Drinker's Extra Shots - Equilibrium
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- čas přidán 27. 11. 2022
- Some movies really don't get the recognition they deserve. Case in point: Equilibrium, a sci-fi action thriller from 2002, starring Christian Bale, Sean Bean, Taye Diggs and Emily Watson.
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That random Sean Bean segment was brilliant
They skipped over him getting decapitated in GoT but, it'll be fine.
@@toh6261 If he'd put in all the death scenes, the video would be two hours long...at least.
Save Sean Bean
Came here to say this. Holy shit we need to save Sean Beam at all costs.
If you watch the _Silent Hill_ movie from 2006, Sean Bean is the only character that survives...
This movie aged better than it should have. Which is utterly fucking terrifying.
It's horrifyingly prescient
I still have my DVD copy in the DVD rack in my basement.
Had I the heavens’ embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams. -W.B. Yeats "He wishes for the cloths of heaven"
Literally just rewatched this like a month ago and felt the same.
Embrace it. 🤣
I always saw Diggs character as part of the elite that actually do not take the drug. At the end when John faces off with the main antagonist, the room is full of color and art. It is a subtle way to show that these two guys have not been taking the drug for some time now. They both fight with emotion.
Exactly, he was a hypocrite like everyone else in the inner circle. That was the whole point of those characters, how can anyone miss that?
And that's a story beat that is also present in 1984; that the ruling classes don't follow their own rules.
That Mr Drinker missed that bit of the story, while also making unsubtle complaints about vaccines and lockdowns is kind of a missed opportunity for a more insightful analysis. Even if he's being a bit obtuse about the measurable benefits of lockdowns vs the control aspect in 1984/Equilibrium.
That's what makes it more horrifying. The fact that he kills people because he actually enjoys doing it, despite not being on Prozium. He was unhinged the whole time.
Yes, thats how I see it also. And while I can understand that people might miss when watching it the first time it kind of baffles me that the drinker didn't notice it during the analysis. All that smiling and the jokes are far to much to be just a case of the actor not understanding his role - the director would have intervened and reminded him of the no-emotion part (a least a director of the quality to produce such a movie as this).
Yup. That's exactly what I saw too
As a kid, I used to love watching this film with my Dad.
Rest In Peace Dad. Thank you for everything. 🕊
Sorry for your loss Man, Rest In Peace, hope he is in a better place now.
@@GG-in5zp Thanks, man. 🙏
I watched this with my pops as well. Respect and RIP for your Dad
My dad loves this too. His name is also cleric
This is one of Bales best performances. And hands down one of the best dystopian movies ever created.
I think it worked because this is what the corporate owned left want for us they want the future this film shows and its why it failed to get traction
Also one of the most impressive Sean Bean dying scenes. No joke.
The scene alone where he discovered Bach (if i recall?) was brilliant All the way from non emotion to swept away in awe by the gorgeous sounds :D Theres many gems in this film.
poor man's Matrix.
I'd argue American Psycho was by far his best performance
I've loved this movie for years, and I totally agree it doesn't get nearly the recognition it deserves. Thank you drinker.
I think Ebert and Roeper gave it two thumbs up as well.
Same! I've showed this movie to multiple girlfriends over the last decade and none of them appreciated it the same until my current one. We're engaged now 😅
Yes!!
Same here even had it on my PSP 😅
A good movie.
What I like about the action is that it's so symmetrical for lack of a better word. There's such exactness in it that shows a man trained in combat like a refined machine that becomes more performative and dance like as the movie progresses. The first scene is him literally standing in the middle of a room, shooting like a robot in every direction without turning his head. In his last bout, he's graceful and fluid.
This movie is what convinced me that Bale would be a good Batman. The way he plays repressed emotion here is extraordinary and his physical commitment to the action scenes is very authentic. I love this movie.
yeah, is rarely for Hollywood to have muscle good-looking guy that can play variety of emotions being subtle.
just think about Brad Pitt in Troia and it was horrible performance.
yeah, it'd be great if Bale played Batman before he gets too old.... oh, wait...
@@Hiraghm Huh? He did?
