equilibrium (2002) and political apathy- film analysis essay

 note- I just want everyone to know I DID NOT CHOOSE THE FILM TO ANALYZE, but I was really passionate about the whole Political Apathy being really dangerous to a democracy. I'm not into action movies, sorry to disappoint. Watching this movie in 2025 is corny fs. I was humbled by my Professor, since she said my last essay was sloppy because I didn't properly use MLA formatting, but I FINALLY figured it out. thank you everyone! 

Equilibrium and The Danger of Systematic Political Apathy

Political Apathy is the real Societal Kyrptonite, not Emotion. Kurt Wimmer’s Equillibrium (2002) represents the means for totalitarian control and why an authoritarian regime enacts systematic desensitization on their people, in order to facilitate political violence and gain complete control. In this essay, I will analyze the themes presented in Equillibrium as they relate to the broader lesson. The lesson in question; Beware of Systematic Politcal Apathy, as it numbs a group of otherwise Intelligent people, and allows a troubling agenda to detiorate a Society’s Critical thinking and mobilizes people to act against their better interest to serve an all-powerfull dictatorship. 

To start, We must define Totalitarianism, “Totalitarian rule is a form of governance in which a single political party or leader exercises absolute control over the state, making all legislative decisions without public input. This system limits individual freedoms and imposes strict social controls dictated by the ruling authority.” (Issit,pg.1) The difference is, Authoritarianism seeks to create a flourishing society with centralized control, while Totalitarianism only seeks to maintain the leader’s personal power. Equilibrium represents Uniformity over Individiduality, as a Totalitarian tactic for control and submisson. In a Authoritarian or Totalitarian regime, Uniformity, or the lack of variation or diversity is encouraged, While Individuality, is discouraged. Individuality challenges this system, because Individuals are free-thinkers, they think critically, they question their leader’s intentions. Totalitarian or Authoritarian leaders thrive on mass, un-questioning obedience, making it so there is no room for compromise or flexibility. Wimmer characterizes the Prozium-controlled people of Libria as Dull, Idiotic, formal and lacking in any personality because Ideological Diversity hinders the power of the Totalitarian chokehold, the people are under. Wimmer subtly examines the Hipocracy in the law of Father. Although he says Emotion is wrong, because it causes rage, violence and War, The clerics are nothing but violent and angry. Anger motivates violence. Obviously Anger is an emotion. However if this emotion is encouraged and rewarded by Father’s regime, it is useful as a weapon against the Resistance. Father’s form of Totalitarianism is a reaction to World War III, after picking up the peices, they mistakenly decided eliminating Emotion would be the best measure for preventing history from repeating itself. Ironically, the only explanation for Totalitarianism is fear. Fear of the mystery of what leads a society into war. Prozium makes the people Apathetic, which allows them to become completely oblivious to the injustices being committed against them. Political Apathy can be defined as “the lack of interest or engagement in the political process” (Rholetter, pg.2) , which may seem innocent, but really leads to citizens not recognizing when injustice is occurring right under their noses. 

Secondly, we have to understand the journey to complete totalitarian control, which requires indoctrination. In Equilibrium, Preston’s children Robbie and Lisa are also subject to the apathy early on, despite not taking the Prozium; they are primed to pretend not to feel, for the sake of survival. Robbie is groomed into becoming an enforcer of the regime, and is encouraged by Preston to report another little boy for crying, because he is rewarded for helping further the cause of The Totalitarian regime in Libria. He attentively watches videos of Father’s speeches. Childhood Indoctrination is designed to groom the future generation to think and believe, and behave exactly how the regime wants, without giving children the opportunity to understand any other options or develop opinions and values of their own. It’s despicable because these leaders know they’re taking advantage of a Child’s unquestioning trustworthiness and willingness to learn and participate in the world around them. Indoctrination’s potential relies on the moldable minds of Children. The regime had decades to build this authority, until it reached the level where Equillibrium is set in. In reality, there are arguably Totalitarian countries to this day that apply similar Indoctrination tactics. Wimmer uses the Prozium as a symbol for Indoctrination, symbolized as a poison, that brainwashes the citizens of Libria. The Indoctrination allowed Preston to betray his Wife, and participate in facilitating her sentencing and execution. Tragically, Preston realizes this too late, only when he feels, he can genuinely face the weight of the damage he has done.

