance movement using martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
, which he was taught serving the very regime
Regime
The word regime refers to a set of conditions, most often of a political nature.-Politics:...
he is to help overthrow.
The film co-stars Taye Diggs
Taye Diggs
Scott Leo "Taye" Diggs is an American theatre, film and television actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles in the Broadway musical Rent, the motion picture How Stella Got Her Groove Back, and the television series Private Practice...
, Angus Macfadyen
Angus Macfadyen
Angus Macfadyen is a Scottish actor.Angus Macfadyen was born in Glasgow and was brought up partly in Africa, France, the Philippines and Singapore. His father was a doctor in the World Health Organisation. He was once engaged to actress Catherine Zeta-Jones.Angus attended the University of...
, Sean Pertwee
Sean Pertwee
Sean Pertwee is an English actor known for his television, film and voice-over work.-Career:In the early 80s, he auditioned for a place at the Surrey County Youth Theatre where he was cast as Captain Fitzpatrick in the play Tom Jones, based on the novel by Henry Fielding...
, Emily Watson
Emily Watson
Emily Watson is an English actress. She gave an acclaimed debut film performance in Lars von Trier's Breaking the Waves.- Early life :...
, David Hemmings
David Hemmings
David Edward Leslie Hemmings was an English film, theatre and television actor as well as a film and television director and producer....
and Sean Bean
Sean Bean
Shaun Mark "Sean" Bean is an English film and stage actor. Bean is best known for playing Boromir in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and, previously, British Colonel Richard Sharpe in the ITV television series Sharpe...
. While the film did not perform well at the box office upon its initial release, it has since gained a cult following
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
.
Plot
Equilibrium is set in the futuristic and dystopiaDystopia
A dystopia is the idea of a society in a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian, as characterized in books like Brave New World and Nineteen Eighty-Four...
n city-state of Libria. After a Third World War devastated the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
, a totalitarian state emerged whose ideology
Ideology
An ideology is a set of ideas that constitutes one's goals, expectations, and actions. An ideology can be thought of as a comprehensive vision, as a way of looking at things , as in common sense and several philosophical tendencies , or a set of ideas proposed by the dominant class of a society to...
determined human emotion to be the root cause of conflict. All emotionally stimulating material is banned and "sense offenders" are ruthlessly persecuted. Illegal materials are rated "EC-10" for "emotional content" (a reference to the MPAA film rating system
MPAA film rating system
The Motion Picture Association of America's film-rating system is used in the U.S. and its territories to rate a film's thematic and content suitability for certain audiences. The MPAA system applies only to motion pictures that are submitted for rating. Other media may be rated by other entities...
), and destroyed by immediate incineration. All citizens of Libria are required to take regular injections of the emotion-suppressing drug Prozium.
Libria is governed by the Tetragrammaton
Tetragrammaton
The term Tetragrammaton refers to the name of the God of Israel YHWH used in the Hebrew Bible.-Hebrew Bible:...
Council, which is led by a reclusive figurehead known as "Father" (Sean Pertwee
Sean Pertwee
Sean Pertwee is an English actor known for his television, film and voice-over work.-Career:In the early 80s, he auditioned for a place at the Surrey County Youth Theatre where he was cast as Captain Fitzpatrick in the play Tom Jones, based on the novel by Henry Fielding...
). Father never interacts with anyone outside the ruling council, but he is omnipresent on giant video screens throughout the city. The Tetragrammaton Council uses its police state
Police state
A police state is one in which the government exercises rigid and repressive controls over the social, economic and political life of the population...
apparatus to enforce conformity
Conformity
Conformity is the process by which an individual's attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors are influenced by other people.Conformity may also refer to:*Conformity: A Tale, a novel by Charlotte Elizabeth Tonna...
. At the pinnacle of Librian law enforcement are the Grammaton Clerics, who are trained in the deadly martial art of gun kata
Gun fu
Gun fu, a portmanteau of gun and kung fu, is the style of sophisticated close-quarters gunplay seen in Hong Kong action cinema and in Western films influenced by it. It often resembles a martial arts battle played out with firearms instead of traditional weapons...
. The Clerics regularly raid the region outside the city known as "the Nether" where they locate and destroy emotionally stimulating materials such as art and music and pursue and execute the people using them. Despite their efforts, however, a resistance movement
Rebellion
Rebellion, uprising or insurrection, is a refusal of obedience or order. It may, therefore, be seen as encompassing a range of behaviors aimed at destroying or replacing an established authority such as a government or a head of state...
, known as "the Underground", has emerged in Libria.
The film's main protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
is the high ranking Grammaton Cleric John Preston (Christian Bale
Christian Bale
Christian Charles Philip Bale is an English actor. Best known for his roles in American films, Bale has starred in both big budget Hollywood films and the smaller projects from independent producers and art houses....
). He is a widower whose wife, Viviana, was executed for "Sense Offense". After a raid on a group of rebels, Preston notices his partner, Errol Partridge (Sean Bean
Sean Bean
Shaun Mark "Sean" Bean is an English film and stage actor. Bean is best known for playing Boromir in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and, previously, British Colonel Richard Sharpe in the ITV television series Sharpe...
), taking a copy of Yeats poems instead of leaving it to be incinerated. He tracks down Partridge in the Nether and executes him. Before his death, Partridge says to Preston that all the consequences of feeling are a "cost he would pay gladly". The next morning Preston accidentally breaks his vial of Prozium, and as he is unable to receive a replacement he begins to experience emotions himself.
Preston is assigned the career-conscious Brandt (Taye Diggs
Taye Diggs
Scott Leo "Taye" Diggs is an American theatre, film and television actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles in the Broadway musical Rent, the motion picture How Stella Got Her Groove Back, and the television series Private Practice...
) as his new partner. Together, they arrest Mary O'Brien (Emily Watson
Emily Watson
Emily Watson is an English actress. She gave an acclaimed debut film performance in Lars von Trier's Breaking the Waves.- Early life :...
). Preston's emotional confusion is exacerbated during her interrogation. Without Prozium Preston finds it increasingly difficult to maintain his monotone and emotionless facade in front of his son and his suspicious partner. Preston falls in love with the imprisoned Resistance member Mary, and he also feels remorse for having killed Partridge. He eventually contacts the Resistance and is summoned before Vice-Counsel DuPont (Angus Macfadyen
Angus Macfadyen
Angus Macfadyen is a Scottish actor.Angus Macfadyen was born in Glasgow and was brought up partly in Africa, France, the Philippines and Singapore. His father was a doctor in the World Health Organisation. He was once engaged to actress Catherine Zeta-Jones.Angus attended the University of...
