Equilibrium (2002)

Director:

Kurt Wimmer

Writer (WGA):

Kurt Wimmer (written by)

Release Date:

26 February 2003 (Belgium)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

In a future where freedom is outlawed outlaws will become heroes.

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Future | Book | Underground | Death | Shot In The Back

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Dominic Purcell	...	Seamus
Christian Bale	...	John Preston
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

Also Known As:

Cubic (Europe: English title) (video title)
Librium (USA) (working title)
Эквилибриум (Russia) [ru]
Cubic (Sweden) (DVD title) [sv]
Cubic (Denmark) [da]
Cubic (Finland) [fi]
Cubic - uuden maailman kapinalliset (Finland) (TV title) [fi]
Ekvilibrijum (Serbia) [sr]
Equilibrium (France) [fr]
Equilibrium (Brazil) [pt]
Equilibrium (Argentina) (video title) [es]
Equilibrium - Killer of Emotions (Germany) (DVD box title) [de]
Isyan (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Rebellion (Japan: English title) [en]
Tasakaal (Estonia) [et]

MPAA:

Rated R for violence.

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Netherlands:12 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia) | Iceland:16 | Canada:A (Ontario) | South Korea:15 | Philippines:R-18 | Sweden:15 (DVD rating) | Australia:M | Finland:K-15 | Germany:16 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Company:

Dimension Films

Trivia:

In certain scenes, the muzzle flash of the pistols and rifles fired by the Clerics and guards will reveal the Tetragrammaton insignia.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Obvious stunt double when Preston does flip mid-air to dodge bullets from the first two guards in the hallway in the final guard shootout scene.

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.

Movie Connections:

References Dune (1984)

Unexpected pearl

The "Equilibrium" is one of the very little action movies that actually make sense! The script was influenced by many books and it worked! The film is really great, quick action, combined with a brilliantly stated philosophical question, breathtaking scenes with lots of effects, superb actors! It perfectly balances on the verge between just a high-budget nonsense action film (despite it's low budget) and extremely boring science-fiction film. It was quite a nice surprise when I watched it, because the director is not famous! And there was not any Hollywood superstar but all and the acting is amazingly great! Like the actors completely fit in their roles and ruthlessly overwhelm the weak script parts! I still remember the change of the emphasis when the main character changed sides! With this performance it is a serious competitor of "the matrix" or maybe more!

Although one little remark must be made in the beginning, when cleric Preston enters the barricaded room with the rebels, some shooting scenes are the same!

But I guess there is not a good film without a little weakness in it, is it?