Review of 'EQUILIBRIUM'

EQUILIBRIUM

After a devastating third world war, the state of LIBRIA has decided the only way to stop war and crime is to outlaw all emotions, good and bad, judging that suppression of the second is worth the loss of the first. To suppress emotions, everyone must take PROZIUM at regular intervals. JOHN PRESTON is a cleric and a trained fighter who enforces this suppression, willingly killing citizens deemed guilty of 'sense offense' on behalf of the TETRAGRAMMATON, the council that rules Libria. However, one day, Preston inadvertently (?) breaks the vial with his morning 'interval' dose of Prozium, and before he can get a replacement, he starts to feel emotions.

The road Preston then follows is obvious, but the manner in which he follows it is not. Dogs are illegal in Libria. When Preston is told to kill a wide-eyed puppy with big paws, what will he do? When he is supposed to shoot prisoners whom he had inadvertently helped to trap, what choice will he make? The dilemmas he faces on the path to the resistance are tense and interesting.

The movie has several weaknesses. For one, the symbolism is too heavy. The similarities of Libria's flag to the Nazi's flag are gross. Prozium represents Prozac. The Father who rules Libria is a takeoff on George Orwell's iconic Big Brother in 1984. Worst is the term given to the ruling council, the 'Tetragrammaton,' a word that represents the four-letter Hebrew Name of God (yud-hay-vuv-hay), to indicate how powerful the council is (or thinks it is).

There are plot flaws.  Like in WHERE EAGLES DARE, the good guy gets the bad guys with almost every bullet, but never gets shot himself. Preston walks into Father's office and drops his gun, apparently oblivious to the certainty that armed guards are in the room. That the other clerics do not recognize John's fall into emotions just isn't credible. For that matter, as emotionless soldiers, the others come short pretty badly with their pounding desks, gloating over victory, and the like. And, as with so many movies, the violent scenes, chases, etc go on too long.

Even with it's shortcomings, this is a pretty good cinematic effect.  As a workout movie, it's worth ++++ - it will get your pulse up to a run.