V for Vendetta (2006)

Remember, Remember the Fifth of November

"The people always have some champion whom they set over them and nurse into greatness. . . . This and no other is the root from which a tyrant springs; when he first appears he is a protector."
-Plato

In the 1980s comic books took a revolutionary turn (one the likes of which had not been seen since the `60s and `70s) and became politically and socially relevant again. These were the days of conservative and consumerist values, when Ronald Reagan was president and Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister. A Cold War was being fought and the lines between freedom fighter and terrorist, democracy and imperialism were quickly dissipating. It was in this political climate that David Lloyd and Alan Moore created V for Vendetta, a highly intelligent graphic novel series. V for Vendetta was brilliantly written and illustrated and helped to prove that comic books weren't just for children; they were literature. The film V for Vendetta is based upon the graphic novel and was written by the Wachowski Brothers (the Matrix Trilogy).

"As in private life one differentiates between what a man thinks and says of himself and what he really is and does, so in historical struggles one must still more distinguish the language and the imaginary aspirations of parties from their real organism and their real interests, their conception of themselves from their reality."
-Karl Marx

In a bleak totalitarian future, Britain has become a cesspool for corruption, conformity and brutality. People's civic rights are being severely violated by the government, under the leadership of Chancellor Sutler. The people are misguided, apathetic, and fearful of the harsh regime that rules over them but that's about to change. One night a young woman named Evey is caught by corrupt police officers after curfew. They intend to rape her but astonishingly (or predictably, if you're a comic book expert) she is saved by a costumed vigilante, who wears an antiquated mask of Guy Fawkes. His name is V and he has a deep hatred of the current government, a hatred that was born when he was tortured and experimented upon. He invites Evey to join him on the rooftops fro a "concerto" which he will conduct himself. Reluctantly she agrees to go and there she watches in shock and amazement as V detonates the Old Bailey. The next day a police squad is sent to obtain her for questioning but V shows up and saves her... sort of. He takes her back to his underground lair where he makes her breakfast and asks her to join him in his revolution. She agrees but only does so with the intention of escaping. V uses Evey to gain access to his targets but she manages to get away. Soon she is caught and arrested. She spends months in a small gloomy cell being tortured and interrogated before she is released and learns to master her fear. Meanwhile Chancellor Sutler increases his power over the population by overwhelming them with misinformation in the media. He utilizes scare tactics and military force to keep any dissidents in line but the people grow quietly more rebellious. V has promised them a revolution will commence on November the 5th and he has planned to liberate them and avenge those who have been wronged. But is he a lunatic or a hero, a guerrilla freedom fighter or a monstrous killer? Maybe he is all of those things as well as being the only hope for ending Chancellor Sutler's wicked regime... and yet at what cost?

"One who breaks an unjust law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for law."
-Martin Luther King, Jr.

The film is skillfully directed by newcomer James McTeigue and features an amazing cast including Hugo Weaving as V, Natalie Portman as Evey, and John Hurt as Chancellor Sutler. Other cast members include Stephen Rea, Stephen Fry, Roger Allam and Sinead Cusack.
V for Vendetta is a disquieting film, a film that is thought provoking and questions authority. It daringly asks questions about the world in which we live but it leaves us to find the answers. The film is understandably controversial, especially in the age of terrorism, distortion in the media, genocide, biochemical warfare and rampant political corruption. The story shows us the dangers of combining religious fanaticism, puritanical thinking, and social intolerance while handing the government complete control. The film certainly won't appeal to many conservatives or centralists. It's an extreme film that attacks extreme problems. Even Alan Moore disassociated himself from it, feeling that the screenplay was not faithful to his story*. Yet despite the film's many flaws it remains very relevant to the issues we face in modern society.

"You can't separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom."
-Malcolm X

* For an interview with Alan Moore about his disapproval of the film adaptation, check out the following site:
http://www.mtv.com/shared/movies/interviews/m/moore_alan_060315/ August 11, 2008

Llega el comic a salvar al cine

No quise leer el comic antes de ver la pelicula para luego no sentirme decepcionado, sin embargo ocurrio lo contrario, en algunas partes la pelicula supera en emocion al comic y realmente es de agradecer el poder volver a lo mejor de los Wachowsky, los de Matrix y Animatrix, no los de sus decepcionantes secuelas. En definitiva nadie olvidara el 5th of november. Eso si, se echan de menos los subtitulos en español para los extras. August 11, 2008

great image

Estoy muy contento con la adquisición de esta película. Imagen y sonido muy buenos, así como el precio y el envío por parte de Amazon. Buena película y mejor compra. ¡¡Felicidades Amazon!! July 30, 2008

Guy Fawkes Day

I really like this film!
Natalie Portman's acting is so very good.
About an England where a neo-Nazi has come to power;
the use of fear in the classic sense has made a police state
possible: it reminds one very much of the current Bush administration
where 'security' overrides rights.
The prisoner/ experimental subject in cell V in an biological
concentration camp right out Germany at the end of WWII survives.
Like the X-man magneto he has abilities beyond the ordinary,
like seeing without eyes and strength.
The rescue of the young Evie changes him, but not his plan
to overthrow the government on Guy Fawkes Day. July 26, 2008

To Vindicate the Vigilant and the Virtuous, see this.

I thoroughly enjoy this movie because it is so thought provoking. Some may watch it and just see it as another action movie, but I feel it is more. It is (as it was intended) a look into a possible (and believable) future where the government has exerted so much control that every facet of life is censored and measured.
When the audience is introduced to V, they simply don't know what to make of him. By the end, some see him as a villain, or terrorist.
Which brings me to the question that makes this movie so worthwhile:
Would you do what he did to save your country? July 18, 2008

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