Looking back on it now, I really wish I had seen V For Vendetta in a theater. I have only seen in at home on my telly (as the Brits say), and even on that small-ish screen, the film absolutely pops. Based on Alan Moore's graphic novel of the same name, Vendetta is set in a dystopian England some 50-ish years in the future where an arch-conservative totalitarian regime is in control of the country. This regime, led by the High Chancellor (played expertly well by John Hurt), came to power due to a series of terrorist attacks. Due to all of this, England has a strict curfew, homosexuality is illegal, and the citizens are always being watched.
After setting the stage, our ingenue Evie (played very ably by Natalie Portman) sneaks out during curfew to meet up with her boss. Below, Evie bumps into some of the scuzzy secret police who try to rape her. Then, out of the dark, emerges a man in a mask.
His name? V. His raison d'etre? Taking down the High Chancellor's government, in a very violent manner. All the while, the Chief Inspector (The Crying Game's Stephen Rea) is trying to put the pieces together of how V is tied into the High Chancellor and the terrorist attacks that happened many years ago. V's actions are... very extreme and yes, he can easily be called a terrorist. As he ramps up his attacks on the government, the High Chancellor responds.
Coming out in 2005 in the height of the War in Iraq and well into George Bush's 2nd term, V For Vendetta resonated with a lot of people... and became pretty controversial. The film clearly puts the audience with V, showing all his actions as justified. So, is he a freedom fighter? Or is he a terrorist? Is V correct? Back when I first saw this, I would answer "Hell yes, he's in the right." And I'd still say the same now. With obvious nods to 1984 and the fascistic symbolism, this version of England is a ultra-right-wing nightmare, which scared the bejeezus out of a lot of us lefties back in 2005. With the Patriot Act and warrantless wiretapping and demonizing all things Islam, V For Vendetta was a fun-house mirror of our worst fears for our own country at the time. Now a mere 4 years later, that kind of future world does seem less likely. While we are dealing with the worst financial crisis to hit the world since the Great Depression, we are more positive now then we were back then. And frankly, I can't see many tea party activists quoting V in their rallies, can you?
What really hooks me into the movie every time, though, is Natalie Portman. Ever since I saw her in The Professional, I've been a fan. I think she's a damn good actress, and here she shines. While Portman's British accent is a bit generic at times, her performance is pitch-perfect. You see Evie's growth in the film, from being a regular girl into a politicized agent. And since we never see V's face in the film (spoiler!), it's through Portman's performance that we get to see the human side of V.
Made by the Wachowski brothers, V for Vendetta has a great look to it. I picked it up on Blu-Ray using a birthday present gift card from a buddy, and I'm very glad I did. Check it out sometime: love it or hate it... it sure is pretty.
I really wanted to like this movie, but it felt so ham-fisted in its politics that I was insulted by it. Heh. Natalie Portman is great.
And, I can't believe I am saying this, but I was also disappointed in Stephen Fry. I mean, I love seeing him in anything he's in, but his character almost felt like a tired parody of himself, and it sorta depressed me that he accepted the role.
I dunno. It wasn't the worst thing ever, but its heavy-handedness kept me at arm's length.
Posted by: krystyn | May 05, 2010 at 05:06 AM
I can see where you are coming from. For me, I fell under its spell from the word go, so I dig it. Susan really hated it; she calls it "V For Vaginosis."
Posted by: Jon | May 05, 2010 at 12:30 PM