Equilibrium is definitely an underrated gem. It’s truly worth a watch.
i watched it once at a buddies place and liked it so much i went out and bought it. i dont own alot of movies
Worth more than one watch.
wow! i was hoping so hard one day the critical drinker would make a vid of this awesome movie one time, and here we are! and yes, it certainly is underrated, and also has some punches in the gut moments, AHEM one word, dogs ...
It wasn't a SciFi... It was a documentary
@@newtonvoig You prove Bonhoeffer's theory is correct.
When the brain readings suddenly go to a single line and everyone realises the danger they are in. Loved it.
And the guy watching the the machine realized they just hit the "find out" stage a second too late
- Oh... shit.
- Not without incident.
One of my favorite moments in the history of action movies.
Dude, the flatline is so sick. They hook him up to a machine that's supposed to detect emotion, and when he's about to kill it detects nothing.
Talk about insane!
@@_Jay_Maker_ It's also a callback to the line from earlier in the movie when one resistance member mentions "some of us force themselves not to feel".
I don't remember the entire conversation but it basically means that when you reach the state of true mastery over your emotions, that's when your real strength can make itself known.
"Oh... SHIT."
And then everyone gets physically removed. So to speak.
I need to go back and watch this. I thought it was kinda revealed or implied that people who were in with DuPont were all off of Prozium as well. It always seemed like Digg's character Brandt was acting this way because he was feeling emotion and took sheer joy in the power he attained, the torture he was allowed to dish out, and could barely contain it when conducting business.
I think the writers revelaed in some interview regretting it was not presented more clear.
DuPont was saying that he feels emotion, the Grand Father was dead and also his ideals, so the Grammaton was just filled with people caring about the power (kinda like late communism).
Diggs was portrayed as psychopath, and psychopaths&sociopaths have ability to camouflage themselves into every situation. Sociopathy would be not cured by emotion-stopping drug, because psychopathy is genetic.
Absolute banger of a film. So thoroughly well done. One of my all-time favorites.
Hear hear.
"But Film Bald of TGWTG fame said that it’s terrible!"
I unironically love Equilibrium. Deep and touching at times, other times as subtle as a WWE cage match, it's still arguably the best distillation of a horrific future where uber-Prozac is mandated by the government.
Not sure why the name uber-Prozac sounds so funny to me because it actually fits perfect.
@@hattorihanzo2705 The name itself seems to be a mix of prozac and valium, which makes a ton of sense.
Not exactly the most original concept in the world, but it's well done and I liked it. More like John Wick than The Matrix, too.
Agreed. John Wick meets 1984
@@Sir_Jimmothy Oh I totally get it. My fiancee was on Prozac and I've seen what it does when she did or didn't take it right. It's actually pretty shitty to be perfectly honest.
It’s a shame this movie went unnoticed, because it’s really well done. Bale himself said it’s his most favorite and memorable film he’s been involved with. Brilliant film.
I sometimes wonder that it bombed due to the movie not being "Hollywood" enough.
It’s better in my opinion to the Batman trilogy.
@@rimmerblues1586 Apparently what happened is that when Miramax sold the overseas rights to it, it turned a profit for them. At that point they didn't want to risk turning that profit into a loss so they barely marketed it in the U.S. and only gave it a limited release.
"Most favourite" is not only terrible grammar but also a pleonasm even if it wasn't horrendous butchery of the English language.
@@NateTheScot ok. You okay bud? Need a friend or something?
Glad this film is getting some recognition, it's a underrated gem.
Love this movie. Has some significant issues but it also has some of the coolest looking action ever put on film, solid acting (mostly lol), and a pretty interesting storyline.
One of those incredible movies that suffered from an unfortunate release timing, and continues to get better over time.
And more relevant
Its sorta predicting the future. As many scifi movies did. We're the last generation to experience true freedoms as human beings. Synthetic freedoms are already in its infancy stages, which I'm guessing will be followed by a medication that will make everyone anti-depressed, followed by Virtual Reality where people will spend most of their life in and who knows how that all ends. The future isnt bright. Its pretty dark.
It's a great dystopian future movie.
It is very relevant today with the threat of neo-fascism creeping into modern politics.
I didn't know it was filmed in Berlin.
It was an impressive looking movie for a 20 million dollar budget.
@@brittscott4673 it’s about….Now
@@DaraGaming42 Yeah it's possible that the drug people took in Equilibrium was a metaphor for society becoming desensitized as time goes on being exposed to so much these days thru technology.
