Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2828 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-10-06
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 103 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
A broad science fiction thriller in a classic vein, Equilibrium takes a respectable stab at a Fahrenheit 451-like cautionary fable. The story finds Earth's post-World War III humankind in a state of severe emotional repression; if no-one feels anything, no-one will be inspired by dark passions to attack their neighbours. Writer-director Kurt Wimmer's monochromatic, Metropolis-influenced cityscape provides an excellent backdrop to the heavy-handed mission of John Preston (Christian Bale), a top cop who busts "sense offenders" and crushes sentimental, sensual, and artistic relics from a bygone era. Predictably, Preston becomes intrigued by his victims and that which they die to cherish; he stops taking his mandatory, mood-flattening drug and is even aroused by a doomed prisoner (Emily Watson). Wimmer's wrongheaded martial arts/duelling guns motif is sheer silliness (a battle over a puppy doesn't help), but Equilibrium should be seen for Bale's moving performance as a man shocked back to human feeling. --Tom Keogh

Special Features

• Production notes
  
• Interactive trailers

DVD Technical Information:

• Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  
• Colour
  
• PAL
  
• Region Code: 2
  
• Subtitles: Englsih
  
• Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1, English
  
• Running Time: 103 mins approx.

Synopsis
In a futuristic society where the government requires the people to stay tranquil and submissive by taking a psychological drug, people no longer have emotions. Because of this, there are no more wars. But when one of the enforcement agents realizes that maybe peaceful oblivion is not the answer, he thinks about overthrowing his oppressors.

Customer Reviews

More Gattaca than the Matrix
I caught this film by accident on Filmfour a while back, and never got round to seeing the end. As the film had grabbed me somewhat, I bought it.

Comparisons with The Matrix are a little unfair - apart from the fight scenes and the long-black coats, the films are completely different. In fact, I believe the film could have benefitted from a more Matrix-comparison-free marketing drive. I overlooked this one so many times in the video store because it looked like it was a cheap stright-to-rental rip-off of the Matrix, but I couldn't have been more wrong.

In terms of mood, pacing and general 'look' the film has a lot of similarities with Gattaca: another film set in a dystopian future where biochemical solutions erase the flaws inherent in the human condition and individuals find themselves pitted against these 'dehumanising' forces.

Again, like Gattaca, the film looks utterly stunning. Every shot is beautifully composed with careful attention to geometric detail.

Elements of Nineteen Eighty Four sit quietly in the background in the form of the patriarchal totalitarian leader of the society, 'Father', and his periodic addresses to the general public on giant wallscreens.

The fight scenes are very Matrixy though. The film has an odd choice of combat: the curious device of a 'Gun Kata' which is a sort of martial art for people with shooters that spring out from their sleeves. It's not overdone to the point of silliness though, and kind of works in an odd way.

I'm not a big fan of action/shooty films, but this one was really artful.

A brave experiment in filmmaking....
What I found amazing about Equilibrium was the fact that although the subject matter was not unsimilar to these films (near future setting, elite orginization, with corruption in the ranks etc.) the director had achieved a believeable,dynamic,intruiging alternate reality, with possibly half the budget of other movies from its genre.
Christian Bale was well cast in the lead rolem, with his cold expression, and "chiseled" features relaying the sterile feel of the film. I felt Emily Watson was a little under used,having only brief scenes, it was hard to identify with her character but was still none the less a worth inclusion.

For all the re-hashed ideas,Equilibrium also generated its fair share of new concepts, most noteably the "Gun-Fu" fight scenes proving a refreshing change on the (done to death!) Bullet-Time/Wire Fliers that we now see in every second film we watch,also worth a mention is the interesting spin Equilibrium takes on the classic,all exploding,all shooting good VS. evil finale,without giving it away, it is probably more memorable than the majority of most recent films!

Because this film is yet to be released in Australia,I ordered it knowing almost nothing about it, Now that I have seen it,it will remain a crucial part of my DVD collection, I hope this review will encourage other buyers to live like the "Resistance" and do the same!

Sheer, absolute BRILLIANCE..
Equilibrium to me has allways been thought of as an under rated film, i see the Amazon reviewers have seen the light though! This movie struck so many right chords with my emotions, the acting is fantastic, every word and movement the cast makes sends a shiver down my spine. Its really hard to get into this film because the whole concept and idea that it relays to you is so original and interesting that your mind cant help but wander off to think about it! To come up with something so science fiction yet plausable and mix it with matrix-esque shooting, AND still have it beleiveable, and not branded as a trashy shooter flick is genious! the score is beyond amazing, it really is, Klaus Badelt? i think his name is, well he did a very VERY good job here, atmospheric and stand alone vivid in itself, its dark and very.. german, the sort of thing Beethoven would right, if he were alive today. (as we all know he would be a film composer). These fight scenes, although i hate to generically put them in that terminology, are extremely origonal, without all the slow mo crap that ruins the effect of realism during a film. Im thankful to say that in Equilibrium they have'nt dont what so many film makers do and that is to make the mistake of creating CG humans. CG is used pretty much only for backgrounds and that which is not possible to carry off any other way. The drama, and impact this film will have on you is unimagineable. Im goin to go watch it!