Chaos or Control:
The Politics of a very very Mad World
- KURT WIMMER'S EQUILIBRIUM -
Libria is the city which has solved the problem of human violence and self destruction, at the cost of human emotions and artistic expression. The controlling nature of the government within Equilibrium is critical to the plot, and so the development and execution of the brainwashing, propaganda, and prozium injections are integral scenes in the film. With fascist tendencies including nationalism (the belief that a certain nation is greater than all others), an almost religious or sect-like belief system, and dictatorship, the oppression of the population leads to a definite sense of insane control. The possibility of a whole city of people being drugged daily and desecrating precious historical art seems like complete madness when viewed from our society. It is this madness that makes the audience uncomfortable to begin with, and the fact that the majority of the population of Libria does not rise up against the leader’s dictatorship drives the viewer to further discomfort. The setting of this film could not have worked without this specific politically oppressive form of government, since it is clearly what puts the action in motion from the very first scene to the rebellion at the end.
