Would you fight the authorities to get back your emotions?

This week’s Sci-fi movie analysis regards the movie Equilibrium (2002), featuring Christian Bale and Taye Diggs. The movie was written and directed by Kurt Wimmer.

The movie synopsis:

A man who dares to feel finds his life in danger in this cautionary science fiction drama. In the future, after a Third World War has decimated much of the Earth’s population, a new nation known as Libria rises up under the unquestioned leadership of Dupont (Angus MacFadyen). Believing human emotions and their expression were to blame for the failings of past societies, The Father has decreed that all citizens must take a daily dose of Prozia II, a drug which levels out the emotional landscape, and that all forms of creative expression are against the law; violating either regulation can be punished by death. John Preston (Christian Bale) is a Grammaton, an elite law enforcement officer who tracks down and punishes “sense offenders.” One day, Preston accidentally fails to take his Prozia II, and for the first time begins experiencing emotions himself. Preston becomes aware of an underground of rebels who refuse to take their medication and have embraced art and literature, and he finds himself becoming infatuated with one of their number, Mary O’Brian (Emily Watson).

Watch the trailer here [or watch the embedded youtube video]

I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m a huge fan of Christian Bale. There’s quite a handful of movies in which he displayed his qualities as an actor (to name a few: The Machinist, American Psycho, The Prestige, etc.), and Equilibrium is no exception.

This is Kurt Wimmer’s second movie (of three) as a Director, although he has written many scripts (such as Salt, Law Abiding Citizen and The Recruit). Now, I have to say I’m quite picky when it comes to the general direction of a movie, so I can understand why Wimmer didn’t direct more than three movies – it’s not his strength. The direction sometimes feels rather gimmicky – he tried to copy the directing style of The Wachowskis of The Matrix, but he didn’t quite achieve that goal.

However, the script of this movie is brilliant. For those that have read Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, the story concept and theme might sound awfully familiar. Equilibrium is a modern, and much cooler execution of that idea.

What would it be like to not be able to experience emotions? We know what emotions are, what they feel like… Do you sometimes wish you didn’t have them?

Or if, in the hypothetical situation, we would lose the right to “feel”, would you fight the authorities to get them back?

I don’t think I ever wished to not have emotions. I hate to feel sad, but I love to feel happy. I think the emotion of happiness makes up for all the times I’ve felt sad, so I’ve never really even wished for losing the ability to experience emotion.

Honestly, I think that our emotions are what makes us human, and interesting. I study psychology – what can I say, without human emotion, psychology gets sort of boring.

I’m not sure if I personally would have the guts to fight the authorities as I have never tested it, but perhaps I do… If I was as kick-ass as John Preston in Equilibrium, I would be sure to take them on! I think…

Please share your thoughts! :)

 

…On an unrelated note… Happy birthday to my mom! :p

Related posts:

  1. Emotions in Brave New World
  2. What would it be like to find out you’re a clone?
  3. How far would you go to save the life of the one you love?
  4. What would you do if you could travel in time?
  5. What would you do if mankind was about to go extinct in 50 years?
Posted by on Apr 28, 2011 in Philosophy, Popular Culture, Sci-fi Movie Analysis | 11 comments
  • http://unsanityfiles.com Albert Berg

    Wouldn’t the desire to get back your emotions BE an emotion in and of itself? Exactly how does one define what emotion is.
    If you entirely stripped away people emotions away wouldn’t they stop eating? Hunger at least has an emotional component. I think if you really stripped away all emotions you’d get something closer to the Miranda world from Serenity.

    • http://www.manoneileen.com Manon Eileen

      Hi Albert, thanks for stopping by!

      Of course, desire is an emotion, but since you don’t experience them, you wouldn’t experience it as desire perse; instead you could rationally decide whether or not your life would be better with or without emotions… My guess, of course, since I do have emotions and wouldn’t have a clue how it’d be without.

      Essentially, hunger is a very physical impulse (the growling tummy for one and the signal your stomache sends to your brain). However, we human beings attach emotions to hunger; fear or shame perhaps (either you’re embarrassed for the noise your belly’s making, which is often the case for me when everyone’s silently, attentively listening to a professor, or you’re afraid to starve – which really isn’t something we know in the Western world I guess, but I digress). Or we delight in eating. But at it’s very essence, it’s still a physical impulse. So I don’t think we’d stop eating.

      As for the Miranda world (great link), I think we wouldn’t feel (obviously) the reluctance to eat human meat, hehe. Still, I think they would rationally refrain from cannibalism as eating some human parts is fatal (and at least hurtful) for us.

      Thanks for your thoughtful comment!

  • http://twitter.com/CMStewartWrite CMStewart

    I’ve often wished I didn’t have emotions, or at least experienced them less acutely. The world is too full of suffering, and I envy those who can look the other way without a second thought. I would not fight to regain my emotions. If I didn’t have any emotions, I don’t think I would care.

    • http://www.manoneileen.com Manon Eileen

      Hi C.M., thanks for your comment :)

      Interesting. I don’t feel that way at all, personally. But that’s what makes life interesting I guess. Emotions do bring diversity.

      All the best!

  • http://mysilentfury.com Peter Saint-Clair

    As I’ve said here before, I’d rather not have emotions…I hate feeling sad or depressed…I hate hating…lol Maybe I’m just too cynical…lol

    • http://www.manoneileen.com Manon Eileen

      But don’t the good emotions make up for the bad emotions?
      Thanks for sharing, Peter!

  • Piper Bayard

    I value all of my emotions, even the sadness and depression. They are my guidance to find balance. When I am sad, if I understand why I am sad, I can endure through it to more joyful times. When I am depressed, I remember that depression is anger turned inwards, and I explore what I’m angry about. Then I work to find acceptance, or I work for change. Emotions are not good or bad. They just are, and they are not our entirety as humans, but I don’t think we would be human without them. Thanks for a great post.

    • http://www.manoneileen.com Manon Eileen

      I personally entirely agree with you, Piper. Emotions, to me, are essential, both for the individual and for mankind as a whole.

      Thanks for your thoughtful comment :)

  • http://www.terrellmims.wordpress.com Terrell

    Great movie. I discovered it a few years ago and thought it was great.

    I would so fight the authorities to get my emotions. My emotions make me human.

    • http://www.manoneileen.com Manon Eileen

      Thanks for stopping by Terrell :) Equilibrium indeed is a great movie! Glad you enjoyed it.

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  • http://twitter.com/JamiGold Jami Gold

    Interesting! I’ll have to check this movie out, as this question is a plot point in one of my stories. Thanks for letting me know about it!