I always like how Bale's character was completely oblivious to his kids until it was too late
Just like real life
@@gratefulguy4130 😮
It illustrates one of the big points of the movie; he’s someone for the capacity to feel, he just needs the right things to happen to get there. He should have known his wife was “feeling” just like he should have figured it out about his kids, but he had the capacity to feel and therefore was able to look the other way.
The sequence when he disposes of a room full of dudes lit entirely but muzzle flash is worth the price of admission alone...
Equilibrium is an underrated movie. It's worth a watch just from the hyper-stylish action alone. I'd love to see you cover John Woo films.
Drinker didn't mention the absolutely banging soundtrack by Hans Zimmer. Stunning movie through and through - always remember the scene where Preston tears off the veneer from his window and see's the beauty of the the rain and sunset for the first time; you can tell it hits the character emotionally like a tonne of bricks.
Klaus Badlet-a protege of Zimmer. You might recognize his intro as the composer of POTC.
I've watched this movie a few times and had no idea the music was done by Zimmer.
Banging?
One of the best scenes in the movie.
So agree the music was dead on for the tone of the movie . Excellent
Ah equilibrium, a true sci-fi movie. Most movies from those days never get the recognition they deserve
yes they do lol
Just out of curiosity, what is "true" sci-fi for you?
For me it's when a story explores the impact technology has on humanity. Movies like Equilibrium and shows like The Expanse do that. Star Wars for example less so.
I have watched it 5 times already and I'm planning to watch more.
Action scenes are great and creative.
Bale's performance outstanding.
World - so raw and frightening.
Even plot is good.
4:24 So, the opening fight scene, the raid near the beginning of the movie, that was practically a shot-for-shot remake of a fight scene from an anime called 'Trinity Blood,' and one of the characters in that anime, named 'Gunslinger,' was a heavy inspiration for a lot of John Preston's character. I think they took more from that anime than they took from The Matrix.
The scene where Sean Beans character quotes Yeats and the scene where Bale's character discovers the hidden stash of art, music and sentimental objects were surprisingly poignant, moving and memorable for a film with such high octane OTT action sequences. Still remember Bale bursting into tears so clearly.
Yeh the music choice in that scene is genius.
My favorite moment was when he was listening to classical music and it wasn’t so much this is good music but more of humanity expressing oneself.
@@aaronclemons2287 yeah exactly. The music isn't what moves him it's simply being overwhelmed by the simplest of emotions after being desolate for essentially his whole life.
My favorite scene is still the one with all the dogs... Nothing quite expresses one's emotional humanity as Man's Best Friend
Yea, it really hits different.
It has the gripping sensation you get from movies like The Green Mile movies but its wrapped in The Expendables.
Im still not used to it.
Probably why Ive never grow tiers of Equilibrium.
To quote Benjamin Franklin; "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety" - that's pretty much this film in a nutshell. Was a great action flick with good themes
Welcome to 2020. Or was it 2001...
I think the entire point of politics is trying to find the middle ground between those two. Almost no one at all - left to right - believes in total liberty or total security.
@@violator7964 When you hate zero security, your liberty is pretty much nonexistent. You do what you have to in order to survive.
Hands down best moment in this movie is when the needle is jumping all over the place during Preston's polygraph test, and then just suddenly flatlines, and the test giver goes, "Oh, sh*t."
There should be a new category in awards shows created for Sean, most death scenes. World record holder. Also this is one of my favorite movies and I'm entertained and touched every single time.
I think Udo Kier must have Sean Bean beat in the dies-a-lot-a-thon.
I think Jon Hurt holds the record, with the lass from Titanic (Kate Winslet?) coming up second. I think Bean has had the most high profile deaths, though.
Honestly, this should be on the main channel. This was really good and I think the wider audience would be great for the movie
Yeah, I’d love a review on this as long as the films run time.
Agree!
We need a equilibrium efap!
Agreed
This is the channel Drinker reviews old hidden gems, so there is a reason why it's on this channel.
The use of color temperature in this movie is some of the best I've ever seen. Especially the first time he pets the puppy and the trunk light casts a brilliant, warm glow, disrupting the cold temperature we've gotten used to up to that point.