) for suspicious behavior. DuPont tells him to redouble his efforts to exterminate the Resistance and to find the traitor among the clerics. The Resistance meanwhile convinces him to assassinate Father to set off a revolution. Their plan to disrupt Prozium production through sabotage will then lead to an uprising of the emotionally-awakened populace.
As Preston unsuccessfully attempts to stop Mary O'Brien's execution he is caught breaking down in a wave of emotions by Brandt, who arrests him and brings him before the Vice-Counsel. Having convinced DuPont that his colleague is the real traitor, Preston rushes home to destroy the evidence of his nonconformity and finds his son as an unexpected ally.
As part of a plot by the Underground, the leaders of the Resistance then turn themselves in to grant Preston an audience with Father. Father turns out to be Vice-Counsel DuPont, who also does not take Prozium. Preston goes on a rampage, shooting his way to DuPont's office, which is filled with artwork and ornate furniture. It also becomes clear from DuPont's choice of words that he, too, has been reading the poems of Yeats. DuPont taunts him, asking Preston how it felt to betray the Underground. Preston kills first an army of guards then Brandt, with a katana
Katana
A Japanese sword, or , is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. There are several types of Japanese swords, according to size, field of application and method of manufacture.-Description:...
. Finally Preston and DuPont face each other in a gun kata battle in which Preston emerges victorious. DuPont tries to convince Preston to spare him, asking if taking his life is worth the emotional cost knowing he is killing someone who is "feeling" and knows how beautiful life can be. Preston repeats the last words of Partridge and announces that he gladly will pay the cost, shooting DuPont in the chest. He then destroys the propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
machines that have indoctrinated the people of Libria while the Underground detonates bombs and takes control of the city. The film ends with Preston holding O'Brien's red ribbon, smiling.
Cast
- Christian BaleChristian BaleChristian Charles Philip Bale is an English actor. Best known for his roles in American films, Bale has starred in both big budget Hollywood films and the smaller projects from independent producers and art houses....
as John Preston - Taye DiggsTaye DiggsScott Leo "Taye" Diggs is an American theatre, film and television actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles in the Broadway musical Rent, the motion picture How Stella Got Her Groove Back, and the television series Private Practice...
as Andrew Brandt - Emily WatsonEmily WatsonEmily Watson is an English actress. She gave an acclaimed debut film performance in Lars von Trier's Breaking the Waves.- Early life :...
as Mary O'Brien - Sean BeanSean BeanShaun Mark "Sean" Bean is an English film and stage actor. Bean is best known for playing Boromir in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and, previously, British Colonel Richard Sharpe in the ITV television series Sharpe...
as Errol Partridge - Angus MacfadyenAngus MacfadyenAngus Macfadyen is a Scottish actor.Angus Macfadyen was born in Glasgow and was brought up partly in Africa, France, the Philippines and Singapore. His father was a doctor in the World Health Organisation. He was once engaged to actress Catherine Zeta-Jones.Angus attended the University of...
as Vice-Counsel DuPont - William FichtnerWilliam FichtnerWilliam Edward Fichtner is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Sheriff Tom Underlay on Invasion, as Alexander Mahone on Prison Break, as William Sharp in Armageddon, and as Ken Rosenberg in the video games Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.- Early life...
as Jurgen - Sean PertweeSean PertweeSean Pertwee is an English actor known for his television, film and voice-over work.-Career:In the early 80s, he auditioned for a place at the Surrey County Youth Theatre where he was cast as Captain Fitzpatrick in the play Tom Jones, based on the novel by Henry Fielding...
as Father - David HemmingsDavid HemmingsDavid Edward Leslie Hemmings was an English film, theatre and television actor as well as a film and television director and producer....
as Proctor - Emily Siewert as Lisa Preston
- Matthew Harbour as Robbie Preston
- Alexa Summer as Viviana Preston
- Maria Pia Calzone as Preston's wife
- Dominic Purcell as Seamus
- Brian ConleyBrian ConleyBrian Conley is an English comedian, television presenter, singer and actor. At the peak of his television career, he was the highest-paid male television personality in the UK. Outside of television, he is best known for his frequent portrayals of Buttons in pantomime versions of...
as Reading room overseer - Kurt WimmerKurt WimmerKurt Wimmer is an American screenwriter and film director.Wimmer is of German descent, he attended the University of South Florida and graduated with a BFA degree in Art History. He then moved to Los Angeles where he worked for 12 years as a screenwriter before making his 2002 film, Equilibrium...
as Rebel victim
Gun Kata
Gun Kata is a fictional gun-fighting martial art discipline that is a significant part of the film. It is based upon the premise that, given the positions of the participants in a gun battle, the trajectories of fire are statistically predictable. By pure memorization of the positions, one can fire at the most likely location of an enemy without aiming at him in the traditional sense of pointing a gun at a specific target. By the same token, the trajectories of incoming fire are also statistically predictable, so by assuming the appropriate stance, one can keep one's body clear of the most likely way of enemy bullets.The Gun Kata shown in Equilibrium is a hybrid mix of Kurt Wimmer
Kurt Wimmer
Kurt Wimmer is an American screenwriter and film director.Wimmer is of German descent, he attended the University of South Florida and graduated with a BFA degree in Art History. He then moved to Los Angeles where he worked for 12 years as a screenwriter before making his 2002 film, Equilibrium...
's own style of Gun Kata (which he invented in his backyard) and the martial arts style of the choreographer. They disagreed on the appropriate form of Gun Kata, with Kurt Wimmer advocating a smoother, flowing style and the choreographer supporting a more rigid style. Much of the Gun Kata seen in the film is based on the choreographer's style. Kurt Wimmer's Gun Kata is dispersed sparsely throughout the movie, most notably in the introductory scene with the silhouetted man, played by Wimmer himself, practicing with dual pistols.
