'V for Vendetta' works as political allegory, ripping action movie

By CARLA MEYER
Sacramento Bee
15-MAR-06

In "V for Vendetta," a masked man hijacks a state-run television station and chastises viewers for giving in to a government that has stoked a culture of fear and systematically stripped them of their liberties.

Michael Moore, is that you behind the mask?

One need not look too hard to find parallels to present-day America in the England of the near future depicted in "V for Vendetta," which opens tonight at 10 p.m. But don't go drawing conclusions, because this provocative, engrossing film _ most of it shot, oddly enough, in Germany _ also evokes the Nazi horrors of World War II. That is, when its not alluding to the persecution of Muslims or George Orwell's "1984."

"V for Vendetta" serves less as an allegory for any single political situation than a generalized reflection on the nature of terrorism and the responsibility of the individual in shaping a society. Apart from those weighty matters, it's just a cracking good comic-book tale.

Based on the graphic novel written by Alan Moore _ a British iconoclast who removed his name from the movie _ and illustrated by David Lloyd, "V for Vendetta" was adapted for the screen by Larry and Andy Wachowski, the brothers behind the "Matrix" trilogy, and directed by James McTeigue, first assistant director on the "Matrix" films.

But don't expect brain-teasing riddles or gravity-defying special effects in this visually straightforward tale of V (Hugo Weaving), a troubled fellow in a mask that's meant to resemble Guy Fawkes, the real-life criminal who plotted to blow up Parliament in 1605 to protest King James I's Protestant rule.

A nut for street justice, V brandishes knives like six-shooters and slashes the would-be rapists of Evey (Natalie Portman), a young woman who has ventured out after the government's 11 p.m. curfew. He also blows up a landmark London building, accompanying his act with music and fireworks. A more timid film would present him as a Batman-esque vigilante, but "V for Vendetta" has the audacity to present him as a far darker figure.

As played by Weaving (Agent Smith from "The Matrix" trilogy), V speaks in soothing tones that counteract his creepy mask and Bettie Page hairdo. Quite taken with Evey, he addresses her in verse and uses lots of words that start with "V." After their initial encounter Evey resumes her workaday existence as a low-level employee of the TV station.

V lives in an underground den where he keeps books he reclaimed from the censorship-minded government. He brings Evey to his home after she is injured while trying to help him when they meet again, at the TV station.

"V for Vendetta" grows truly compelling when it contrasts the responses of V and Evey to their pasts, both of which were profoundly affected by government malfeasance. How did she come out of it normal, and he a masked avenger? "V for Vendetta" implies that under the right set of circumstances, by alternating deprivation with perfectly timed emotional cues trumpeting the human spirit's ability to overcome oppression, Evey _ or anyone, really _ might answer the call to violence. It's a chilling idea.

As Portman's curly locks are shorn as part of her character's transformational story line, that sound you hear is not Dario Marianelli's subtle score but thousands of male "Star Wars" and "Garden State" fans weeping. But the haircut becomes Portman as an actress. She's the anti-Samson in that her bare head seems to enrich her already soulful performance. This is her finest work as an adult actress, and all the more remarkable because she's acting opposite a character whose facial features don't move.

The film's color palette is muted but not oppressively so. The story speaks to the audience because it exists in a still-recognizable future. Television sets look like the TVs of today, and the couches of the future like the couches of the present. "V for Vendetta" favors accomplished production design over computer-generated effects, which so often are better appreciated in their absence.

"V for Vendetta" might test the patience of young people who find it lacks the visual punch of other comic-book films. And adults might grow weary of the dour parade of pudding-faced supporting actors. The most tolerable are the Stephens, Rea and Fry. Despite a demeanor so downcast that his chin appears surgically attached to his chest, Rea invests his police-inspector character with quiet integrity. As a TV host with secrets, Fry injects much-needed humor into the film.

John Hurt is more ham than pudding as the great and mighty British Chancellor who addresses his subordinates via a giant video screen. Hurt's Big Brother act will, in its delicious irony, amuse those young comic-book fans who recognize him from the 1984 film version of "1984." All seven of them.

V for Vendetta

3 stars

Cast: Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Rea, Rupert Graves, Stephen Fry, Sinead Cusack, John Hurt and Roger Allam

Director: James McTeigue

Writers: Andy and Larry Wachowski (from the graphic novel by Alan Moore (uncredited) and David Lloyd)

132 minutes

Rated R

http://www.shns.com/shns/g_index2.cf...-FILM-03-15-06

V for Vendetta, does not live up to the hype.

I have been psyched for the premier of this movie for the last month and I was greatly dissapointed. The movie was not all bad but it was full of a bunch of political satire. For once can we have a movie that doesn't have to bring in politics? Of course it brings into mention the problems that we are facing today (but in a fictional post apoctalyptic England) but come on... Can we for once leave politics out of a flick? The acting in this movie was nothing short of phenominal, however, the story line was a bit edgy. This movie will definately stir up some controversy since the entire movie was a Republican bash fest. I would have no problem with this if they didn't take a classic DC hero and turn him into a puppet for the Democratic party, I'm very dissapointed. Overall I would give this movie a C-.

I haven't read the comic book it's based on, nor have I seen the movie yet, although I'm looking forward to seeing it just for the action.

From the preview, it looked like a political satire. The description on wikipedia of the comic book sounds like a political satire.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V_for_Vendetta

They may have deviated from the "script" though to make it more "republican / democrat" slanted. I don't know...

Regardless, you mentioned "leave politics out of a flick", and I couldn't help but think about the third Star Wars movie: Revenge of the Sith. There is a scene where Obi-Wan Kenobi confronts the newly "knighted" Darth Vader. The dialogue just screamed politics to me, especially considering the Bush political environment...
Not sure if I was just reading into the script a lot more than was there...


And on another "Star Wars" / political note, anybody hear about this?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/top10/06/232.html

Sorry about it being an obviously biased editorial link instead of a factual discussion, but I thought it pretty much summed up my thoughts on it...

The story has nothing to do with the Republican Party, or at least, it shouldn't. It's set in Britain in a dystopian world in 1997, when the Republicans weren't even in power. At least, that's when the comic book was set.

The comic book is about politics. It's about the dangers of fascism. The mask is a Guy Fawkes mask. It's a commentary on British politics.

Dude... Leaving the politics out of V for Vendetta would be like leaving the peanut butter our of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

I haven't seen the movie yet, I've only read the comic book. It was... disturbing. But in a good way. Alan Moore is love.

That's right, you haven't seen the movie yet.

I already know about the background of Vendetta, and how he faught against facism. But the movie had nothing to do with that, it was equating facist Britian with the Republican party. There is even a part where they say the facist dictator is part of the Republican party. Then they go about talking about how the American war has drove Britian to a facist government.

I think it is the responsibility of every artistic/creative person to reveal the evil that has been the Republican Party during the last 8 years and beyond (and in poltics in general).

I was thrilled to see it in Star Wars and I'm sure I will enjoy it in vendetta.

Throughout the ages art has been where the voices of the common man were heard over the loud roar of the system.

I hope the movie bombs like I believe it will.

Too late! It is definitely not bombing.


1 (new) V for Vendetta Warner Bros. Action/Adventure $9,000,000 3,365 $2,675 $9,000,000


http://www.the-numbers.com/charts/da.../20060317.html

Gosh, I hope not. Firstly, it's based on an awesome comic book. Secondly, the Wachowski siblings directed it. Thirdly, Natalie Portman is HOT.

I'm not sure what's hotter, Natalie Portman, or Dylan thinking Natalie Portman is Hot!

Yeah Natalie IS HOT!!