Equilibrium (2002)

In a Fascist future where all forms of feeling are illegal, a man in charge of enforcing the law rises to overthrow the system.

Director:

Kurt Wimmer

Writer:

Kurt Wimmer

Stars:

Christian Bale, Sean Bean, Taye Diggs

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Christian Bale	...	John Preston
Dominic Purcell	...	Seamus
Sean Bean	...	Partridge
Christian Kahrmann	...	Officer in Charge
John Keogh	...	Chemist
Sean Pertwee	...	Father
William Fichtner	...	Jurgen
Angus Macfadyen	...	Dupont (as Angus MacFadyen)
David Barrash	...	Evidentiary Storage Officer
Dirk Martens	...	Gate Guard
Taye Diggs	...	Brandt
Matthew Harbour	...	Robbie Preston
Maria Pia Calzone	...	Preston's Wife
Emily Siewert	...	Lisa Preston
Emily Watson	...	Mary O'Brien

Storyline

In a futuristic world, a strict regime has eliminated war by suppressing emotions: books, art and music are strictly forbidden and feeling is a crime punishable by death. Cleric John Preston (Bale) is a top ranking government agent responsible for destroying those who resist the rules. When he misses a dose of Prozium, a mind-altering drug that hinders emotion, Preston, who has been trained to enforce the strict laws of the new regime, suddenly becomes the only person capable of overthrowing it.

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Plot Keywords:

law | art | underground | cleric | fascist | 

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Taglines:

The only thing more powerful than the system, is the man that will overthrow it.

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 February 2003 (Belgium)

Also Known As:

Librium

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$61,468 (South Africa) (12 September 2003)

Gross:

$104,843 (South Africa) (19 September 2003)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dimension Films, Blue Tulip Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film's fight choreographer Jim Vickers and Kurt Wimmer had some slight disagreement on how the martial art Gun Kata should be performed on screen. You can see little friendly jabs to the choreographer in the film. When Kurt Wimmer performs the Gun Kata at the beginning, you see it's very fluid and smooth. The way it's actually used in the film is very rigid with a few flowing moves thrown in. Also, in Angus Macfadyen's speech to the Clerics in training, he says "each fluid position", slightly stressing the word "fluid". Wimmer wanted Gun Kata to be smooth and soft-style. Vickers, trained in hard-style karate among other things, modified the original Gun Kata slightly, and because of budgetary restraints, that's the version we see in the final film. Wimmer has said his own vision of Gun Kata can be seen in most of its glory in his next film, Ultraviolet.

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Goofs

In the katana fight Preston jabs into one of the men, and it's clearly visible the sword misses the torso, and the actor's actually holding it between his arm and against his chest. In normal playback the move looks nevertheless convincing.

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Quotes

[first lines]
DuPont: In the first years of the 21st century, a third World War broke out. Those of us who survived knew mankind could never survive a fourth; that our own volatile natures could simply no longer be risked. So we have created a new arm of the law: The Grammaton Cleric, whose sole task it is to seek out and eradicate the true source of man's inhumanity to man - his ability to feel.

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Connections

References Roboman Hakaider (1995)

User Reviews

Worth seeing twice in two consecutive days (which I did.)

I went in to see "Equilibrium" with no knowledge of the movie other than a two line synopsis from a local newspaper and the movie poster in the theater lobby. As usual, I was practicing my theory of "lowered expectations." I expect a movie to be horribly awful ahead of time, so I can not be disappointed. I was not disappointed. At the end of the film I could not sit still in my seat. I felt the urge to go out into the world and proclaim the utter awesomeness of "Equilibrium." Such words as "Sweet," "Crazy," and "Righteous" sprang forth from my lips in rapid succession when I talked about the movie with my friends. Not since the "Fellowship of the Ring" have I desired to sing a movie's praises. And I mean literally SING. "Equilibrium" could, and should, be the sleeper hit of the year. The film's action sequences stir up the blood and pump the adrenaline as if you were riding a roller-coaster. The art style, while minimalistic, and thus maybe confused for low-budget by some, is actually quite successful in portraying a totalitarian and emotionless society. The acting is excellent as well, and quite possibly the best I have seen in an action film in long time. While the nay-sayers will say that the film is too unoriginal, borrowing elements of its story and premise from "Fahrenheit 451" and "Brave New World," these complaints can be disregarded as the movie adds enough of its own style and story to make the comparisons plausible in basic premise only. In the end, like any movie, "Equilibrium" is meant as entertainment. And entertain it does. It does it so very well. It mixes action and with substantial plot and original style to make an excellent whole. Go see it. Go see it twice. Go see "Equilibrium," Cleric.