Production
Fascist architecture
Rationalist-Fascist architecture was an Italian architectural style developed during the fascism regime and in particular starting from the late 1920s. It was promoted and practiced initially by the Gruppo 7 group, whose architects included Luigi Figini, Guido Frette, Sebastiano Larco, Gino...
and modern
Modern architecture
Modern architecture is generally characterized by simplification of form and creation of ornament from the structure and theme of the building. It is a term applied to an overarching movement, with its exact definition and scope varying widely...
architecture. According to the visual effects supervisor Tim McGovern who worked alongside Kurt Wimmer, the fascist architecture was chosen "to make the individual feel small and insignificant so the government seems more powerful." In addition, the modern architecture that is also found in Berlin, emphasizes the futuristic and stolid appearance of the city state of Libria. Moreover, while the city state of Libria has thick walls represented by an abandoned fortress-like East German military base, the exterior of the city is filmed in the decrepit neighborhoods of East Germany, where many of the surviving rebels reside. In addition to the geographic location, a few European art directors also made substantial contributions to the production.
Equilibriums locations include:
- Olympic Stadium (Berlin)Olympic Stadium (Berlin)The Olympiastadion is a sports stadium in Berlin, Germany. There have been two stadiums on the site: the present facility, and one that is called the Deutsches Stadion which was built for the aborted 1916 Summer Olympics. Both were designed by members of the same family, the first by Otto March...
, built for the 1936 Summer Olympics1936 Summer OlympicsThe 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...
. - DeutschlandhalleDeutschlandhalleDeutschlandhalle is an arena in the Westend neighbourhood of Berlin, Germany. It was inaugurated on 29 November 1935 by Adolf Hitler. The building has been granted landmark status in 1995....
, also built for the 1936 Summer Olympics. - Brandenburg GateBrandenburg GateThe Brandenburg Gate is a former city gate and one of the most well-known landmarks of Berlin and Germany. It is located west of the city centre at the junction of Unter den Linden and Ebertstraße, immediately west of the Pariser Platz. It is the only remaining gate of a series through which...
in Berlin. - Berlin Tempelhof Airport, which was designed during the Nazi era, but completed after World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. - The modern subway station under the ReichstagReichstag (building)The Reichstag building is a historical edifice in Berlin, Germany, constructed to house the Reichstag, parliament of the German Empire. It was opened in 1894 and housed the Reichstag until 1933, when it was severely damaged in a fire. During the Nazi era, the few meetings of members of the...
Building, as well as the long tunnels: Berlin U-BahnBerlin U-BahnThe Berlin is a rapid transit railway in Berlin, the capital city of Germany, and is a major part of the public transport system of that city. Opened in 1902, the serves 173 stations spread across ten lines, with a total track length of , about 80% of which is underground...
. - The decrepit East German neighborhoods, as well as an abandoned massive East German military base.
- The EUR, Rome fascist district, built by Mussolini.
Equilibrium is a 2002 American science fiction
Science fiction film
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, and time travel, often along with futuristic...
action film written and directed by Kurt Wimmer
Kurt Wimmer
Kurt Wimmer is an American screenwriter and film director.Wimmer is of German descent, he attended the University of South Florida and graduated with a BFA degree in Art History. He then moved to Los Angeles where he worked for 12 years as a screenwriter before making his 2002 film, Equilibrium...
. It stars Christian Bale
Christian Bale
Christian Charles Philip Bale is an English actor. Best known for his roles in American films, Bale has starred in both big budget Hollywood films and the smaller projects from independent producers and art houses....
as John Preston, a warrior
Warrior
A warrior is a person skilled in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based society that recognizes a separate warrior class.-Warrior classes in tribal culture:...
-priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
and enforcement officer
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
in a future dystopia
Dystopia
A dystopia is the idea of a society in a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian, as characterized in books like Brave New World and Nineteen Eighty-Four...
where both feelings and artistic expression are outlawed and citizens take daily injections of drugs
Medication
A pharmaceutical drug, also referred to as medicine, medication or medicament, can be loosely defined as any chemical substance intended for use in the medical diagnosis, cure, treatment, or prevention of disease.- Classification :...
to suppress their emotions. After accidentally missing a dose, Preston begins to experience emotions which make him question his own morality
Morality
Morality is the differentiation among intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are good and bad . A moral code is a system of morality and a moral is any one practice or teaching within a moral code...
and moderate his actions, while attempting to remain undetected by the suspicious society in which he lives. Ultimately he aids a resistance movement using martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
, which he was taught serving the very regime
Regime
The word regime refers to a set of conditions, most often of a political nature.-Politics:...
he is to help overthrow.
The film co-stars Taye Diggs
Taye Diggs
Scott Leo "Taye" Diggs is an American theatre, film and television actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles in the Broadway musical Rent, the motion picture How Stella Got Her Groove Back, and the television series Private Practice...
, Angus Macfadyen
Angus Macfadyen
Angus Macfadyen is a Scottish actor.Angus Macfadyen was born in Glasgow and was brought up partly in Africa, France, the Philippines and Singapore. His father was a doctor in the World Health Organisation. He was once engaged to actress Catherine Zeta-Jones.Angus attended the University of...
, Sean Pertwee
Sean Pertwee
Sean Pertwee is an English actor known for his television, film and voice-over work.-Career:In the early 80s, he auditioned for a place at the Surrey County Youth Theatre where he was cast as Captain Fitzpatrick in the play Tom Jones, based on the novel by Henry Fielding...
, Emily Watson
Emily Watson
Emily Watson is an English actress. She gave an acclaimed debut film performance in Lars von Trier's Breaking the Waves.- Early life :...
, David Hemmings
David Hemmings
David Edward Leslie Hemmings was an English film, theatre and television actor as well as a film and television director and producer....
and Sean Bean
Sean Bean
Shaun Mark "Sean" Bean is an English film and stage actor. Bean is best known for playing Boromir in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and, previously, British Colonel Richard Sharpe in the ITV television series Sharpe...
. While the film did not perform well at the box office upon its initial release, it has since gained a cult following
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
.
Plot
Equilibrium is set in the futuristic and dystopiaDystopia
A dystopia is the idea of a society in a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian, as characterized in books like Brave New World and Nineteen Eighty-Four...
n city-state of Libria. After a Third World War devastated the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
, a totalitarian state emerged whose ideology
Ideology
An ideology is a set of ideas that constitutes one's goals, expectations, and actions. An ideology can be thought of as a comprehensive vision, as a way of looking at things , as in common sense and several philosophical tendencies , or a set of ideas proposed by the dominant class of a society to...
determined human emotion to be the root cause of conflict. All emotionally stimulating material is banned and "sense offenders" are ruthlessly persecuted. Illegal materials are rated "EC-10" for "emotional content" (a reference to the MPAA film rating system
MPAA film rating system
The Motion Picture Association of America's film-rating system is used in the U.S. and its territories to rate a film's thematic and content suitability for certain audiences. The MPAA system applies only to motion pictures that are submitted for rating. Other media may be rated by other entities...
