The Equalizer

First things, First

Before I begin, let me be very direct with you: this movie is definitely a must see. The action that director Antione Fuqua uses is utilized in a way that drives the plot. Every sequence revealing more about the characters involved. By the end of the moment, there is a very necessary feeling that each sequence has. Nothing being out-of-place, absolution is found through every effort of the film. This movie was worth every cent I spent to watch, and will be worth the price of the second ticket I purchase to watch this film again.

That being said, I should make it clear that I intend to discuss this film very thoroughly.  I wish to discuss what characters represent to me in this film and how their actions embody that. Rarely, do I ever try to spoil a movie for you. It’s my intention to give you only what is necessary for you to go see the film or not. Don’t get me wrong, I want to share with you what I like or dislike about the film, but I try not to give out too many story details so you can watch the movie for yourself. I’ll try my best, but I may not be able to hold that much restraint in this case. Depending on you feel about it, there are SPOILERS AHEAD! If you don’t want to know anything too specific, save this one for after you see it.

The Equalizer

The Equalizer is directed by Antoine Fuqua and stars Denzel Washington, Marton Csokas, Chloë Grace Moretz. Washington plays Robert McCall, a man that believes he has put his mysterious past behind him and has dedicated himself to beginning a new, quiet life. But when he meets a young girl under the control of ultra-violent Russian gangsters, he can’t stand idly by – he has to help her (IMDB).

When we are first introduced to McCall, the first thing that you notice is the order that marks his process. His efficiency as he navigates his life from day-to-day. Every process the man has is marked by organization. He works a simple position from 9 to 5 and comes home to a quite life of regimented meals and studies. At night, he leaves his apartment and goes to the same all night diner to drink tea and read. The same people populate his regimented world, coworkers, neighbors, also a young women who he talks to at the diner by the name of “Teri” (played by Chloë Grace Moretz).

The friendship that McCall and Teri develop is interesting in the fact that they have a very common link in the fact that they are both seeking to leave one life behind to pursue a happier one. McCall’s past still hangs over him, but he’s found a way to get out (or so he thought). Teri has her own dark and gritty life that she is attempting to escape to pursue her own dreams, but excepted her lot. They share a link in the fact that they have both seen the grittier side of life. When Teri is snatched violently back into her dark world, McCall finds himself having to dive into his muddy past to bring Teri out of hers.

The Equalizer, The Grim Reaper?

Teri: What’s your book about?

Robert McCall: It’s about a guy who is a knight in shining armor, except he lives in a world where knights don’t exist anymore.

Robert has a good heart, but, he knows, in order to “Equalize” the playing field between the people who are being exploited and those that would exploit them, he has to go to a darker place. He has to put a cloak on, figuratively speaking. Doing so changes the film and the character of Robert McCall in an interesting way. Fuqua shifts the idea of “Good vs. Evil” into “Death vs. Evil”. McCall becoming Death incarnate, the popular framework is then changed. At one point in the film, McCall is actually depicted walking with death and destruction in his wake as he coldly leaves a scene. Washington’s portrayal of the character displays him as carrying the weight of this burden, being a harbinger of death. He numbs himself when carrying out his tasks, presenting his convicted with a choice.

Robert McCall: I am offering you a chance to do the right thing. Take it.

On the opposite side of the spectrum there is Marton Csokas’ character, Teddy, a sociopathic, ex-Spetsnaz, hired by the Russian Mob to be their muscle. His character takes shape as darker entity filled with malice and reckless violence. There’s a scene that shows him with tattoos that symbolize murderous intents, devils, skulls, and other dark imagery as his image inverts on-screen to almost an inverted cross image by the end of the sequence. When Teddy takes life in the film, its messy, erratic, and impulsive. The death he deals is quite the opposite of McCall and takes away any choice one might have. This serves as a great foil to McCall’s character.

To Know of Violence

In an interview, Antione Fuqua made a statement about the difference between the character of McCall and Teddy by stating that there is a distinct difference between a violent man and man who knows of violence. Robert is very much the man who knows of violence. He can manipulate it and use it to effectively reach his needs. He knows how much is too much and how much is just enough and he demonstrates that in the film. There is a scene in the film where, one by one, he takes out Teddy’s henchmen. As he takes the lives of these men, you really believe that he is holding their lives in the palm of his hand. McCall has pulled them into the abyss of death. Where when Teddy takes a life it’s about him making that choice to take life. Where as McCall gives the choice to the victim. It’s an interesting take on the contrast of two characters.

I can’t express enough how much I loved this film. Fuqua took something that’s been done and expressed it in an intriguing way that kept me glued to my seat and in awe. Denzel’s execution of the his role is what makes him the caliber of actor that he is. I remember feeling this way about John Crease in A Man on Fire, a tortured hero carrying the burden of the lives he takes. When these two come together on a project, it is truly a treat. They definitely brought the best of all they’ve done and put it together in this film.