I finally saw the V for Vendetta and I’ve got to say, I was shocked by what I learned.
Natalie Portman can act!
As if that weren’t shocking enough, I learned that the Wachowski brothers, best known for their Matrix films, can write a story that doesn’t suck!
Now, in defense of their past crappy writing efforts, the story was pretty much laid out by the blueprint set in the legendary Alan Moore and David Lloyd comic on which the film is based.
The film opens with Portman’s Evey being rescued from an unpleasant run-in with a faith-based government curfew squad by a Zorro-like savior calling himself V. Constantly hidden behind a Guy Fawkes mask, the flamboyant V spouts an alliteration and pop culture-filled soliloquy before inviting Evie to a London rooftop. She accepts and is horrified to find out he brought her up there to view his handiwork at blowing things up — in this case, the Old Bailey courthouse to the tune of the 1812 Overture.
V uses Evey’s position at the government TV network to co-opt their broadcast and delivers a wake up call to the masses, along with a challenge: He invites those dissatisfied with the oppressive government to meet him one year from the date in front of Parliament to watch him blow that up as well.
That obviously doesn’t sit well with those in charge, so the government is in a race to catch V before he can make good on his promise. At the same time, V carries on with his personal vendetta against the people who made him take his stand in the first place. And Evey’s life pretty much goes down the crapper.
One of the most telling things about the society V is trying to change is that it often doesn’t seem all that bad — as long as you’re white, straight, and Christian, of course. Aside from curfews and some issues with getting dairy products, most people seem to go about their lives without a whole lot of concern or inconvenience. The scariest aspect of the dystopia isn’t the presence of goon squads and zealot politicians; it’s the believable notion that people have accepted (and even welcomed) their situation.
Alan Moore knows the score, but I enjoyed the film in spite of his displeasure with the adaptation. He generally distances himself from his works’ adaptations due to past studio burnings and refuses monetary compensation. But extra friction surrounded this film because studio execs falsely claimed he was giving them support when at best he was indifferent.
Plus, he wasn’t psyched with the way his Thatcher-era satire had been Americanized for the Bush era. In the original story, anarchy is the alternative to fascism. The film may present a kinder, gentler alternative to fascism, but manages to pack in some powerful imagery and messages nonetheless.
I admire Moore’s crumudgeonliness, but ultimately I think any modern film that has the hope of sparking some non-conformist behavior in today’s culture has merit. While it may seem shameless for a multi-million dollar Hollywood movie to sell a message of anarchy, even a glossy Googaplex-friendly call to action is better than none. Slick or indie, something needs to kick people in the ass if we want to avoid the future shown in V’s London, since for some unknown reason current events don’t seem to phase people.
Despite Moore’s claims that the film is a wussified version of the original story, the film isn’t pure Hollywood happy times. V may be fighting an evil power, but he isn’t necessarily a great guy.
He openly embraces many of the same tactics as the oppressors he’s fighting and has no qualms about sacrificing bystanders in his quest for a greater good. And his opening exchanges could be considered sympathetic toward the likes of the 9/11 terrorists — while simultaneously raising the point that it would be very convenient for a government to construct such a tragedy to achieve its goals.
At a time when most people would rather simply ignore the problems around them, anyone who puts a glimmer of thought into Abu Ghraib, wiretapping, diversity, TV fear mongering, political housecleaning, or sacrificing freedom for “security” because of this film has been changed for the better. That the film was pretty much a box office flop is a real shame.