), and destroyed by immediate incineration. All citizens of Libria are required to take regular injections of the emotion-suppressing drug Prozium.
Libria is governed by the Tetragrammaton
Tetragrammaton
The term Tetragrammaton refers to the name of the God of Israel YHWH used in the Hebrew Bible.-Hebrew Bible:...
Council, which is led by a reclusive figurehead known as "Father" (Sean Pertwee
Sean Pertwee
Sean Pertwee is an English actor known for his television, film and voice-over work.-Career:In the early 80s, he auditioned for a place at the Surrey County Youth Theatre where he was cast as Captain Fitzpatrick in the play Tom Jones, based on the novel by Henry Fielding...
). Father never interacts with anyone outside the ruling council, but he is omnipresent on giant video screens throughout the city. The Tetragrammaton Council uses its police state
Police state
A police state is one in which the government exercises rigid and repressive controls over the social, economic and political life of the population...
apparatus to enforce conformity
Conformity
Conformity is the process by which an individual's attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors are influenced by other people.Conformity may also refer to:*Conformity: A Tale, a novel by Charlotte Elizabeth Tonna...
. At the pinnacle of Librian law enforcement are the Grammaton Clerics, who are trained in the deadly martial art of gun kata
Gun fu
Gun fu, a portmanteau of gun and kung fu, is the style of sophisticated close-quarters gunplay seen in Hong Kong action cinema and in Western films influenced by it. It often resembles a martial arts battle played out with firearms instead of traditional weapons...
. The Clerics regularly raid the region outside the city known as "the Nether" where they locate and destroy emotionally stimulating materials such as art and music and pursue and execute the people using them. Despite their efforts, however, a resistance movement
Rebellion
Rebellion, uprising or insurrection, is a refusal of obedience or order. It may, therefore, be seen as encompassing a range of behaviors aimed at destroying or replacing an established authority such as a government or a head of state...
, known as "the Underground", has emerged in Libria.
The film's main protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
is the high ranking Grammaton Cleric John Preston (Christian Bale
Christian Bale
Christian Charles Philip Bale is an English actor. Best known for his roles in American films, Bale has starred in both big budget Hollywood films and the smaller projects from independent producers and art houses....
). He is a widower whose wife, Viviana, was executed for "Sense Offense". After a raid on a group of rebels, Preston notices his partner, Errol Partridge (Sean Bean
Sean Bean
Shaun Mark "Sean" Bean is an English film and stage actor. Bean is best known for playing Boromir in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and, previously, British Colonel Richard Sharpe in the ITV television series Sharpe...
), taking a copy of Yeats poems instead of leaving it to be incinerated. He tracks down Partridge in the Nether and executes him. Before his death, Partridge says to Preston that all the consequences of feeling are a "cost he would pay gladly". The next morning Preston accidentally breaks his vial of Prozium, and as he is unable to receive a replacement he begins to experience emotions himself.
Preston is assigned the career-conscious Brandt (Taye Diggs
Taye Diggs
Scott Leo "Taye" Diggs is an American theatre, film and television actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles in the Broadway musical Rent, the motion picture How Stella Got Her Groove Back, and the television series Private Practice...
) as his new partner. Together, they arrest Mary O'Brien (Emily Watson
Emily Watson
Emily Watson is an English actress. She gave an acclaimed debut film performance in Lars von Trier's Breaking the Waves.- Early life :...
). Preston's emotional confusion is exacerbated during her interrogation. Without Prozium Preston finds it increasingly difficult to maintain his monotone and emotionless facade in front of his son and his suspicious partner. Preston falls in love with the imprisoned Resistance member Mary, and he also feels remorse for having killed Partridge. He eventually contacts the Resistance and is summoned before Vice-Counsel DuPont (Angus Macfadyen
Angus Macfadyen
Angus Macfadyen is a Scottish actor.Angus Macfadyen was born in Glasgow and was brought up partly in Africa, France, the Philippines and Singapore. His father was a doctor in the World Health Organisation. He was once engaged to actress Catherine Zeta-Jones.Angus attended the University of...
) for suspicious behavior. DuPont tells him to redouble his efforts to exterminate the Resistance and to find the traitor among the clerics. The Resistance meanwhile convinces him to assassinate Father to set off a revolution. Their plan to disrupt Prozium production through sabotage will then lead to an uprising of the emotionally-awakened populace.
As Preston unsuccessfully attempts to stop Mary O'Brien's execution he is caught breaking down in a wave of emotions by Brandt, who arrests him and brings him before the Vice-Counsel. Having convinced DuPont that his colleague is the real traitor, Preston rushes home to destroy the evidence of his nonconformity and finds his son as an unexpected ally.
As part of a plot by the Underground, the leaders of the Resistance then turn themselves in to grant Preston an audience with Father. Father turns out to be Vice-Counsel DuPont, who also does not take Prozium. Preston goes on a rampage, shooting his way to DuPont's office, which is filled with artwork and ornate furniture. It also becomes clear from DuPont's choice of words that he, too, has been reading the poems of Yeats. DuPont taunts him, asking Preston how it felt to betray the Underground. Preston kills first an army of guards then Brandt, with a katana
Katana
A Japanese sword, or , is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. There are several types of Japanese swords, according to size, field of application and method of manufacture.-Description:...
. Finally Preston and DuPont face each other in a gun kata battle in which Preston emerges victorious. DuPont tries to convince Preston to spare him, asking if taking his life is worth the emotional cost knowing he is killing someone who is "feeling" and knows how beautiful life can be. Preston repeats the last words of Partridge and announces that he gladly will pay the cost, shooting DuPont in the chest. He then destroys the propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
machines that have indoctrinated the people of Libria while the Underground detonates bombs and takes control of the city. The film ends with Preston holding O'Brien's red ribbon, smiling.
