guslinton

Because of the movie's high ratings, I went into the theater expecting at least decent entertainment. I found myself, instead in a never-never land. From the crowds round Affleck's house to the portrayal of the police to the motivations of the main characters, everything in this movie rings with falsity. The only believable representation of reality was the whorishness of the mass media. Thrown into all this fantasy are generous portions of gratuitous sex and violence, all part of relentless manipulation of the audience. Ben Affleck always brightens the screen with good energy, but you can't act yourself out of a dreadful movie. No doubt the film's high ratings will decline considerably with age.

V for Vendetta is a comic book style allegorical thriller. Although the setting is England, the film is really about what is happening in present day America, and what the rest of the world will be like in twenty or so years given current political trends. America has already collapsed, and the UK is in the grip of a neo-con dictatorship that has risen to power by creating high level of fear and religious faith in the population, while at the same time pumping them with high tech propaganda. The dictatorial coup is initiated by the ruling elite executing a false flag attack on their own people. Vendetta is a remake of "1984" in the context of the Bush administration. It alludes to 911 and anthrax attacks, the Patriot Act, Abu-ghraib, the fearful and passive American public and its corrupt, greedy, and even evil government and much more. But you can also enjoy this film simply as a futuristic thriller, fast moving with excellent special effects and some violence. Neither the effects nor the violence is overdone. Direction, acting, and writing are also good. There are a lot of good literary quotations and memorable speeches. At one point V says, "The artist lies to reveal the truth; the politician lies to conceal the truth." The movie is worth seeing on a lot of different levels.

This is as close to a perfect movie as you will find.

I've shown this film a number of times to classes of juveniles in detention, and after the initial first few minutes of resistance, even this short-attention-span audience, used to instant gratification, and the latest cinematic effects--even this audience, invariably becomes enthralled by Keaton's artistry and film magic.

Contemporary artists, like Jackie Chan, have copied much of Keaton's style and many of his stunts. Chan and others have used Keaton's stunt of running on the top of a moving train such that the runner appears stationary to the background. Keaton shows that great film artistry can be achieved with rudimentary technology.

Sherlock Jr. will remain on a list of "must watch" film classics as long as people are still watching movies.