MovieChat Forums > Equals (2016) Discussion > One element I repeatedly felt was missin...

One element I repeatedly felt was missing,

posted 8 years ago by Interstellar98
5 replies | jump to latest

I understand that the plot mechanics of the movie would be difficult to maintain if this was acknowledged, but for a technologically advanced society with a fear of people having emotions and coupling, I would have expected a high degree of mass surveillance of public and private spaces, and tracking of people's movements.

Several times during the film I felt that the couple would have been caught if that kind of surveillance existed in this world, let alone living in glass walled apartments.

You can't be more horrific than life itself. - Francis Bacon

[–] dariondanjou 8 years ago

agreed. the film slacks on the security aspects. would have been a great way to amp up the tension by making the characters have to push even harder to stay undetected. this is where gattaca excelled in comparison. there was the detective, and Vincent's brother hot on his trail.

[–] leiastarkiller 8 years ago

Yes or at least keep males and females separate. That's dystopian future 101.

[–] Mamabadger56 8 years ago

I think they felt confident that very few people would be breaking these rules. Their emotions and sex drive had been artificially eliminated. There was no real fear of violence either: the "equals" were shown to be easy-going, co-operative, and even kind and altruistic in an indifferent way. The only real threat to their society was people with SOS, who were believed to be fairly rare. There was no perceived need for mass surveillance.

"Moving in for the obligatory hug."

[–] mr_bickle_the_pickle 8 years ago

I did really enjoy the film, but I think that's one of the aspects that brought the film down a bit. I could understand the lack of security if they were first couple to experience this (or at least the first people to get caught). The fact that there were enough people going through this that they had a reason to name the "disease" and find a cure for it, make you wonder why they weren't monitoring people more closely or have more mandatory check-ups or something.

We accept the love we think we deserve
http://mrsantonyelchin.tumblr.com/

[–] hawkinssouth 8 years ago

I wondered about that too. The support group was meeting in secret, I assume, but they weren't terribly secret about it.

I think the main threat was being reported to Health and Safety and sent to the DEN. Anyone can report anyone else to H&S, so that is a pretty strong reason to follow the rules. A strong herd mentality, where people pretty effectively police themselves.

I felt like we never found out exactly what happens at the DEN, or what was going on on the peninsula. Silas had drawn a picture of it, including a small group around a fire, so there might have been civilization there who would have helped Silas and Nia (and eventually Nia's baby).

It would be interesting to have a murder in that world, and watch how they investigate. Because unlike in Equilibrium, I got the impression the higher-ups in that society were emotionless, too. In fact, I would guess their society had been going on a few generations, because we saw so few "hiccups."