Good point! It reminds me of similar treatment in Joe vs the volcano. Totally different kind of movie, but if you have seen it, you get the similarity
attention to the details is absolutely fantastic. Just notice how the poeple are observing himself and the protagonist himself. You do not even need survilleance cameras to feel the nightmare of utopia.
and the "Pawlow kids"- reference. In USRR the kids were obligated to spy on their parents when they opposed the party.
I could talk months about those little things.
@@NoweSredniowiecze Also total subservience to the state means it is your Father. Aka "Father" becomes the new god (aka the state) that people worship. Notice how Preston's son doesn't even call him "father/dad/papa"? It's intentional. Much like the Soviets, the elites in Libria want to sever the family bond by indoctrinating the children into believing the State is their family and above all.
I have seen this movie 3-4 times, I loved it.
The scenes when Preston, slowly wakes up, and see the beauty in the world,
and starting to get all the emotions, are so rewarding to see.
This movie is an underappreciated gem. Thanks for the Extra Shot!
God the 90s and early 2000 had such a mass of amazing movies. It was an outstanding time for film lovers.
Everything was better in those times.
@@Tethloach1 no lies detected, it was.
You know how it is when everything you see is good: we couldn't resist boxing things into "better" and "best". That's how really good movies like Equilibrium got panned and movies like Pan's Labyrinth were completely forgotten.
i think a lot of people don't quite realize just how phenomenal the 2000's were for movie making. It was kind of that sweet spot where special effects had really come into their own, but hadn't become the appalling crutch they seemingly are today
And who can forget that fight against Diggs' character during the end? That was probably the best final fight I've ever seen...also the most realistic.
Apparently they ran out of budget - that’s why it was so short.
I heard Taye Diggs was too intimidated by Bale to do the fight... he just couldn't face it.
@@PetersonZFnice one
Such an under rated film! I particularly like the small details - like how Preston's gun's muzzle flash looks like the 4 T's of the Tetragrammaton . .....And Emily Watson looks fantastic in this movie!
Speaking as someone who took powerful psychoactive meds for a long time, seeing Bale break down when watching a sunrise or hearing music for the first time still affects me deeply. A very impressive performance.
Yeah meds like that really do make you into an almost unfeeling zombie, they left a very bad impression on me and i get shakes/shivers whenever i have to take any sort of pill
@@Brian-tn4cd Hope you and MrMeseeks are both are doing better these days, can't imagine how bad that could be.
Equilibrium is one of the few things that would be potentially better now as an HBO series. I'd love to see what someone like Nic Pizzolatto could do with 10 slow burning episodes in this setting.
It did seem like a longer form story would work with that.
Oh damn... I hadn't thought of that, but you're right! This would make an incredible TV series! Assuming they didn't "update it for modern audiences" at least...
What about an Equilibrium series directed by Chad Stahelski? 👀
An HBO series from 10 years ago, maybe. These days... 😬
@@federicosacco9656 Pizzolatto does the writing & Chad Stahelski does all the action scenes, how about that?
totally underrated flick - I remember when it came out, thinking why isn't anyone talking about this
I fell in love with this movie and never for a second understood any of the flaws that people talk about. Everything is in service of the story. Even gun-fu
the premise, the characters, the fight choreography...
this movie aged so well!!!
I think not having sequels forced on it really helped
The fights not being cheesy or funny in a serious way, really helps, and they do brutality quite well too
@@stoneymahoney9106 If a sequel is done right, without studio interference or bad writers, then any sequel can be great, unfortunately, those two factors always ruins them...
@Diomedes Training actors to fight takes time and money. CGI takes less time and less money. So corporations like Disney prefer to hide the lack of good fighting behind, well, the lack of good CGI....
That's a beautifully sinister element of the Equilibrium dystopia. No one gets out of line because no one *wants* to get out of line. Emotionally they feel nothing. They go about their day, doing their work, feeling nothing, go home, go to sleep, and they feel neither happier nor sad for it - they're incapable of doing so. All of the human passions that can lead us to do both great virtue and great evil have been squashed, leaving a people who don't *feel* like aspiring to anything more than what they are. They are their own jailors.
People don't even need drugs to "just follow orders"... just look at what's unfolding right before our eyes and most sheeple don't even care.