Cast
- Christian BaleChristian BaleChristian Charles Philip Bale is an English actor. Best known for his roles in American films, Bale has starred in both big budget Hollywood films and the smaller projects from independent producers and art houses....
as John Preston - Taye DiggsTaye DiggsScott Leo "Taye" Diggs is an American theatre, film and television actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles in the Broadway musical Rent, the motion picture How Stella Got Her Groove Back, and the television series Private Practice...
as Andrew Brandt - Emily WatsonEmily WatsonEmily Watson is an English actress. She gave an acclaimed debut film performance in Lars von Trier's Breaking the Waves.- Early life :...
as Mary O'Brien - Sean BeanSean BeanShaun Mark "Sean" Bean is an English film and stage actor. Bean is best known for playing Boromir in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and, previously, British Colonel Richard Sharpe in the ITV television series Sharpe...
as Errol Partridge - Angus MacfadyenAngus MacfadyenAngus Macfadyen is a Scottish actor.Angus Macfadyen was born in Glasgow and was brought up partly in Africa, France, the Philippines and Singapore. His father was a doctor in the World Health Organisation. He was once engaged to actress Catherine Zeta-Jones.Angus attended the University of...
as Vice-Counsel DuPont - William FichtnerWilliam FichtnerWilliam Edward Fichtner is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Sheriff Tom Underlay on Invasion, as Alexander Mahone on Prison Break, as William Sharp in Armageddon, and as Ken Rosenberg in the video games Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.- Early life...
as Jurgen - Sean PertweeSean PertweeSean Pertwee is an English actor known for his television, film and voice-over work.-Career:In the early 80s, he auditioned for a place at the Surrey County Youth Theatre where he was cast as Captain Fitzpatrick in the play Tom Jones, based on the novel by Henry Fielding...
as Father - David HemmingsDavid HemmingsDavid Edward Leslie Hemmings was an English film, theatre and television actor as well as a film and television director and producer....
as Proctor - Emily Siewert as Lisa Preston
- Matthew Harbour as Robbie Preston
- Alexa Summer as Viviana Preston
- Maria Pia Calzone as Preston's wife
- Dominic Purcell as Seamus
- Brian ConleyBrian ConleyBrian Conley is an English comedian, television presenter, singer and actor. At the peak of his television career, he was the highest-paid male television personality in the UK. Outside of television, he is best known for his frequent portrayals of Buttons in pantomime versions of...
as Reading room overseer - Kurt WimmerKurt WimmerKurt Wimmer is an American screenwriter and film director.Wimmer is of German descent, he attended the University of South Florida and graduated with a BFA degree in Art History. He then moved to Los Angeles where he worked for 12 years as a screenwriter before making his 2002 film, Equilibrium...
as Rebel victim
Gun Kata
Gun Kata is a fictional gun-fighting martial art discipline that is a significant part of the film. It is based upon the premise that, given the positions of the participants in a gun battle, the trajectories of fire are statistically predictable. By pure memorization of the positions, one can fire at the most likely location of an enemy without aiming at him in the traditional sense of pointing a gun at a specific target. By the same token, the trajectories of incoming fire are also statistically predictable, so by assuming the appropriate stance, one can keep one's body clear of the most likely way of enemy bullets.The Gun Kata shown in Equilibrium is a hybrid mix of Kurt Wimmer
Kurt Wimmer
Kurt Wimmer is an American screenwriter and film director.Wimmer is of German descent, he attended the University of South Florida and graduated with a BFA degree in Art History. He then moved to Los Angeles where he worked for 12 years as a screenwriter before making his 2002 film, Equilibrium...
's own style of Gun Kata (which he invented in his backyard) and the martial arts style of the choreographer. They disagreed on the appropriate form of Gun Kata, with Kurt Wimmer advocating a smoother, flowing style and the choreographer supporting a more rigid style. Much of the Gun Kata seen in the film is based on the choreographer's style. Kurt Wimmer's Gun Kata is dispersed sparsely throughout the movie, most notably in the introductory scene with the silhouetted man, played by Wimmer himself, practicing with dual pistols.
Production
Fascist architecture
Rationalist-Fascist architecture was an Italian architectural style developed during the fascism regime and in particular starting from the late 1920s. It was promoted and practiced initially by the Gruppo 7 group, whose architects included Luigi Figini, Guido Frette, Sebastiano Larco, Gino...
and modern
Modern architecture
Modern architecture is generally characterized by simplification of form and creation of ornament from the structure and theme of the building. It is a term applied to an overarching movement, with its exact definition and scope varying widely...
architecture. According to the visual effects supervisor Tim McGovern who worked alongside Kurt Wimmer, the fascist architecture was chosen "to make the individual feel small and insignificant so the government seems more powerful." In addition, the modern architecture that is also found in Berlin, emphasizes the futuristic and stolid appearance of the city state of Libria. Moreover, while the city state of Libria has thick walls represented by an abandoned fortress-like East German military base, the exterior of the city is filmed in the decrepit neighborhoods of East Germany, where many of the surviving rebels reside. In addition to the geographic location, a few European art directors also made substantial contributions to the production.
Equilibriums locations include:
- Olympic Stadium (Berlin)Olympic Stadium (Berlin)The Olympiastadion is a sports stadium in Berlin, Germany. There have been two stadiums on the site: the present facility, and one that is called the Deutsches Stadion which was built for the aborted 1916 Summer Olympics. Both were designed by members of the same family, the first by Otto March...
, built for the 1936 Summer Olympics1936 Summer OlympicsThe 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...
. - DeutschlandhalleDeutschlandhalleDeutschlandhalle is an arena in the Westend neighbourhood of Berlin, Germany. It was inaugurated on 29 November 1935 by Adolf Hitler. The building has been granted landmark status in 1995....
, also built for the 1936 Summer Olympics. - Brandenburg GateBrandenburg GateThe Brandenburg Gate is a former city gate and one of the most well-known landmarks of Berlin and Germany. It is located west of the city centre at the junction of Unter den Linden and Ebertstraße, immediately west of the Pariser Platz. It is the only remaining gate of a series through which...
in Berlin. - Berlin Tempelhof Airport, which was designed during the Nazi era, but completed after World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. - The modern subway station under the ReichstagReichstag (building)The Reichstag building is a historical edifice in Berlin, Germany, constructed to house the Reichstag, parliament of the German Empire. It was opened in 1894 and housed the Reichstag until 1933, when it was severely damaged in a fire. During the Nazi era, the few meetings of members of the...
Building, as well as the long tunnels: Berlin U-BahnBerlin U-BahnThe Berlin is a rapid transit railway in Berlin, the capital city of Germany, and is a major part of the public transport system of that city. Opened in 1902, the serves 173 stations spread across ten lines, with a total track length of , about 80% of which is underground...
. - The decrepit East German neighborhoods, as well as an abandoned massive East German military base.
- The EUR, Rome fascist district, built by Mussolini.