Furthermore, Equilibrium exposes a double standard on Militant violence. Father justifies his belief that emotion is the disease that poisoned mankind, because it caused rage, hatred, and War, when really, they have become much more violent and homicidal under Father’s dictatorship. They kill without a single thought of the mere implication that perhaps, without emotion, a society is perhaps functional, but completely hollow, and devoid of culture. After Preston is informed by Dupont, Father will no longer have sense offenders processed; instead terminated on the spot, Preston argues without blindly obeying as usual. Dupont ensures “While you and even I, may not always agree with it, It is not the message that’s Important, it’s our obedience to it.” (Wimmer, 0:45:40-0:45:52) This is another example of a totalitarian control tactic. We can recognize this is in our own law enforcement, although subject to change and amendment over time, there is often little room for nuance, and circumstantial justification. However, there is a Court, there is processing, there are many perspectives applied, to better approach a reasonable and fair decision for the defendant. On the other hand, in a Totalitarian regime, there is no justice. Instead, the Law is black and white. Blind Obedience is validated, while any mere opposing perspective is immediately diminished. 

Additionally, When Preston is interrogating Mary O’brien after arresting her for sense-offence, she pleads with him to understand that without feeling, a Human is nothing. Nothing but a devoted and oblivious machine. She asks why he’s alive, and he replies that he lives to safeguard the continuity of the great society of Libria, but Mary lived to feel. “Without love, without anger, without sorrow, breath is just a clock, ticking.” (Wimmer, 0:29:43-0:29:51) Although Preston is still imprisoned by the Cleric programming, Mary’s perspective still touches something in him. Although the Prozium sedates his feelings by day, by night his Dreams persist, and the next morning, he faces himself in the mirror and hesitates before taking his dose, ultimately, not taking it. Suddenly, he responds to his senses, recognizing the blatant injustice everywhere he turns, He can finally see the Humanity in the Resistance, and sobs. Purposefully, Wimmer creates an identity crisis for Preston because, without Prozium, he sees the totalitarianism for what it is, and the role he played in furthering the destruction. I believe this proves the prevail of Empathy as a stronger form of intelligence than Apathy.

In Conclusion, Equilibrium‘s audience is taught that an authoritarian dictatorship depends not just on political control as a traditional democracy functions, but complete and total control of the people in all aspects, how they think, act, and “feel” or in the case of Equilibrium, not feel. It should never be too late to reclaim our freedom of thought and expression to dismantle a cruel and oppressive political system. In reality, we later learn in the film that the regime is easily weakened without the support of the rest of the population of Libria. Father creates a convincing illusion that he is the most powerful man on the planet, but he is just one person, one enforcer. After it’s discovered that Father has been replaced with Vice Counsel DuPont, Preston kills him and destroys the propaganda broadcasting, and the resistance can reclaim their autonomy, marking the beginning of a revolution. The setting being in 2072 is Important because it may seem far from modern times, but close enough to be a reality worth considering. We must reclaim our power against the Totalitarian rulers today, because the country should belong to the people, not the ruler. The antidote to apathy is Empathy. Empathy allows us to compromise and understand opposing perspectives, participating and educating ourselves on Politics, paving the way to peace. 

Souces Cited

Equilibrium. Directed by Kurt Wimmer, performances by Christian Bale, Taye Diggs, and Emily Watson, Dimension Films, 2002

Purdy, Elizabeth Rholetter, PhD. “Political Apathy.” Research Starters: Social Sciences & Humanities, EBSCO, 2024, www.ebsco.com/research-starters/social-sciences-and-humanities/political-apathy

Issitt, Micah. “Totalitarian Rule.” Research Starters: Political Science, EBSCO, 2024, www.ebsco.com/research-starters/political-science/totalitarian-rule