Stick in the Matrix. They’re too dependent on the system. They can’t possibly fathom a different way of life. It’s like a robot with no behavioral actions already installed into their hard drive. They just sit there and rust.
The movie had it right about negative emotions, but it also highlighted that if you tried to manipulate or take away emotion, you lost the good with the bad - you essentially take something critical and vital to being human away. In V for Vendetta, the government tried to make sure that nothing "subversive" could inspire people to think for themselves or highlight the excesses of power; in Equilibrium, the government wants to take EVERYTHING away that makes humans feel ANYTHING. It's an interesting variation on more or less the same theme.
@@rng81 Drug is only metaphore. You could put movies, games, sex, lottery, everything that give you the state of ignorance bliss.
Bale was awesome in this, mixing such an emotional side of the character with these badass action scenes was so good. The last scene with Taye Diggs was such a payoff too lol
"I've spread my dreams beneath your feet. Tread lightly... for you tread on my dreams."
My favorite fan theory is whether the MC 'accidently' forgot to take his dose. Given that it was after he killed his friend and partner, seemingly in cold blood, its also possible that he deliberately missed a dose to see what it was like, but couldn't admit it to the world or himself. It highlights that subconscious desire to have which is forbidden, and when the MC saw his friend enjoying art, he too became just a bit curious.
Here's $5 for the Protect Sean Bean fund and $5 for you Drinker, for covering one of my all time favorite movies. *salute*
I remember watching this in the cinema. And thinking it was going to be huge!!!!! Still don’t understand why it flopped, it’s soo good
The Matrix would be my guess. I love this film though,.
Aged 15 the film we wanted to see in the cinema was sold out so nothing about it, we gave this a go and wow it blew me away! Had no idea what we were going to see but absolutely loved it. Great film all round
Listen Drinker, Sean Bean used up all his plot armor on being the sheer manliness that was Sharpe
Speaking of Sharpe, still have to work my way around to Hornblower at some point or another. :P
One of my most favorite films of all time. Personally love it more than the matrix
Right on
Agreed.
Blasphemy
Matrix < Dark City.
@@HouseholdDog Dark City is an underrated and underappreciated movie.
I saw this film for the first time on a bootleg when I was deployed to Iraq and everyone in my company fucking loved it. When I head that Christian Bale was slotted to play Batman I was instantly on board and seeing him in this film is precisely the reason why.
That said, the gun-fight scene with the primary antagonist at the very end of the film was hands down the absolute BEST close range gun fight scene I have ever had the privilege of witnessing.
I saw this movie a few months ago and loved it, so I was so happy to see you enjoyed it too! And holy crap, I didn't even think about the parallel between Prozium and the vax. Another thing I love about the central dilemma is the question of, "Would you sacrifice the emotional highs to save yourself from the emotional lows? Would you give up joy to live without sorrow?" I've been in some dark places in my life and asked myself that same question, so it hit close to home.
"Won't someone think of the Sean Beans?!"
Thank you Drinker for doing your part!
This was SUCH an underrated film. I'm hoping more people will start to discover it now thanks to the drinker's awesome powers of whatever.
It got caught up in the Matrix hype, people just figured it was the same thing (I think it was released around the same time as Matrix 2) and ignored it.
@@bohmfalk yeah. Thankfully one of the more positive aspects of the internet is movies like this can find new audiences and acclaim
Thank you for reviewing this. It was a masterpiece. I often go back to watch it again and each time it moves me as deeply as the first time.
It's one of my favorite modern movies. Its rare these days to find a movie at this caliber of both thought provoking and action pack, and without a whiff of "message."
This is a masterpiece. 1984 meets The Matrix.
A masterpiece? No.
And exactly how life is now
@@cptpepper7731 No? Yes.
@@cptpepper7731 Maybe not a masterpiece but definitely solid movie. Better than Marvels MSheU movies.
@@GreyDeathVaccine Watching paint dry is better than Marvel's MSheU movies.
I actually appreciate Taye Diggs' acting in this movie. Given the circumstances or the world we're presented with, he gives off some really creepy, psychotic, "empty" emotions. Even the director in some BTS materials says that his smiles are intentional. It's like Preston is wearing emotionless mask, while Brandt is wearing "emotionful" mask. And it mirrors Partridge's words: (Sorry) is just a vestigial word for a feeling you've never felt.
