EQUILIBRIUM (2002)

MORGAN'S RATING

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 is a top ranking government agent responsible for destroying those who resist these rules. When he misses a dose of Prozium, a mind-altering drug that hinders emotions, Preston, who has been trained to enforce the strict laws of the new regime, suddenly becomes the only person capable of overthrowing it.

Dominic Purcell (Seamus), Christian Bale (John Preston), Sean Bean (Patridge), Christian Kahrmann (Officer in Charge), John Keogh (Chemist), Sean Pertwee (Father), William Fichtner (Jurgen), Angus MacFadyen (Dupont), 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), Mike Smith (Enforcer Commander), Florian Fitz (Gate Guard), Daniel Lee Clark (Lead Sweeper), Francesco Cabras (Rebel Leader), Kurt Wimmer (Rebel Victim), Anatole Taubmann (Crematory Technician), Brian Conley (Reading Room Proprietor), Alexa Summer (Viviana Preston), Brian W. Cook (Dupont's Secretary), Mehmet Kurtulus (Search Coordinator), Klaus Schindler (Interrogrator), Oliver Brandl (Polygraph Technician), Armin Marewsky (Security Guard, uncredited), Dennenesch Zoude (uncredited).

IN A FUTURE WHERE FREEDOM IS OUTLAWED, OUTLAWS WILL BECOME HEROES.

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

DIRECTOR: Kurt Wimmer (One Man's Justice). WRITER: Kurt Wimmer. PRODUCERS: Jan de Bont and Lucas Foster. ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: Ninon Tantet. CO-PRODUCER: Sue Baden-Powell. EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Andrew Rona, Bob Weinstein and Harvey Weinstein. ORIGINAL MUSIC: Klaus Badelt, Ramin Djawadi (additional music), Geoff Zanelli (additional music). DISTRIBUTOR: Dimension Films.

FACTS

RELEASE DATE: December 6th, 2002 (USA) DVD RELEASE DATE: May 13th, 2003 (USA) BOX OFFICE OPENING: $541,512 (USA) BOX OFFICE RESULT: $1.2 million (USA) BUDGET: $20 million (USA) SHOOTING DATES: September 2000 -- December 2000 - In certain scenes, the muzzle flash of the pistols and rifles fired by the Clerics and guards will reveal the Tetragrammatron insignia. - Grammaton Cleric wristwatch used in the film is an Android Alien watch with a black face, no maker name on the dial. - The poem Partridge reads in the chuch is called "He wishes for the Cloths of Heaven" by W.B. Yeats. - 200 people were interviewed for the role of Patridge and filming had already started when Lucas Foster brought Sean Bean in, having convinced him to take the role. - The pistol-whip fight between John Preston and the officers took only 30 minutes to film.

QUOTES

Brandt: You clean, we'll sweep.

Brandt: I told you I would make my career with you, Preston.

Brandt: Cleric, I can only hope one day to be as uncompromising as you.

DuPont: Be careful Preston. You're trading on my dreams.

Brandt: I'm not feeling! He is the one who's feeling.

John Preston: I'll do what I can to see they go easy on you. Partridge: We both know they never "go easy".

John Preston: There's no war. No murder. Partridge: What is it you think we do? John Preston: No. You've been with me, you've seen how it can be -- the jealousy, the rage. Partridge: A heavy cost. I pay it gladly. [reaches for his gun]

CRITICAL COMMENTS

"A science-fiction pastiche so lacking in originality that if you stripped away its inspirations there would be precious little left." -- Manohla Dargis, Los Angeles Times

"It doesn't do a lot of deep thinking, but unlike many futuristic combos of sf and f/x, it does make a statement: freedom of opinion is a treat to totalitarian systems." -- Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times