Many do not know of Kurt Wimmer's 2002 cult classic film Equilbrium. It tells the story of a futuristic world in all conflict, especially war, has been eliminated through the use of an insidious drug known as Prozium that inhibits emotion of all kind. Not only have emotions been eliminated, books, art, and music are forbidden as they create emotions within people. If people fail to adhere to these rules and fail to take their Prozium, they are killed. The man in charge of monitoring the state of emotions in the world is Christian Bale's John Preston. Preston is tasked with destroying those who feel emotion and resist the rules. But, when he misses a dose of the drug that inhibits emotion, he begins to feel emotion and realizes that the tyrannical government must be overthrown.
Equilibrium was shot in Germany because it had mixed architecture including fascist and modern structures. Perfect for this film, its themes, and the fact that the film is set in the "intermediate" future, according to the films director Kurt Wimmer. Wimmer also made a conscious choice to try to make the film unlike any other science fiction films.
Upon release, reviews for the film were mixed, with many critics saying that the film rehashed old science fiction elements and brought nothing new to the table. The site consensus for Rotten Tomatoes says: "Equilibrium is a reheated mishmash of other sci-fi movies." Esteemed film critic Roger Ebert, however, thought differently and enjoyed the film, saying: "Equilibrium would be a mindless action picture, except that it has a mind. It doesn't do a lot of deep thinking, but unlike many futuristic combos of sf and f/x, it does make a statement."