He's not an exposition machine, but rather a breadcrumb trail that continues of where Sean Bean began at the start of the movie.
Actually well said. Diggs was trying to fake emotion like a cheap plastic mask here.
Ah, so he's like one of those greeters you Americans put outside your 'Walmart'.
Being a long time fan of this movie, I seem to recall in a "making of" documentary that Taye's character was showing those personality traits by design.
That it was intentional to your point.
@@BlakeCDMedia The character does mention he needs his dosage adjusted
I enjoyed Equilibrium. The story, filmography/acting/soundtrack was what a movie needs to be: ENTERTAINING and relevant, all without pushing "the message" like so many movies/shows are doing these days. A solid effort this was. Thanks for endorsing this one, Drinker!
The best part about this movie, what really nailed the analogy home for me, is the fact that Angus Macfadyen's character at the end was a sense offender. The guy in charge of the fucking national police is breaking law #1 of their society.
Really nailed home some of the core flaws at the heart of all authoritarian governments: The people at the top aren't held to the same laws because they can't due to society's rules conflicting with the needs of its leaders or don't want to be because their positions of power are inherently corrupt/corrupting by nature.
Kurt Wimmer really channeled all the best parts of Orwell in this script. Orwell was big on building what I like to call "paper Utopias," ideas that sound great on paper and you can see how the intellectuals and ivory tower types of that society would swoon, but at their core run contrary to what it means to be human, and become Dystopias in implementation. Wimmer did such a great job of capturing that in this movie. You can completely see how Libria came to be, but are absolutely horrified by the existential dread and oppression its citizens must endure
Love this movie! You’ll never see Hollywood make good sh*t like this anymore. Also, r.i.p. every character played by Sean Bean.
And you won't.......too many questions it raises, and it goes against "the message" and "the agenda"
After "Corona" they for sure wouldnt make something like this. Some people could actually see some similarities and start to grow a brain.
@@Bhavyo Except COVID is a real thing and if you were against taking the vaccine you're a fucking selfish cunt who deserved to die of the virus
In today's version the guy who stopped taking mandatory medication would be the bad guy
@@TheNightman. I would be angry too if I had let the government and pharma screw me over.
I absolutely loved this movie back when it came out. I watched again recently and I loved it even more, flaws and all.
I love this movie and I'm glad you are bringing more attention to it. It deserves a bigger audience.
I think the film was a victim of poor marketing and a horrible release date ("The Matrix: Reloaded" came out that same weekend, if I'm not mistaken).
That said, "Equilibrium" was vastly underrated, in my opinion.
Drinker, I love your tastes.
"Independence Day"
"Demolition Man"
"Falling Down"
"In the Mouth of Madness"
"Dog Soldiers"
"Event Horizon"
"Tombstone"
"The Long Kiss Goodnight"
And a few other favorites of mine.
You are the man!
I love this underrated gem of a science fiction action film. This movie was what got Christian Bale to play Batman.
This takes me back. I remember being slightly obsessed with Bale in the early 2000's because of movies like this, American Psycho, and the Machinist. I'd watch these on repeat. No one was more excited he got the Batman role than I was 😆He's still one of my all-time favorite actors and this remains one of his best films. It's been a while since I've last watched it though, I may have to change that after this video.
At that point, there was only one movie he was in that I wasn't impressed with, Shaft. Until Exodus, he had a string of good movies similar to Chiwetel Ejiafor. Both were bellweathers for me back in the day. If one of them was in the movie, I knew I'd enjoy it.
The Machinist is the GOAT.
Long time - huge fan of this movie (since it was released). IMHO, what threw people off about this film was the first action scene, where Bale breaks down the door, stay crouched, and the gunmen are in a circle around him. Not only is he not hit, but one else dies from friendly fire. I think this made people think it was a low budget type action film.
I could be wrong about his part but I sorta remember this being part of the trailer too.
This was one of my favorite movies during my teenage years. My dad brought the VHS from the local not-Blockbuster and we absolutely loved it, specially Bale's performance.
Thank you for reminding me of this gem, Drinker. I will be watching it for the 11th time soon enough.
I watched Equilibrium a few years after it came out. I loved it but you're right I never hear anyone talk about it. This movie is almost forgotten. It reminds me of 1984 and brave new world.
