Equilibrium: A Dystopian Fight Against Emotion Suppression
Set in a dystopian city-state of Libria, "Equilibrium" follows John Preston, a warrior-priest tasked with enforcing a totalitarian regime that bans human emotion, deeming it the root of conflict. Following a devastating Third World War, society has turned to an emotion-suppressing drug, Prozium, to maintain order. As Preston grapples with his role as an enforcer of this oppressive system, he begins to question the moral implications of suppressing feelings. This thought-provoking film explores themes of freedom, the impact of technology, and the consequences of power abuse.
Equilibrium: A Dystopian Fight Against Emotion Suppression
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Presentation Transcript
PLOT OVERVIEW • Equilibrium is set in a dystopian city-state of Libria. After a Third World War devastated the Earth, a totalitarian state emerged whose ideology determined human emotion to be the root cause of conflict. All emotionally stimulating material is banned and "sense offenders" are ruthlessly persecuted. Everyone is required to take daily injections of Prozium, an emotion-suppressing drug. The film follows John Preston, a warrior-priest and officer in the Cleric who enforces these laws.
Themes & Concerns of this time period… THEMES: REAL LIFE EVENTS: The abundance of and overuse of modern drugs which diminish sensory awareness. February 2001 - USA and UK bombed Iraq on the grounds that Iraq was harbouring weapons of mass destruction September 2001 – 911 Terrorist attacks on America The Patriot Act of 2001 gave the CIA power to access citizens cell phones • Fear of technology • Loss of freedom and privacy due to government control • Abuse of power
Kurt Wimmeron Equilibrium… • “It's about numbness I think as brought on by over saturation potentially from the media. It's about numbness that is brought on by self-medication, whether it be over the counter or under the counter...any of the ways that we have made ourselves insensible to the environment around us."
