History Headscratchers / Equilibrium

** Adding to this, in the director's commentary, he points out that dictators don't abide by their own rules.

*** This actually causes a second problem; when Preston goes to meet Father, planning to kill him,]] the guards tell him to relinquish his weapons and take his sword, but they don't think to check him for guns. There is actually a metal detector in front of the door that leads to the next room after this, but the scene that showed it exists was entirely cut. According to the director, the guard is [[{{Handwave}} simply making an oversight.

** Presumably the Mooks are, but the scenes in which they yell "Shit!" at the realization that they will get their heads blown off kinda calls that into question. [[spoiler: I can't think of a single named character who isn't really off the meds except Preston (and then only at the beginning).]]

*** I think the big twist puts a new layer in the above theory. [=DuPont=] (and Brandt) are acting obviously like they aren't on meds [[spoiler: to intentionally reduce Preston's uncertainty about the rebellion and to make him seek to join it which would speed up their masterplan!]]

** [[spoiler: The gun-switch with Brandt makes no sense as it plays out in the film, Preston murdering the sweepers, then swapping a gun with Brandt afterward. For the sequence to work, we have to assume that Preston makes a first switch while the two are standing by the car before Preston kills the sweepers, and the obvious switch later on is actually the second. This explains why Brandt's gun is the murder weapon, as [=DuPont=] says later. The problem is that the sequence violates [[TheLawOfConservationOfDetail conservation of detail;]] this does not outwardly appear to be a solution because the scene is not constructed to make them as such, as the actual gun-swap is. The scene at the car is an explanation because Brandt and Preston are working on their guns and handing them off, but the direction makes no implication that a deliberate switch happens, or that Preston is planning ahead because he knows he will eventually have to kill someone to maintain his cover.]] This happens because the scene at the car wasn't meant to explain the problem; scenes were [[WordOfGod shuffled around in editing to better pace the movie,]] but not re-shot to make these explanations obvious.
*** This actually causes a second problem; when [[spoiler: Preston goes to meet Father, planning to kill him,]] the guards tell him to relinquish his weapons and take his sword, but they don't think to check him for guns. There is actually a metal detector in front of the door that leads to the next room after this, but the scene that showed it exists was entirely cut. According to the director, the guard is [[{{Handwave}} simply making an oversight]].

** This gets to the point where one might suspect that Preston was the ''only'' Librian still taking his meds, and simply could not tell the difference. Of course, given his CrazyAwesome close-quarters combat skills, it seems that he made his entire reputation on his ass-kicking abilities alone.

** Because the guards are his subordinates. The presentation is [[WordOfGod deliberately]] crafted to play into our expectations of a dictatorship; most people who don't live under tyranny assume that the most blatant flaw of dictatorship is that the dictator is, without fail, a hypocrite who practices what he outlaws. Rather than try to fool us when we would never believe this isn't what's happening, the movie plays into our expectations instead of trying to make this a {{Reveal}}, because it would end up as a ShockingSwerve. It also serves a plot purpose, further reducing the uncertainty Preston feels at the idea of rebellion; it's pretty obvious he sees what's wrong in this scene, if the look on his face and his forced tone of voice mean anything.

* If all art is illegal in Libria, then how come Du Pont gets to keep a huge Atlas statue in his office?

*** To this troper it made sense even without the knowledge or suspicion that Dupont would turn out to be the BigBad. Many real life dictatorships combined two seemingly incompatible features: very strict laws and a lack of the rule of law. Hence people in the positions of power could get away with a lot more than the commoners, and Dupont is still officially a Vice-Counsel, which sounds high-ranking enough. The guards' inaction could also be explained by a healthy dose of [[Literature/NineteenEightyFour Doublethink]] on their part.
*** I think the big twist puts a new layer in the above theory. Dupont (and Brandt) are acting obviously like they aren't on meds [[spoiler: to intentionally reduce Preston's uncertainty about the rebellion and to make him seek to join it which would speed up their masterplan!]]

** Yes; it was a large part of why he got the role. Incidentally, it's also not random; much like Dupont's angry outburst detailed above, its an indication that he's not on his meds. He even says he needs to have his meds "adjusted" early on, suggesting he's at least under-medicated.

*** When Preston is about to kill him, DuPont pointedly says that he is alive and "feeling", as if he expects that to change Preston's mind. Suggests that he sees those who are on Prozium as lesser, and is hoping that Preston will feel the same. We, it seems, are expected to agree with this as far as the mooks are concerned.