Equilibrium is a 2002 American science fiction
Science fiction film
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, and time travel, often along with futuristic...
action film written and directed by Kurt Wimmer
Kurt Wimmer
Kurt Wimmer is an American screenwriter and film director.Wimmer is of German descent, he attended the University of South Florida and graduated with a BFA degree in Art History. He then moved to Los Angeles where he worked for 12 years as a screenwriter before making his 2002 film, Equilibrium...
. It stars Christian Bale
Christian Bale
Christian Charles Philip Bale is an English actor. Best known for his roles in American films, Bale has starred in both big budget Hollywood films and the smaller projects from independent producers and art houses....
as John Preston, a warrior
Warrior
A warrior is a person skilled in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based society that recognizes a separate warrior class.-Warrior classes in tribal culture:...
-priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
and enforcement officer
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
in a future dystopia
Dystopia
A dystopia is the idea of a society in a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian, as characterized in books like Brave New World and Nineteen Eighty-Four...
where both feelings and artistic expression are outlawed and citizens take daily injections of drugs
Medication
A pharmaceutical drug, also referred to as medicine, medication or medicament, can be loosely defined as any chemical substance intended for use in the medical diagnosis, cure, treatment, or prevention of disease.- Classification :...
to suppress their emotions. After accidentally missing a dose, Preston begins to experience emotions which make him question his own morality
Morality
Morality is the differentiation among intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are good and bad . A moral code is a system of morality and a moral is any one practice or teaching within a moral code...
and moderate his actions, while attempting to remain undetected by the suspicious society in which he lives. Ultimately he aids a resistance movement using martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
, which he was taught serving the very regime
Regime
The word regime refers to a set of conditions, most often of a political nature.-Politics:...
he is to help overthrow.
The film co-stars Taye Diggs
Taye Diggs
Scott Leo "Taye" Diggs is an American theatre, film and television actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles in the Broadway musical Rent, the motion picture How Stella Got Her Groove Back, and the television series Private Practice...
, Angus Macfadyen
Angus Macfadyen
Angus Macfadyen is a Scottish actor.Angus Macfadyen was born in Glasgow and was brought up partly in Africa, France, the Philippines and Singapore. His father was a doctor in the World Health Organisation. He was once engaged to actress Catherine Zeta-Jones.Angus attended the University of...
, Sean Pertwee
Sean Pertwee
Sean Pertwee is an English actor known for his television, film and voice-over work.-Career:In the early 80s, he auditioned for a place at the Surrey County Youth Theatre where he was cast as Captain Fitzpatrick in the play Tom Jones, based on the novel by Henry Fielding...
, Emily Watson
Emily Watson
Emily Watson is an English actress. She gave an acclaimed debut film performance in Lars von Trier's Breaking the Waves.- Early life :...
, David Hemmings
David Hemmings
David Edward Leslie Hemmings was an English film, theatre and television actor as well as a film and television director and producer....
and Sean Bean
Sean Bean
Shaun Mark "Sean" Bean is an English film and stage actor. Bean is best known for playing Boromir in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and, previously, British Colonel Richard Sharpe in the ITV television series Sharpe...
. While the film did not perform well at the box office upon its initial release, it has since gained a cult following
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
.
Plot
Equilibrium is set in the futuristic and dystopiaDystopia
A dystopia is the idea of a society in a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian, as characterized in books like Brave New World and Nineteen Eighty-Four...
n city-state of Libria. After a Third World War devastated the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
, a totalitarian state emerged whose ideology
Ideology
An ideology is a set of ideas that constitutes one's goals, expectations, and actions. An ideology can be thought of as a comprehensive vision, as a way of looking at things , as in common sense and several philosophical tendencies , or a set of ideas proposed by the dominant class of a society to...
determined human emotion to be the root cause of conflict. All emotionally stimulating material is banned and "sense offenders" are ruthlessly persecuted. Illegal materials are rated "EC-10" for "emotional content" (a reference to the MPAA film rating system
MPAA film rating system
The Motion Picture Association of America's film-rating system is used in the U.S. and its territories to rate a film's thematic and content suitability for certain audiences. The MPAA system applies only to motion pictures that are submitted for rating. Other media may be rated by other entities...
), and destroyed by immediate incineration. All citizens of Libria are required to take regular injections of the emotion-suppressing drug Prozium.
Libria is governed by the Tetragrammaton
Tetragrammaton
The term Tetragrammaton refers to the name of the God of Israel YHWH used in the Hebrew Bible.-Hebrew Bible:...
Council, which is led by a reclusive figurehead known as "Father" (Sean Pertwee
Sean Pertwee
Sean Pertwee is an English actor known for his television, film and voice-over work.-Career:In the early 80s, he auditioned for a place at the Surrey County Youth Theatre where he was cast as Captain Fitzpatrick in the play Tom Jones, based on the novel by Henry Fielding...
). Father never interacts with anyone outside the ruling council, but he is omnipresent on giant video screens throughout the city. The Tetragrammaton Council uses its police state
Police state
A police state is one in which the government exercises rigid and repressive controls over the social, economic and political life of the population...
apparatus to enforce conformity
Conformity
Conformity is the process by which an individual's attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors are influenced by other people.Conformity may also refer to:*Conformity: A Tale, a novel by Charlotte Elizabeth Tonna...
. At the pinnacle of Librian law enforcement are the Grammaton Clerics, who are trained in the deadly martial art of gun kata
Gun fu
Gun fu, a portmanteau of gun and kung fu, is the style of sophisticated close-quarters gunplay seen in Hong Kong action cinema and in Western films influenced by it. It often resembles a martial arts battle played out with firearms instead of traditional weapons...
. The Clerics regularly raid the region outside the city known as "the Nether" where they locate and destroy emotionally stimulating materials such as art and music and pursue and execute the people using them. Despite their efforts, however, a resistance movement
Rebellion
Rebellion, uprising or insurrection, is a refusal of obedience or order. It may, therefore, be seen as encompassing a range of behaviors aimed at destroying or replacing an established authority such as a government or a head of state...
, known as "the Underground", has emerged in Libria.
The film's main protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
is the high ranking Grammaton Cleric John Preston (Christian Bale
Christian Bale
Christian Charles Philip Bale is an English actor. Best known for his roles in American films, Bale has starred in both big budget Hollywood films and the smaller projects from independent producers and art houses....
