Director: James McTeigue
Starring: Hugo Weaving, Natalie Portman, and Rupert Graves
Released: 2006
Box Office: $132,511,035 (Worldwide)
Throwback Review
I still remember the day Christine and I went to see V For Vendetta in theatre. It was a Sunday night. A 10pm show. Which is odd for us, but at the time it would've been the only time that worked for us (with both of us in school and working). It was one of the first times we went to a movie and just before it started playing, we forgot what we were seeing. This eventually became par for the course for these movie geeks as we continued to increase the amount of movies we were seeing in the theatre, thus causing confusion each time we went. I distinctly remember just before the movie was starting, turning to Christine and saying, "What movie are we seeing? Is this Batman?". Now the reason I mentioned Batman was the opening sequence for the movie featured the Warner Bros. production promo, but it was the one that incorporates bats (ie. Batman). But I digress....
V For Vendetta is an adaptation of the comic book by Alan Moore and David Lloyd. Having never seen or read the comics, I was not sure what the film would entail. The trailer enticed us due to our recent love of Hugo Weaving and of course, the conspiracy theory-type plot line.
The film is set in the early 2030s where the United Kingdom is ruled by a totalitarian government under the fascist "Norsefire" party. Political prisoners, homosexuals, etc., are thrown into concentration camps and then exterminated by the fascist party (think Nazi Germany). A young woman named Evey (Natalie Portman) is rescued from an attempted rape by members of the secret police, or "Fingermen", by a Guy Fawkes-masked vigilante known simply as "V". He explains to Evey, and to the rest of Britain (via television - which he takes over from the government) that they need to rise against the government and meet him in one year on November 5th outside the House of Parliament, which he will then destroy. Evey decides to help "V" escape and goes into hiding with him in order to protect herself from the fascist government who is now looking for them both.
My first thought while watching this film was "wow. One day this could really happen". Honestly, it's not a far fetched notion, as it has happened before (again, think Nazi Germany). The story, which was brought to life by the Wachowski brothers (the masterminds behind the Matrix trilogy), deals with real political and social issues which force you to really think. This film incorporates a little bit of every movie genre: drama, thriller, action, and even comedy. And it's very pleasing on the eyes; rich colours are used in tandem with bland greys and whites to create a desperate and dire United Kingdom.
The cast is amazing. Weaving is wonderful as the title character. The amazing thing is - you never see his face! He's a faceless hero which makes him more believable. Essentially, he could be anybody. And I think that's the point of the character. Portman plays the perfect "companion" for "V". Her naivety balances his unwavering belief in a revolution. Once again, Portman completely threw herself into the role, becoming Evey, even down to really shaving her head in a climatic scene. The supporting cast, which includes: Stephen Rea, John Hurt, and Stephen Fry, contribute greatly to the film's success in portraying dystopian society.
Final Verdict: See it. Even if you're not a fan of comic book (or graphic novel) stories and characters, it is worth it to give this film a shot. It is not your typical comic book film . Realistically, the film should be seen as a separate entity from the comic book. The film gives you a lot to think about and to look at. Weaving is phenomenal, and anything he is in is worth seeing.
Rotten Tomatoes
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