'What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one.
Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information. Huxley feared those who would give us so much that we would be reduced to passivity and egoism.
Orwell feared that the truth would be concealed from us. Huxley feared the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance.
Orwell feared we would become a captive culture. Huxley feared we would become a trivial culture, preoccupied with some equivalent of the feelies, the orgy porgy, and the centrifugal bumblepuppy.
As Huxley remarked in Brave New World Revisited, the civil libertarians and rationalists who are ever on the alert to oppose tyranny "failed to take into account man's almost infinite appetite for distractions."'
- Neil Postman, "Amusing Ourselves to Death", 1985
Equilibrium is one of my favorite action movies of all time! An absolute one of a kind gem in a genre where so many fail to stand out. An absolute must watch. So happy the drinker reviewed this!!!!!
Nice to see Angus Macfadyen on screen again...I've really been into his work since I first saw him in Braveheart.
1. The reason Taye Diggs is making jokes and smiling is because he's the Big Boss's right hand man; and the REAL bosses don't take the Librium anti-emotion medication. It's a clue. The Big Boss also doesn't take it, as is made clear in the final scene.
2. Taye Diggs injured himself in a fight scene and couldn't stand for more than a moment in the final days of shooting; the final close-in fight with the big boss was designed and improvised on a very tight schedule in the last 1-2 days they had.
It definately hits as a more realistic possible future movie than anything the wachowskis ever did even being so stylized. It also hits on an emotional level too, it might not have been first, but it was indeed a fantastic improvement over what came before.
I've been singing this movie's praises forever. EQUILIBRIUM certainly deserves its cult status. It's been an important part of my collection since it was out on dvd. Smart and awesome. [Btw, this movie was filmed right when The Matrix was also being filmed. They didn't know about each other; so they couldn't imitate each other.] #BringBackRealActionFilms
I'm very curious and would like to know what other movies are part of your collection?
Tbh I think both actually drink on The Crow and Blade fountains.
@@RafitoOoO and dark city... but the crow is to modern cinema what the pixies are to modern music.
Absolutely LOVE this film. I remember going crazy looking for any Christian Bale movies I could find after seeing The Dark Knight and I found this and it BLEW my mind! One of my favorite scenes is when John sees the sun for the first time. Love the acting in that scene.
The late 90s, early 2000s really feel like the peek of Sci Fi in Hollywood. We still get occasional gems like Interstellar or Dune or Everything Everywhere All At Once. But this period is chock full of movies I'll always rewatch. Gattaca, Dark City, Contact, Galaxy Quest, Bicentennial Man, The Thirteenth Floor, Event Horizon, I even like the Lost In Space movie. And that's not even getting into the really obvious stuff like The Matrix, The Fifth Element, Armageddon, etc.
It's so cool seeing drinker review a lesser known film that is one of my favorite movies of all time. Even more so because the protagonist is played by Christian Bale, one of my favorite actors of all time.
Equilibrium is one of the best dystopian movies ever made and actually has a very chilling message. The use of Nazi symbolism is common in the genre as you see V for Vendetta do the same thing. The whole tone of the movie is so clinical and unsettling and the little nuances really make it interesting.
This film has one of my favourite scene transition, when Preston accidentally starts the record player and as Beethoven's music builds the camera zooms into the horn then as the music reaches it's climax it pulls out to reveal Preston eye. To me at least it just seems so powerful to a man who's never listened to music being overwhelmed with the emotions it brings out in him.
The scene & themes are similar to Harrison Bergeron, which also makes me cry.
Damn, now that i read this i actually remember that scene. It's so long ago I didn't even know i had that scene memorized, but you are right! The horn shot and the eye showing the emotion that was a powerful, telling moment in the movie indeed. It's coming back to me and I feel like re-watching this movie now.
The scenes with Emily Watson and Christian Bale gave this film such heart that brought so much more poignancy to what was being fought for. not just another mindless cool action film.
".... without love, without anger, without sorrow, breath is just a clock... ticking."
@@TheBashar327 Thanks for that reminder ! and thanks Drinker , i need to watch it again !
I never understood how this movie was so overlooked. Great film and spookily relevant to were society is heading today.
Equilibrium is actually one of my favorite movies of all time for the reason that it is an action/political commentary/thriller hybrid.