). He is a widower whose wife, Viviana, was executed for "Sense Offense". After a raid on a group of rebels, Preston notices his partner, Errol Partridge (Sean Bean
Sean Bean
Shaun Mark "Sean" Bean is an English film and stage actor. Bean is best known for playing Boromir in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and, previously, British Colonel Richard Sharpe in the ITV television series Sharpe...
), taking a copy of Yeats poems instead of leaving it to be incinerated. He tracks down Partridge in the Nether and executes him. Before his death, Partridge says to Preston that all the consequences of feeling are a "cost he would pay gladly". The next morning Preston accidentally breaks his vial of Prozium, and as he is unable to receive a replacement he begins to experience emotions himself.
Preston is assigned the career-conscious Brandt (Taye Diggs
Taye Diggs
Scott Leo "Taye" Diggs is an American theatre, film and television actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles in the Broadway musical Rent, the motion picture How Stella Got Her Groove Back, and the television series Private Practice...
) as his new partner. Together, they arrest Mary O'Brien (Emily Watson
Emily Watson
Emily Watson is an English actress. She gave an acclaimed debut film performance in Lars von Trier's Breaking the Waves.- Early life :...
). Preston's emotional confusion is exacerbated during her interrogation. Without Prozium Preston finds it increasingly difficult to maintain his monotone and emotionless facade in front of his son and his suspicious partner. Preston falls in love with the imprisoned Resistance member Mary, and he also feels remorse for having killed Partridge. He eventually contacts the Resistance and is summoned before Vice-Counsel DuPont (Angus Macfadyen
Angus Macfadyen
Angus Macfadyen is a Scottish actor.Angus Macfadyen was born in Glasgow and was brought up partly in Africa, France, the Philippines and Singapore. His father was a doctor in the World Health Organisation. He was once engaged to actress Catherine Zeta-Jones.Angus attended the University of...
) for suspicious behavior. DuPont tells him to redouble his efforts to exterminate the Resistance and to find the traitor among the clerics. The Resistance meanwhile convinces him to assassinate Father to set off a revolution. Their plan to disrupt Prozium production through sabotage will then lead to an uprising of the emotionally-awakened populace.
As Preston unsuccessfully attempts to stop Mary O'Brien's execution he is caught breaking down in a wave of emotions by Brandt, who arrests him and brings him before the Vice-Counsel. Having convinced DuPont that his colleague is the real traitor, Preston rushes home to destroy the evidence of his nonconformity and finds his son as an unexpected ally.
As part of a plot by the Underground, the leaders of the Resistance then turn themselves in to grant Preston an audience with Father. Father turns out to be Vice-Counsel DuPont, who also does not take Prozium. Preston goes on a rampage, shooting his way to DuPont's office, which is filled with artwork and ornate furniture. It also becomes clear from DuPont's choice of words that he, too, has been reading the poems of Yeats. DuPont taunts him, asking Preston how it felt to betray the Underground. Preston kills first an army of guards then Brandt, with a katana
Katana
A Japanese sword, or , is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. There are several types of Japanese swords, according to size, field of application and method of manufacture.-Description:...
. Finally Preston and DuPont face each other in a gun kata battle in which Preston emerges victorious. DuPont tries to convince Preston to spare him, asking if taking his life is worth the emotional cost knowing he is killing someone who is "feeling" and knows how beautiful life can be. Preston repeats the last words of Partridge and announces that he gladly will pay the cost, shooting DuPont in the chest. He then destroys the propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
machines that have indoctrinated the people of Libria while the Underground detonates bombs and takes control of the city. The film ends with Preston holding O'Brien's red ribbon, smiling.
Cast
- Christian BaleChristian BaleChristian Charles Philip Bale is an English actor. Best known for his roles in American films, Bale has starred in both big budget Hollywood films and the smaller projects from independent producers and art houses....
as John Preston - Taye DiggsTaye DiggsScott Leo "Taye" Diggs is an American theatre, film and television actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles in the Broadway musical Rent, the motion picture How Stella Got Her Groove Back, and the television series Private Practice...
as Andrew Brandt - Emily WatsonEmily WatsonEmily Watson is an English actress. She gave an acclaimed debut film performance in Lars von Trier's Breaking the Waves.- Early life :...
as Mary O'Brien - Sean BeanSean BeanShaun Mark "Sean" Bean is an English film and stage actor. Bean is best known for playing Boromir in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and, previously, British Colonel Richard Sharpe in the ITV television series Sharpe...
as Errol Partridge - Angus MacfadyenAngus MacfadyenAngus Macfadyen is a Scottish actor.Angus Macfadyen was born in Glasgow and was brought up partly in Africa, France, the Philippines and Singapore. His father was a doctor in the World Health Organisation. He was once engaged to actress Catherine Zeta-Jones.Angus attended the University of...
as Vice-Counsel DuPont - William FichtnerWilliam FichtnerWilliam Edward Fichtner is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Sheriff Tom Underlay on Invasion, as Alexander Mahone on Prison Break, as William Sharp in Armageddon, and as Ken Rosenberg in the video games Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.- Early life...
as Jurgen - Sean PertweeSean PertweeSean Pertwee is an English actor known for his television, film and voice-over work.-Career:In the early 80s, he auditioned for a place at the Surrey County Youth Theatre where he was cast as Captain Fitzpatrick in the play Tom Jones, based on the novel by Henry Fielding...
as Father - David HemmingsDavid HemmingsDavid Edward Leslie Hemmings was an English film, theatre and television actor as well as a film and television director and producer....
as Proctor - Emily Siewert as Lisa Preston
- Matthew Harbour as Robbie Preston
- Alexa Summer as Viviana Preston
- Maria Pia Calzone as Preston's wife
- Dominic Purcell as Seamus
- Brian ConleyBrian ConleyBrian Conley is an English comedian, television presenter, singer and actor. At the peak of his television career, he was the highest-paid male television personality in the UK. Outside of television, he is best known for his frequent portrayals of Buttons in pantomime versions of...
as Reading room overseer - Kurt WimmerKurt WimmerKurt Wimmer is an American screenwriter and film director.Wimmer is of German descent, he attended the University of South Florida and graduated with a BFA degree in Art History. He then moved to Los Angeles where he worked for 12 years as a screenwriter before making his 2002 film, Equilibrium...
as Rebel victim
Gun Kata
Gun Kata is a fictional gun-fighting martial art discipline that is a significant part of the film. It is based upon the premise that, given the positions of the participants in a gun battle, the trajectories of fire are statistically predictable. By pure memorization of the positions, one can fire at the most likely location of an enemy without aiming at him in the traditional sense of pointing a gun at a specific target. By the same token, the trajectories of incoming fire are also statistically predictable, so by assuming the appropriate stance, one can keep one's body clear of the most likely way of enemy bullets.The Gun Kata shown in Equilibrium is a hybrid mix of Kurt Wimmer
Kurt Wimmer
Kurt Wimmer is an American screenwriter and film director.Wimmer is of German descent, he attended the University of South Florida and graduated with a BFA degree in Art History. He then moved to Los Angeles where he worked for 12 years as a screenwriter before making his 2002 film, Equilibrium...
