Equilibrium

[James]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0238380/

Personally i think the whole gun stuff was pointless and detracted away from the main plot (which was incredibly interesting). Beyond that though, a very good film.

A large amount of philosophy in it too. For example, i would say that this is similar to the sort of thing that rousseau actually wanted (in theory - i'm not sure he was aware of the negative side of his dream).

Thoughts?

[James]

no thoughts?

[Roses in the Hospital]

I thought it was quite cool.
Both the fights and the political/philosophical elements were impressive/
I don't know if you know, but it was loosly based on Aldus Huxley's 'Brave New World'...

[James]

ah is that the name of the book? I knew it was based in some way on a book, but i assumed it shared the same name. I couldn't find it in my uni library so gave up.
Might give it a read.
Is the gun crap in the book?

[The Living Red]

Yeah, it's a fantastic film; scary to imagine that actually happening.

And i agree, the gun scenes were a bit much. However, that kind of thing probably attracts more mainstream viewers, so they get to see something that'll actually make them think as well, which is good.

That guy's a great actor btw, the main one; can't remember his name.

[Hegemonicretribution]

Originally posted by [email protected] 8 2006, 11:21 AM
Is the gun crap in the book?
Very loosely based on the book. There are no weapons of any sort that I recall in the book. The story of the book is much deeper, and indeed a lot less "dystopian" that the film suggests.

Read Brave New World!

Anyway the movie itself was fantastic, I loved all the "gun crap" some of the best action for ages. The story line was not as good as that of BNW, but attempt at creating BNW as a movie have been horrible. Equilibrium took a few elements of the story, changed much of it, and created it as a great action film.

[YKTMX]

I remember quite enjoying, but it's a pretty shit movie, and extremely politically reactionary.

Firstly, the writer-director, a hack called Kurt Wimmer, has obviously seen the Matrix far too many times. Everything from the aesthetic, to the martial arts and action, to the "philosophy" (all of which were done much better in the Matrix).

Politically, the film posits that the only way humanity can extirpate war and violence from history is by the mass doping of the population. Anyone who thinks the film is an attack on "fascism" is also mistaken. Fascism relies on war, and a war-ready population. It's quite clearly a stupid, right libertarian attack on "collectivism".

Quite gross really.

Though, did anyone see the "gun kata"! How cool was that! :D

[vox_populi]

Originally posted by The Living [email protected] 8 2006, 05:04 PM
That guy's a great actor btw, the main one; can't remember his name.
His name is Christian Bale.

He is even better in American Psycho

[James]

I'm sorry if i caused offence to anyone who enoyed the gun stuff: think i was a bit harsh. Personally though i didn't like that stuff, i felt it was very matrix-esq and a distraction.


Politically, the film posits that the only way humanity can extirpate war and violence from history is by the mass doping of the population. Anyone who thinks the film is an attack on "fascism" is also mistaken. Fascism relies on war, and a war-ready population. It's quite clearly a stupid, right libertarian attack on "collectivism".




I can see why you would think this.
I felt it was more an attack on the sort of philosophy as shown by Rousseau (especially his essay on the arts) and that general train of thought: the idea that the arts "corrupt" the basic, "noble savage", morals of humans.


His name is Christian Bale.

He is even better in American Psycho

I agree. Also better in batman. American psycho being the better.
Is he in a film called something like the "machinest"?

+ + +

Going to watch it again tonight...

[James]

this time i got really bored and stoped it.

[vox_populi]

Originally posted by [email protected] 9 2006, 07:14 PM

His name is Christian Bale.

He is even better in American Psycho

I agree. Also better in batman. American psycho being the better.
Is he in a film called something like the "machinest"?
I liked Batman to.

And yes he is in The Machinist (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0361862/)

[James]

thanks for the link.
now that look likes a good film. Have you had chance to see it?

[loveme4whoiam]

I saw a clip of the gun-kata stuff on the Internet years ago, and naturally thought "hmm." Too bad I was in an unenlightened phase of my life. While the political messages weren&#39;t lost on me, I slated the film for not being as mainstream action as it advertised itself to be. At least in the Matrix the philosphy was done subtly (at least, in the first one <_<) and didn&#39;t interfere with the action.

However, I&#39;d definitely watch it again. After all, its got Sean Bean in it, so it can&#39;t be that bad :lol:

[vox_populi]

Originally posted by [email protected] 10 2006, 10:23 AM
thanks for the link.
now that look likes a good film. Have you had chance to see it?
No I haven&#39;t.

But i&#39;m going to...actually, i&#39;m downloading it now...ohh im doing something illegal :D

[FidelCastro]

I loved the gun fights. It made the main character more badass. Keanu Reeves is a pussy compared to Christian Bale. The political stuff was good too. It was basically a futuristic Nazi-Empire.

[Taiga]

Originally posted by [email protected] 10 2006, 01:07 PM
thanks for the link.
now that look likes a good film. Have you had chance to see it?
"The Machinist" is awesome. Very good psychological film. And Bale is almost transparent there :lol:

"Equilibrium" is also very good. Prozac-Totalitarian society with Prozac-free ( of course ;) ) authorities........

