Initial Reaction: (A bit taken aback) “That movie was an assault on my soul. In a good way.”This movie took my expectations and twisted and warped them, seemingly into the shape of the letter V. From seeing previews, I was prepared to see the typical angry hero whose hellish past triggers an unheard-of plot to get back at some higher power in order to satisfy his need for revenge. Some who saw V for Vendetta might have walked away with just that, but I think that most people walked away with something more as well; a desire to see truth reign and unity among people.
The beginning was a bit too here and there for me. The first few minutes gave us the history of our story, taking place on November the 5th, 1605, when Guy Fawkes and other conspirators attempted their “Gunpowder Plot” to destroy British Parliament and upset the government under James I. They were caught and hanged, the plan never succeeding. After this little touching history lesson, we are thrown into future England. It’s not very pretty, either. The United States has imploded due to civil war, and England seems to have become, for some reason, the only country left in the world. Its government is controlling a country that seems to have lost a sense of itself, and the truth. The scary thing for me was that the government was clearly evil—eerily reminiscent of Nazi Germany in its attempt to brainwash, experiment, and control. While this was clear to the audience, we are shown the subtle ways that this manipulation overshadowed the people and lulled them into accepting it. Lies, cover-ups, political agendas and church scandals, sound familiar?
In the midst of this terror is a man with a vendetta against his government and with an intention to destroy it, and a woman who begrudgingly gets caught in the middle. V (our hero) is a kind of Zorro-esque character whose distinguishing feature is his Guy Fawkes mask. I will admit that the mask was a bit off-putting at times, especially in the moments when we are being asked to see deeply into his emotions and motivations. But what was intended by the mask is by the end clearly shown, in that V did not only exist as a man, but as an idea.
Natalie Portman was wonderful to watch. As the character Evey, she was pulled by her family into political unrest at an early age, and had put it behind her for years afterward until she accidentally encountered V. It seems as though her destiny is to rise against the controlling powers of England, and yet she is fearful and avoids doing so. V sees this in her, and takes matters into his own hands. This is the part that hurt, what V does to Evey.
Ouch. This part (which I will not spoil for the yet-to-be viewers) almost murdered this movie for me, but I learned as the movie continued that V isn’t about love, he isn’t about sacrifice, and he definitely isn’t about being the nice guy. He is solely “Vendetta.” He knows his goal, and he does what is necessary (if not painful) to help a friend grow stronger and learn how to live in their country.
Rating: 17
V for Vendetta is incredible. It is an amazing mix of past legacy and futuristic possibilities and it leaves the future of our world in our hands. The mask allows us to be V, a symbol of what it takes to enlighten, spread truth, and make change. This film speaks to our humanness and the power that we hold if we stand together for a common purpose. Way to go, Wachowski brothers, you’ve done it again. Everyone please consider the bar raised once more.
3 comments:
j.p. hession -
Thanks for your comment! I've been wondering when I'd be able to dialogue about one of my reviews...
First of all, let me say that I googled "prophetic Stevie Wonder" just for kicks, because it was such a humorous phrase made up of words that I would never have expected to be put together. Congratulations! Google's never seen it put together, either. ;P
Now, I can see that you have a very strong opinion about this movie after reading your posts to Subliminal's review and noting that you took the time to challenge mine, as well. Your point is well taken. Personally, I believe that love is the most important thing we can share or experience in this world. However, I would not go so far as to say how others should go about doing that. As I said, V was a symbol, and symbols often end up representing much more than just their actions. This is what I took from the movie. Not that we should become terrorists and kill people that we think are unjust, but that we should stand up for what we believe is right. And they did, in the end. While V and Evey were the characters who actually blew up parliament, I felt more power from the crowd who recognized a symbol for freedom and for the first time in many years took a stand. Maybe I'm too desensitized to violence and killings, because as you know this theme is not unusual for movies today. But the murder was secondary for me.
Regarding the directors' political views, I was not aware. However, I feel that I can say I am a fairly intelligent person who is somewhat conservative, and this film did not bother me. I did not feel threatened in the slightest.
Like I said, I agree with you about love. But love is shown in many, sometimes surprising ways. And sometimes it fights for others, especially those who are oppressed, no matter what their political views or sexual orientation.
In any case, my opinion. I doubt we'll come to agreement on this issue, but discussion is always welcome and enlightening. :)
Have a swell day.
Hmmm... I see your point. Ends do not necessarily justify means, and that is probably the way in which I am seeing V. As I said before, I didn't feel quite as strongly about the film. If that's a fault, then I confess. If there is a danger in the message that V gave us, I missed it. Initially, at least. But I must agree with you in that in reality, vengeful and merciless actions should not be condoned, whether the outcome be good or evil.
Now, regarding me, personally, I feel like I need to explain my idea of love a little better. I know the "mantra" you mentioned well, and I do not agree with it. I do believe that perfect love exists, and that we would do well to strive for this love. I also believe that an example of pure love was Jesus, and I desire to be like him more than anything. However, all I think is that just as the people in Jesus' day were surprised and disbelieving in reaction to this perfect love, that there are times that perfect love is expressed now that people do not see, and do not understand. And I won't pretend that I am able to see others' actions of love perfectly.
But enough of that. This blog is about movies! Thanks again for your post. Take care.
It's funny how the things we took away from this film are so different.
Most of the people I know who watched the film, me included, recognized it to be some form of criticism about the way the USA is managing its "war against terror". Hence the similarity with Nazi Germany.
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