Why Equilibrium Knocked Me Off My Feet

by Susan Griffin

I don't usually watch movies on a whim. I rarely start watching something as substantial as a movie when I am channel surfing. But one day I was flipping along and saw Sean Bean riding along in a white car. I paused for a moment because, hey, it's Boromir, and then there was a long shot showing a futuristic city.

I'll admit right off the bat that I am a sucker for futuristic cities. Post-apocalyptic? Sign me up! I love watching movies that deal with the human condition in the future. In this particular case, I sat there transfixed, for almost two hours, watching a movie I'd never heard of before. Equilibrium is directed and written by Kurt Wimmer. Sean Bean, Taye Diggs and Emily Watson round out a small but powerful cast which is led by Christian Bale.

Now, I have to go on a bit of a tangent here. I admit that I only know Christian Bale by his role as Laurie in the Winona Ryder version of Little Women. And whatever talents Bale might have had then, I remembered him as simpering and wimpy compared to Gabriel Byrne. So when I heard late last year that Bale would be starring in Batman Begins, my first reaction was, "OH NO!! NOT THE GIRLY BOY FROM LITTLE WOMEN! He will RUIN Batman!"

But after seeing Equilibrium, I must offer my humble apologies to Mr. Bale. He has grown up quite nicely, indeed. I was mesmerized by this film absolutely, but while Boromir and the impressive sets drew me in, Bale's acting ability hooked my butt to the couch. He is absolutely heartbreaking as a person who has been denied emotions for years. As he begins to regain some of his feelings, he must pretend that he is still stoic and emotionally blank. He is a joy to watch. I have since heard that Bale has done great work in other movies as well (American Psycho comes to mind). In fact, I am simultaneously embarrassed and happy that I have missed so many of his movies. Now I know how to start out my first queue at Netflix.

While the basic premise of this film has been accurately compared to novels like Fahrenheit 451 and 1984, it did not seem like a remake of any of these works. The premise is quite similar: A dictator known only as "Father" leads all the remaining people of the world (with the exception of a few rebels). It was decided after the last war that only people with emotions could hate one another enough to wage war on each other, so the survivors have all been taking medicine that inhibits all emotional responses. Everyone "doses" at regular intervals to maintain the peace. Bale plays a Cleric, basically a profiler for those who refuse to dose. He hunts out those rebels who insist on feeling their emotions, and eventually becomes seduced by them. As he secretly stops using his medicine, he must continue to hunt those who would be his friends and hide his crime from his partner, played by Taye Diggs.

Though the wonderful acting and the story-driven plot kept me riveted throughout, the fighting sequences in this movie knocked my socks off. They are pretty short, compared to sequences in a film like The Matrix or its sequels, but in their brevity there is choreography and execution which makes the scenes become art on screen. The "gun kata" sequence was impressive in particular, and made my husband (who has a black belt in Tae Kwon Do) sit up and take note because of its originality. These scenes are very graphic; Equilibrium definitely earns its "R" rating, but in addition to having awesome fights and explosions, this movie is thought-provoking.

The first and biggest irony that this movie uses to make a point is that the futuristic police force employs a division of these Clerics who go around killing those people who refuse to comply with the emotion-inhibiting drugs. I mean, that's kind of like killing people to show them that killing is wrong, isn't it? Hello, Paradox. Nice to meet you! It would seem to me that human emotions are just as responsible for avoiding war as causing it. This movie shows the cost of peace at the price of human emotion. This idea made me consider which element might be more powerful within my own emotional makeup: hate or compassion. Of course, with this movie, my only emotion is pure enjoyment!

On to the Awards:

All the Dorks Signed Up For Martial Arts When: Bale decided to take on the cops instead of letting them take away his new puppy. AWESOME.

Best Kick-Ass Moment: The aforementioned "gun kata" sequence which takes place toward the end of the film. I held my breath during this fight even after seeing it twice!

Best Reformed Girly-Man: Christian Bale. I mean really. Is "Laurie" not a girl's name in England?

Most Beautiful: Taye Diggs. Note to Stella: I understand you still have your groove back and am not surprised.

Best Acting: Emily Watson and Sean Bean have relatively small parts in this film but still create haunting, unforgettable characters.

Everyone Exhaled a Thankful Breath: When the little boy who plays Bale's son in the film stops reminding us of Damien and admits that he, too, has been off his medicine. What a creepy kid!

Most Original Unoriginal Movie Idea: Kurt Wimmer. This movie was well written with excellent dialog and was artfully directed so that the scenes look like a dance. I look forward to his other endeavors.