's own style of Gun Kata (which he invented in his backyard) and the martial arts style of the choreographer. They disagreed on the appropriate form of Gun Kata, with Kurt Wimmer advocating a smoother, flowing style and the choreographer supporting a more rigid style. Much of the Gun Kata seen in the film is based on the choreographer's style. Kurt Wimmer's Gun Kata is dispersed sparsely throughout the movie, most notably in the introductory scene with the silhouetted man, played by Wimmer himself, practicing with dual pistols.
Production
Fascist architecture
Rationalist-Fascist architecture was an Italian architectural style developed during the fascism regime and in particular starting from the late 1920s. It was promoted and practiced initially by the Gruppo 7 group, whose architects included Luigi Figini, Guido Frette, Sebastiano Larco, Gino...
and modern
Modern architecture
Modern architecture is generally characterized by simplification of form and creation of ornament from the structure and theme of the building. It is a term applied to an overarching movement, with its exact definition and scope varying widely...
architecture. According to the visual effects supervisor Tim McGovern who worked alongside Kurt Wimmer, the fascist architecture was chosen "to make the individual feel small and insignificant so the government seems more powerful." In addition, the modern architecture that is also found in Berlin, emphasizes the futuristic and stolid appearance of the city state of Libria. Moreover, while the city state of Libria has thick walls represented by an abandoned fortress-like East German military base, the exterior of the city is filmed in the decrepit neighborhoods of East Germany, where many of the surviving rebels reside. In addition to the geographic location, a few European art directors also made substantial contributions to the production.
Equilibriums locations include:
- Olympic Stadium (Berlin)Olympic Stadium (Berlin)The Olympiastadion is a sports stadium in Berlin, Germany. There have been two stadiums on the site: the present facility, and one that is called the Deutsches Stadion which was built for the aborted 1916 Summer Olympics. Both were designed by members of the same family, the first by Otto March...
, built for the 1936 Summer Olympics1936 Summer OlympicsThe 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...
. - DeutschlandhalleDeutschlandhalleDeutschlandhalle is an arena in the Westend neighbourhood of Berlin, Germany. It was inaugurated on 29 November 1935 by Adolf Hitler. The building has been granted landmark status in 1995....
, also built for the 1936 Summer Olympics. - Brandenburg GateBrandenburg GateThe Brandenburg Gate is a former city gate and one of the most well-known landmarks of Berlin and Germany. It is located west of the city centre at the junction of Unter den Linden and Ebertstraße, immediately west of the Pariser Platz. It is the only remaining gate of a series through which...
in Berlin. - Berlin Tempelhof Airport, which was designed during the Nazi era, but completed after World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. - The modern subway station under the ReichstagReichstag (building)The Reichstag building is a historical edifice in Berlin, Germany, constructed to house the Reichstag, parliament of the German Empire. It was opened in 1894 and housed the Reichstag until 1933, when it was severely damaged in a fire. During the Nazi era, the few meetings of members of the...
Building, as well as the long tunnels: Berlin U-BahnBerlin U-BahnThe Berlin is a rapid transit railway in Berlin, the capital city of Germany, and is a major part of the public transport system of that city. Opened in 1902, the serves 173 stations spread across ten lines, with a total track length of , about 80% of which is underground...
. - The decrepit East German neighborhoods, as well as an abandoned massive East German military base.
- The EUR, Rome fascist district, built by Mussolini.http://www.equilibriumfans.com/commentaryb2.htm
Although a science-fiction movie, Wimmer intentionally avoided using futuristic technology that can become obsolete, and he also decided to set his story in an indeterminate future. “I wanted to create more of an alternate reality than get caught up in the gadgetry of science fiction,” he explains. “In fact, there’s no technology in Equilibrium that doesn’t already exist. It’s more like a parallel universe, the perfect setting for a parable.”
Critical reception
The film received mixed reviews from critics. The review aggregator Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reported that 37% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 83 reviews, with the consensus being "Equilibrium is a reheated mishmash of other sci-fi movies." Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
reported the film had an average score of 33 out of 100, based on 22 reviews. The New York Times dismissed Equilibrium for having heavily borrowed from Fahrenheit 451
Fahrenheit 451
Fahrenheit 451 is a 1953 dystopian novel by Ray Bradbury. The novel presents a future American society where reading is outlawed and firemen start fires to burn books...
, Nineteen Eighty-Four
Nineteen Eighty-Four
Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell is a dystopian novel about Oceania, a society ruled by the oligarchical dictatorship of the Party...
, Brave New World
Brave New World
Brave New World is Aldous Huxley's fifth novel, written in 1931 and published in 1932. Set in London of AD 2540 , the novel anticipates developments in reproductive technology and sleep-learning that combine to change society. The future society is an embodiment of the ideals that form the basis of...
, and other science-fiction classics.
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
, however, awarded the film 3 stars out of 4, noting that "Equilibrium would be a mindless action picture, except that it has a mind. It doesn't do a lot of deep thinking, but unlike many futuristic combos of sf and f/x, it does make a statement."
Explaining the apparent rift between critical and fan reaction Wimmer claimed in a Dreamwatch
Dreamwatch
Dreamwatch was a British magazine covering science fiction and fantasy films, books and television programmes.Published monthly by Gary Leigh and then Titan Magazines , it was a leading genre entertainment magazine, competing with SFX and Cinescape in the genre magazine market.-Overview:The...
magazine interview that 'the paying customers seemed to get it', and in contrast, the critics 'didn't seem to see that the film had a different message than' Fahrenheit 451 and 1984. In a slightly more emotional statement during a Sci Fi Dimensions interview, Wimmer implied that he values fan reaction above critical reception: 'Why would I make a movie for someone I wouldn't want to hang out with? Have you ever met a critic who you wanted to party with? I haven't.'