V per Vendetta

This is a very unique film. Watching it again 15 years later, it's amazing how much closer we are to this totalitarian future. A must see.

DC Comics has a rather poor reputation lately. Despite having some great superheroes, the films based on their characters often have sucked. However, one of the best and most worthwhile films based on their comics is WELL worth seeing..."V for Vendetta".

The story is placed in a dystopian future. According to this future, the United States has been torn apart by civil war and disasters. And, the United Kingdom has gone from a constitutional monarchy to a repressive fascist dictatorship. But the government is far more evil than just repressing free speech. It seems that much of the chaos that led to this government was actually created by the man who now is in charge. To create a climate of fear and chaos, the government has created fake terrorists...and used the deaths of 10s of thousands of Brits as an excuse to control the country with an iron fist.

The only hope Britain has is a weird nehilistic superhero, V. V (Hugo Weaving) is determined to bring down the government and give the country back to the people. But how? And what part does Evey (Natalie Portman) play in all this? See the film.

This is a very exciting and intelligent film. It definitely kept my interest...much of it because the whole thing (aside from the near indestructable anti-hero) seemed possible! Well worth seeing and exceptionally well made.

By the way, if you like this film, try the 1960s Italian film "Danger: Diabolik". Both have very, very similar themes and both are wonderful movies.

A masked messiah seeks to topple fascist rule, despotic government's so brutal and so cruel, all diversity has gone, being different is now wrong, poor Britannia is no longer calm and cool. The police have spies and cameras everywhere, their eyes and ears observe the wires, seize and snare, but disguises cause surprises, hero V knifes, Fawkes and prises, to derail those, that sit in the top chairs. Removing dread, concern and fear is the key, which V does tormentingly to friend Evey, enables her to have the power, as the clock counts down the hour, to raze a tomb that sets the shackled people free.

A fantastic piece of storytelling with outstanding performances all round.

We haven't watched this movie before and it has been out for 15 years. It seemed a tad too cartoonish in the first few minutes so we gave up on it when we first tried to watch many years ago. I am glad we gave it another view tonight-it could be a movie about the events happening today and so very realistic it is frightening. It has a good storyline and the acting is well done. More importantly is the message it carries and we should all take that message seriously if we don't want to end up living in a country governed by martial law, fear and loss of freedom.

'V for Vendetta' will no doubt be remembered as being one of the most well-produced films of this decade for its powerful script, strong character depictions and the sheer excellence in terms of quality. Loosely based on the DC Comic, the film is set in a totalitarian Britain where the BNP-like government who run the country with an iron fist that they make Thatcher's Tories look positively warm and trustworthy. Then emerges a vigilante in the form of V, a man deformed by fire and the governmental experiments that have given him enhanced strength, who is determined to free the UK from dictatorship by blowing up the Houses of Parliament. Evey is the young woman who is unwittingly embroiled in his plot and soon understands what just it is that motivates V so.

The acting in 'V for Vendetta' was top-notch and, along with the well-written script and apt soundtrack, gave the film the essence to engage the audience and make them feel-- for better or worse-- for these characters. Although her accent was wobbly in places, Natalie Portman delivered a strong performance as Evey, depicting the character's growing love for V and the realisation that the time for her to fight has arrived. Stephen Rea also deserves a mention, as the detective who begins to grasp just how corrupt the government he has supported really is, as does Stephen Fry who proves he can do much more than play bumbling characters in his performance as Deitrich, a protester who hasn't quite grasped just how far the government will go to shut their opponents up. John Hurt's Chancellor Sutler was very terrifying as the dictator who couldn't give a toss about his people so long as he remained in total power. However, above all, it was Hugo Weaving's absolutely brilliant depiction of the lead character V who dominates. Without ever seeing his facial expression, he exudes the pragmatism, charisma and intelligence of the character with a twist of revenge-driven madness.

Entertainment-wise, the film doesn't fail with it's apt soundtrack and well choreographed fight scenes that do remind you that this was based on a comic book. Yet 'V for Vendetta' maintains the ability to leave the audience shaken and chilled at the thought of how easily a Western country can be ensnared by tyranny when a corrupt government is allowed too much power and goes too far. The elements dealt with are all the more disturbing with the state of the world today. I imagine it will touch a deeper cord with Britons like myself (it would have been interesting to see more on how Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland had fared in this new world though) as it is so rare that a Hollywood film is set in the UK. It's always simpler to pretend these things could never happen here so it is a sharp shock to see such a dark future located in familiar surroundings of home.

I highly recommend this film to all as it will leave you both entertained and pondering matters raised in the storyline long after the credits have rolled up.