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V For Vendetta
Directed by: James McTeigue
Starring: Natalie Portman
Genre:
Science Fiction
Run Time: 132
min.
Release Date:
March 2006
On The Web:
Official
Site
Teaser:
Movie Trailer
Reviewed by
Chad Wilson |
A science fiction film with a message. Who
would've thought it possible. I don't mean this has never happened, it's
just that it hasn't happened in quite some time. To put it in
perspective, my favorite SF film was THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL.
Although many people make that claim, here it is noteworthy because The
Day The Earth Stood Still was a brave undertaking, commenting on the
dangers of nuclear technology during a time when our government and our
country felt this was a necessary evil. I'm not saying V FOR VENDETTA
rates up on the same level, but it does have its moments, making us
question the purpose of government and the repercussions of overstepping
those purposes for its own "good" rather than the individuals it's
supposed to serve.
Coming from the Wachowski brothers who made THE MATRIX trilogy, V has a
good cast realized via the comic book of the same name but takes a while
to get on track. The first third of the film was pretty slow and
involved, but the latter parts made up for this.
The story is about a masked man named V (Hugo Weaving, THE LORD OF THE
RINGS trilogy) who was a guinea pig for a pharmaceutical company. A
group of men and women have hidden their involvement with this
distasteful part of history as we lunge forward to the year 2020. A
totalitarian government rules England, cowing its citizens by enforcing
curfews, limiting religious freedoms, and eliminating homosexuality (if
you're a gay Buddhist out after nine p.m. you're in BIG trouble!)
Weaving a bit of history into the story, we see Guy Fawkes Day (November
5th) taken to a whole new level. V plans to destroy Parliament because
of its wickedness and the fear under which English citizens now live.
Not to mention that Chancellor Sutler (John Hurt, CONTACT) is one of the
pharmaceutical founders that altered V's life forever; V has no
recollection of his past, including his own name, and has an altered
body chemistry allowing him superhuman agility thanks to the drugs that
were tested on him. This is very bad news for those involved in screwing
up his life. V is out for Vengeance, too.
But V is also lonely, so when Evey (Natalie Portman, STAR WARS III)
helps him make good an escape, he pulls her into his confidence,
eventually forcing her to lose all her fears through a set of brutal
tests. In Evey V sees the future of mankind, a sign that all may be made
right with the world.
In a stunning climax, we watch V's vision come to life, as fireworks
blow, thousands turn out wearing Guy Fawkes/V masks, and Evey comes to
understand how important change is in the world.
This film certainly won't be for everyone. You have to think about
what's happening to really understand the message. It doesn't smack you
in the face with an obvious plot, and instead lets it seep into the
viewer's subconscious.
There are, as seen in other reviews, a lot of talk about what this
film's intent was supposed to be, and I think that speaks pretty highly
for the level of sophistication needed to help one grasp V. Is he a
freedom fighter or a terrorist? Anyone who wants to destroy a government
must be crazy and/or an anarchist, right? How far is too far when a
government wants to "protect" its citizens? These are questions the
movie poses but doesn't give answers to, and that is quite refreshing
considering what Hollywood usually places in front of us (A + B = C).
Connect your own dots and see where V leads you.
(back to top) |
Image from V For Vendetta
DVD cost: $18.98
Purchase:
Tower.com (Blu-Ray)
Film Review Stew
Favorite?
No.
Stew Poo-Poo? No.
Newsworthy:
The rhyme referenced by
the tag line is called 'The Bonfire Prayer' and commemorates 'Guy Fawkes
night', November the 5th, when a Catholic plot to overthrow the British
parliament was foiled.
Movie Quote: "I'm
sorry, but Mr. Deitrich's dead. I thought they'd arrest him, but when
they found a Koran in his house, they had him executed."
Other Actors/Actresses
from V For Vendetta
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