MovieChat Forums > Equals (2016) Discussion > Dystopian past

Dystopian past

posted 8 years ago by geraldolmr-111-531612
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This movie is a love story staged in a dystopian future where feelings are not allowed and romantic relations are considered harmful and completely banned. When I saw it I thought, well, this kind of social behavior has happened in our own society not long ago when it came to same-sex relationship. It came to my mind the 1987 movie Maurice. As with Equals, the society of that time considered this affection a disease, tried to cure it, put the people that had it in institutions or in "dens", like in the movie. I'm thinking Oscar Wilde and many others. The difference is that it was not science fiction but really happened in our own dystopian past. Has anyone else made this connection or I've tripped too much?

[–] hawkinssouth 8 years ago

No, I think you're right. And not just homosexuality, but anyone in the past who behaves in a way that is outside the norm has been deemed "sick" and sent to a mental home -- or worse. I'm sure you know, Stephen Fry played Oscar Wilde, but Fry himself had to do jail time for being homosexual.

[–] Metatron_Fallen 8 years ago

They used to call doctors when women were overly emotional- sometimes even institutionalizing them and for a while even lobotomized, if I am not mistaken (at the time lobotomies were seen as the cure for a great many mental illnesses).

But you are right, Oscar Wilde was actually put on trial for this and was forced to perform meaningless labor in prison as punishment. And this doesn't even mention the millions of people who had to cover up their sexuality from the public's eyes lest they be similarly persecuted.