It has enough action to keep you from being bored, but has those scarily prophetic moments that truly make you think about the way the world is currently heading without being too preachy.
And yeah, the Sean Bean bit was SPOT ON.
Another wonderful commentary and breakdown of what I think is a cult classic sleeper…
Either that or the movie will be 100% banned as a “thought crime” by the impending totalitarian world government for being a poignant critique of that said government itself.
I agree with your take on this film. Solid dystopian action flick with some better than average acting, refreshingly real backdrops along with a deeper message more relevant now than ever.
Definitely a cult classic! I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, and like you, am surprised it didn't garner more fans. Excellent cinematography and choreography. The lighting almost seems like it's own character.
Cheesey, but entertaining.
Excellent choice Drinker. Keep 'em coming.
Came to say just that. My friends and I stalk about this movie when we mention the action movies that left impressions on us.
Well, you have to be able to think to really enjoy this movie, so yeah... :-))
Agreed.
Maybe action fans thought that there was too much talking, and political thriller fans thought that there was too much action. But yeah, it's a great film.
Equilibrium and Demolition Man are two of my favorite movies, especially now when aspects of both dystopia's seem to be manifesting in reality. It's pretty clear the point of Tay Diggs character being so expressive was to demonstrate the corruption and hypocrisy in the system, the rules and limitations only applly to those that aren't part of the establishment (which Diggs character is), so I think your criticism there is misplaced.
I loved this film as a teenager, I will definitely watch it again!
The action sequences in this movie are just mind blown, even compared with stuff today.
Highly underrated. One of my favorites of the dystopian genre.
Same here.
It’s a very good one in the genre.
The Sean Bean skit, very funny, I loved it. It's been a while, I'll give it a rewatch, thanks Drinker.
I loved this movie from the moment I saw it. The gun kata is excellent and they even made the muzzle flash on the guns like the regime's logo.
I was very lucky to work on this movie. One of the best ones Ive worked on. And it´s a great movie as well.
the choices of the drinker never disappoints. loved equilibrium when it came out and it made me a big Bale fan. sean bean was a great cast too!
Aaah, a very underrated action flick with an Orwellian message - hah, such a cool movie, and Bale in a kick-ass role :)
The sean bean segmen was on point... I discovered this movie because it was included in a "sean bean dies in everything montage"... and I was happy I found it, great film
Equilibrium & Brotherhood of The Wolf (a French action film) are two of my favorite "smart" action films. It seems like the 90s were kicking off the smart/artistic action films. Then shaky cam took over.
Brotherhood of the Wolf... Seems like ages, the last time I watched. Maybe the time has come, once again. As you said, smart action films.
@@The_Modeling_Underdog I was lucky enough to see it in theatres. Though, it was a small independent theatre. Still amazing on the big screen. But I think it's time for me, also, to watch it again. Probably Subbed. As sadly, I do not speak much French. The Dub voices are... questionable at best. Marianne sounds like an old woman.
@@ShawsOwn True. I'd rather listen to movies in their original language and subbed than subject myself to that torture. Some dubs are truly hideous.
Cheers
one of my all time favorite movies. Ever since I saw this film, I've been a huge fan of Christian Bale. He delivers the new found and discovered emotions just brilliantly. Everyhting about this film is so much fun to watch time and time again. From the scenery to the acting, the dystopian future right down to the unbelievable soundtrack from Klaus Badelt. This movie rocks.
If you can watch some interviews with him. He is nothing like his characters, true acting chops.
Yes, was this film that make me a Bale fan.
+1
One of the most underrated sci-fi films ever. People really missed out on this movie
I really like this movie. I believe it didn't deserve the flak that it got back in the day (when it was accused of being derivative and unimaginative), it's actually a pretty well made action movie with a unique background and a special type of atmosphere. Great to still have the DVD! Might give it a rewatch soon.
The closeup and personal gun fighting is iconic.
I remember watching this when I was 17 or so thinking I was getting a Matrix clone and when it was over I was filled with so many emotions. It was 1984 with a fresh coat of paint and perspective.
This movie has always been a top tier flick. Highly underrated.
The "every 6 minutes a Sean Bean dies" gag fucking crippled me 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Great stuff 👏👏👏
This movie is EXTREMELY underrated