Think Out Loud #2

Think Out Loud.

This is a weekly meme used for bloggers

to post something they would normally not post.

So, post whatever YOU want!

Equilibrium

whatever I want?! then This week I choose to do a movie review . I do book reviews because I read books frequently and most of them deserve reviews . Movies on the other hand are so many and they don't all call for reviews. But this one does, Equilibrium. It's a great, thought provoking , action-packed movie. It has a lot going for it, a great cast, premise, action and symbolism. Of course we each have our own taste in movies so this could just be my fascination with this movie.

I suppose I should start with what the movies about, the plot: 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 IMDB

Alright now you have the plot and if that doesn't attract you yet, then the cast should. Sean Bean (yes, he dies),Dominic Purcell, William Fichtner ,Angus McFadden. If these guy don't get you on board then maybe Christian Bale and Taye Diggs will, I suppose I should have mentioned them first as they are the leading roles. However they're the ones who would have put me off this great movie. I'm not a Christian Bale fan, Although I did like his part in A Midsummer Nights Dream as Demetrius and must now admit that he isn't so bad and he did great in this movie and  I couldn't imagine anybody else doing it. Taye Diggs, I can't see past his part in the movie "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" , I kept seeing him as the young lover boy. Although he did succeed in making his character an annoying and hated one. He plays Brandt in the movie, Preston's new partner . An ambitious,arrogant and smug annoying jerk. Therefore there is little sympathy for him when he quite literally loses face.

I love the dialogue in the movie aswell and the symbolism and repetition . In the beginning of the movie Preston and his first partner Errol are on a raid and they burn the Mona Lisa, they burn it! now I'm not that into art but come on?! really? On this raid Errol takes a book and gives an excuse of turning it in personally when Preston asks why he took it.  In the end Errol doesn't turn it in and Preston finds him to turn him in . This is one of the best scenes in the movie. Errol quotes from a passage from a poem (He Wishes for The Cloths of Heaven by W.B Yeats).

"But I, being poor, have only my dreams. I have spread my dreams under your feet. Tread softly because you tread on my dreams."

In the end Errol reaches for his gun and his last words are " A heavy cost I pay gladly".Preston then kills him. This scene runs like a paradox in the movies. Errols words from the book are repeated when Preston gets home ,when he goes to bed that night he remembers those words. When he goes against Dupont (the last scene) Dupont also tells Preston that he treads on His (Dupont's) dreams and asks him if it's worth it. Preston then says the same words Errol had said " a price he'd pay gladly" and then kills Dupont.


In the last scene there's a picture of the consequences of war. Which is ironic because it depicts what happens when  states go to war one of the consequences is the loss of art. The weird thing is that Libria is in a state of "peace" but art is illegal and therefore destroyed. Emotions/feelings are seen as the enemy and cause of chaos and war and to truly be at peace they must not feel. So everybody has to take Prozuim. Preston accidentally drops his dose one morning and starts feeling and seeing what's happening and then understands what Errol was saying. Which raises one question(or many) is peace worth it if the price is losing what makes us human?

The action: the style of gunfighting (gun Kata). This is fun to watch and exhilarating. The fight scenes are great in this movie. One is even duped the "puppy shoot out" on youtube. My favorite would be the last part. What I don't get is when Preston shows up in Dupont's office, guards appear from behind the pillars, there are two pillars in front of the door Preston enters in but he gives no indications of having seen them there.

Here's a trailer of the movie:

If you liked Ultraviolet you're going to like this too.

I've watched this movie twice , have you seen it and what did you think?