Equilibrium By Kurt Wimmer: Film Analysis

The following paper would be based on the film called “Equilibrium” and directed by Kurt Wimmer. In his movie the author throws our society such challenging questions as: where is the boundary between state mass surveillance for protection of the society and abuse of authority? Is it right to afford the government to invade its citizens’ private lives? And what it could lead to? This science fiction film shows us a dystopian future society in which both feelings and artistic expression are outlawed.

The main thesis on surveillance and privacy in this film is that freedom of opinion is a threat to totalitarian systems and that dictatorships are frightened by the idea of their citizens thinking too much, or having too much fun or love. And …show more content…
The masses are watched over by Father, a figure who appears on video screens all over the city. Citizens are forced to take mind-altering drug Prozium which hinders emotions. The protectors of this violent peace are government agents called clerics, whose job is to arrest “sense offenders”. These include rebels, people hoarding art and others who just refuse to take their daily medication. The penalty for everything is death, and there's never any mercy. Despite the efforts of the police and clerics, a resistance movement exists in Libria, known as "The Underground". Members of this movement are responsible for terrorist activity against Libria, specifically against the Prozium factories. The leaders of the Underground believe that if they disrupt the production and distribution of Prozium for a short period of time, even a single day, then the Librians will rise up and destroy the totalitarian system. The protagonist John Preston is a leading cleric, ruthless in tracking down and eradicating sense criminals, even those who are close to him. However, after a potent meeting with Underground member Mary and a missed dose of Prozium, Preston who has been trained to enforce the strict laws of the new regime begins feel and …show more content…
On the one hand, it is believed that authorities fear that the human race cannot possibly survive a Fourth World War, and because of that start building a new society which is supposed to be free of conflict. Officially, they define their goal as enforcement of unity and conformity. And in order to reach that they strive to create identical lives for all Librians, using police state apparatus. So because of that those who express extreme emotions, or who possess "emotional content", such as books, arts, or movies, are supposed to be hunted down by clerics. On the other hand, in order to vanquish the hate, this system has also taken away all the positive emotions that we take for granted. For instance, husbands and fathers no longer feel love for their families and instead simply live their lives based on instinct, just continuing survival of their species. Here, emotion — the abstract enemy — becomes concrete. All in all, our protagonist begins to feel appalled at the injustice he sees in the cold-hearted exterior. Ultimately, Preston decides to rebel against the emotionless world, strikes an alliance with the leader of the underground resistance and they start to make a revolution. After a long and significant conflict, emotion and beauty win over the dour Librian state. And the eidolon of a better tomorrow the author leaves to the audience's imagination.

Unlike straightforward tales about good over evil, this film declares that