[TC]

It was such a lame formulaic action film...the entire thing was so predictable and most of the writing was so bad...its like a collection of totalitarian 1984ish science fiction cliches and Matrix type fight scenes.


On the other hand its probably worth seeing simply because Christian Bale and Taye Diggs were so hot in it. Christian Bale definately made shooting up emotion-surpressing drugs sexy.

http://www.poster.net/bale-christian/bale-christian-photo-christian-bale-6205447.jpg

[Little brother]

Originally posted by Roses in the [email protected] 8 2006, 10:07 AM
I thought it was quite cool.
Both the fights and the political/philosophical elements were impressive/
I don&#39;t know if you know, but it was loosly based on Aldus Huxley&#39;s &#39;Brave New World&#39;...
I don&#39;t know if you know, but it was loosly based on Aldus Huxley&#39;s &#39;Brave New World&#39;...

BINGO&#33;, yes it was, but how much did it also relate to Farenheight 451 (sorry i&#39;m aussie i can&#39;t spell farenheite or was that it?) But you gotta remember with Sci-Fi those fight scenes and things are great but it is only eye candy for the viewers who arn&#39;t intent on looking at hidden philosphies.

[TC]

Lol why does everyone keep saying it was "Loosely based on Aldus Huxley&#39;s &#39;Brave New World&#39;"...i&#39;ve read Brave New World and seen equilibrum and apart from both being dystopian sciencefiction they&#39;re entirely unrelated with not a single similar plot point, character or even similar theme or mood. Even the drug use had very different themes behind it, Equilibrums drugs were meant to eliminate emotions, the government viewing them as destructive, whereas Brave New World&#39;s drugs were much more similar to real world drug use and just got people high.

What made Brave New World compelling and challanging was that instead of being a cold, 1984ish totalitarianism (like in Equilibrum), it was a pleasure seeking, hedonistic society with a government that could be viewed as largely benevolent in the sense that it kept people happy and docile without sending in the Orwellian stormtroopers all the time. Its usually contrasted with 1984 type novels and films as being a socially engineered totalitarianism rather than a coercive one.

[RedRevolution]

I don&#39;t know if you know, but it was loosly based on Aldus Huxley&#39;s &#39;Brave New World&#39;...

No it wasn&#39;t, there&#39;s absolutely NO similarity between the two - except they&#39;re both dystopian. Equilibrium is also a deeply individualist film and as such is very anti-conventional communism.

[dusk]

Altough criticts say this movie aint&#39;t that good.

I found the whole idea pretty overwhelming.

[Little brother]

I feel Equiliberium is abit unfinished. I think they really touched upon ideas and themes from some sci-fi books but never really quite got it. The T symbols, odd i found that connection with the Ford beleif from Brave New World. The class structure. NOW this wasn&#39;t quite put forward in black and white BUT there were so many hints that this was a very similar class structure to that portrayed in Brave new world. Hints this movie could have gone for maybe another half an hour and there would be so many more connections to Brave new world.

[Taiga]

Originally posted by [email protected] 4 2006, 07:54 PM
Altough criticts say this movie aint&#39;t that good.

Listen more to critics... They say a lot :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Invader Zim]

I quite enjoyed the movie.

But I agree Tragic clown, I cannot see the similarity between the film and the book Brave New World, in the book Soma was used to keep people in line by keeping them happy. In Equilibrium the drugs were used to keep them in line by suppressing all emotion.

The major point in Brave new World was that an outsider was incapable of living in such a hedonistic society of perfection and imperfection produced in deliberate levels through genetic engineering.

[Hegemonicretribution]

Originally posted by [email protected] 8 2006, 08:54 AM
The major point in Brave new World was that an outsider was incapable of living in such a hedonistic society of perfection and imperfection produced in deliberate levels through genetic engineering.
I suppose it was actually closer to Fahrenheit 451, but when people have said it was loosely based on BNW I suppose that they meant in regards to the cultural hegemony that was missing in Bradbury&#39;s work.

Although Fahrenheit 451 was arguably more dystopian, and certainly more violent than BNW, as well as actually focusing upon the destruction of books, it was published some years later. Essentially many modern story lines could be drawn back to older ones, and "Equillibrium" is no exception.

[YSR]

Agreed @ TragicClown.

Formulaic and absurd. It didn&#39;t really suggest any new ideas or affect me at all. Rather boring, actually.

[foreverfaded]

That guy&#39;s a great actor btw, the main one; can&#39;t remember his name.
hes in a bunch of other movies as well
but,
he has the same damned expression in every movie. Yes hes a good actor, but hes only good at one form of acting. He pretty much plays the same character in every movie.

[foreverfaded]

i loved the movie by the way
i first saw it on FX
i was flipping through the channels and i saw a pile of books and artwork burning. At first glance i thought it was a movie version of Fahrenheit 451. I guess it somewhat relates to that book in that sense. But i loved the movie.