V for Vendetta (film)

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V for Vendetta
Promotional poster for V for Vendetta
Directed by	James McTeigue
Produced by	Joel Silver Silver Pictures Wachowski Brothers Grant Hill Lorne Orleans
Written by	Comic Book: Alan Moore (uncredited) David Lloyd Screenplay: Wachowski Brothers
Starring	Natalie Portman Hugo Weaving Stephen Rea Stephen Fry John Hurt
Music by	Original Dario Marianelli Non-Original Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Cinematography	Adrian Biddle
Editing by	Martin Walsh
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date(s)	March 17, 2006 March 17, 2006 March 30, 2006 April 29, 2006
Running time	132 min.
Country	United Kingdom  United States Germany[1]
Language	English
Budget	$54 million (U.S.)[2]
Gross profits	Domestic $70,511,035[2] Foreign $60,900,000[2] Worldwide $131,411,035[2]
Official website
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

V for Vendetta is a 2006 action-thriller film set in London, England in a near-future dystopian society. The film follows the mysterious V, a freedom fighter seeking to effect sociopolitical change while simultaneously pursuing his own violent personal vendetta. The film is an adaptation of the graphic novel V for Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd. V for Vendetta was directed by James McTeigue and produced by Joel Silver and the Wachowski brothers, who also wrote the screenplay. The film stars Natalie Portman as Evey Hammond, Hugo Weaving as V, Stephen Rea as Inspector Finch, and John Hurt as Chancellor Sutler.

The film's release was originally scheduled for Friday, November 4, 2005 (a day before the 400th Guy Fawkes Night), but was delayed; it opened on March 17, 2006, and was generally well-received by critics and audiences alike. Alan Moore, facing his disappointment in both From Hell and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, refused to view the film and subsequently distanced himself from it. The filmmakers removed some of the anarchist themes and drug references present in the original story and also updated the political message to be more relevant to a 2006 audience. Due to the politically sensitive content of the film, V for Vendetta attracted much attention from groups on both sides of the political spectrum and has received both great praise and harsh criticism in turn.

Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Development 4 Production 5 Publicity and release 6 Music 7 Themes 7.1 Modern fears of totalitarianism 7.2 The letter V and the number 5 8 Reception 8.1 Comments from political sources 9 Differences between the film and graphic novel 10 DVD and other releases 11 References 12 External links

[edit] Plot

The opening credits are followed by a prologue that shows the arrest and execution by hanging of Guy Fawkes. The story is set in the near future (approximately 2038) with Britain ruled by a totalitarian regime called Norsefire. Evey Hammond is rescued from the would-be rapist secret police known as Fingermen for breaking a curfew, by a man wearing a Guy Fawkes mask, the vigilanté known as "V". After rescuing her, V takes Evey to a rooftop location to witness his spectacular destruction of the Old Bailey. The regime explains the incident to the public as a planned demolition, but this is shown to be a lie when V takes over the state-run TV station later that day. V broadcasts a message urging the people of Britain to rise up and stand with him at the Houses of Parliament on November 5, one year from that day. V implies that on that date he will destroy the Houses of Parliament.

Evey, who works at the British Television Network, helps V escape. V takes Evey to his lair, the Shadow Gallery, where she is told she must stay in hiding with him for her own safety. Upon learning that V is killing government officials, she is horrified and disgusted with V's actions, vowing to escape from him. In an effort to escape from the Shadow Gallery, she briefly explains her past to V and inquires as to whether there is anything she could do to help. Later, he devises a plan to infiltrate the bedroom of a Anthony Lilliman, a corrupt bishop and pedophile who helped Norsefire rise to power, which requires Evey's assistance. Evey attempts to betray V's plot to the bishop, but he does not believe her. After V appears and kills Lilliman, Evey escapes to the home of one of her superiors from BTN, Gordon Deitrich, who reveals to her that he is a closet homosexual and collector of banned art and literature. When Gordon makes a last minute change to a TV programme he is hosting, satirizing the High Chancellor, the Fingermen (secret police) raid Gordon's home and attack and arrest him. Evey is captured, incarcerated and tortured for days (which includes having her head shaved), finding solace only in the notes left by a previous prisoner named Valerie, who was imprisoned and persecuted for being a lesbian. Evey is told that she will be executed unless she reveals V's whereabouts or identity; she declares that she would rather die, and finds herself released. Evey discovers that she has been in the Shadow Gallery all along, her imprisonment staged by V, who is sorry to inform her that Gordon was executed. By forcing Evey to endure something similar to what he had endured at Larkhill detention center, V hoped that Evey would understand that "integrity", "the very last inch of us", is more important than our lives. Evey initially hates V for what he has done, but comes to realize that the experience allows life without fear and for her to return to a normal life in London. She leaves V, promising to return before November 5.

Meanwhile, Inspector Eric Finch, Norsefire's Chief of Police, is assigned to investigate V. Throughout the manhunt, Finch learns how Norsefire came to power, and about V’s origins. Fourteen years previously, Britain had nearly collapsed in the aftermath of a nuclear war. The ultra-conservative Norsefire party led a reactionary purge to restore order; so-called "enemies of the state" — anyone who wasn't white, Christian, and heterosexual — disappeared overnight. The country, deeply divided over the loss of freedom, found itself united by a bioterrorist attack that killed 80,000 people. The fear generated by the attack allowed Norsefire to silence all opposition and win the next election by a landslide. A cure for the virus released during the attack was discovered soon thereafter. With the silent consent of the people, Norsefire turned Britain into a totalitarian order, with their leader Adam Sutler as High Chancellor. However, Finch soon learns that the viral catastrophe was itself engineered by Norsefire as a plot to seize power. The virus had been engineered through barbaric experimentation on "social deviants" and political dissidents at Larkhill detention center. V, a former prisoner at Larkhill, was subjected to the experiments, but did not die; the torture endowed him with near-superhuman physical and intellectual abilities, at the cost of horrifically disfiguring his face. V was the only survivor of the 48 subjects of the experiment. He eventually escaped the center by blowing it up from his cell, vowing to take revenge on Norsefire's regime.

As November 5 nears, V's public denunciations of Norsefire begin to erode the government's power, as the population grows to identify with him and question the oppression they live under. On the eve of November 5, V is again visited by Evey, and shows her a train which he has filled with explosives in order to destroy Parliament via the abandoned London Underground. He delegates the destruction of Parliament to Evey, believing that the ultimate decision should not come from him, but rather from a member of the public he is trying to liberate. V departs to meet Party Leader Peter Creedy, who has agreed to deliver the Chancellor to V in exchange for V's surrender: V had manipulated Finch into putting heavy police surveillance on Creedy, and fooled Creedy into thinking that Sutler had ordered it, preparing for Creedy to take the blame should Sutler's regime ever fall. Creedy kills the whimpering Chancellor in front of V with a gunshot to the head, but V does not surrender, instead killing Creedy and his men. V, mortally wounded by gunfire, returns to Evey. He thanks her and professes his love for her before dying. She places his body upon the train with the explosives, reminiscent of a Viking funeral.

Evey is about to send the train down the track when she is discovered by Inspector Finch. Finch, having learned much about the corruption of the Norsefire regime, allows Evey to proceed. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of Londoners, all wearing Guy Fawkes masks, march on Parliament to watch the event. Because Creedy and the Chancellor are dead, the military stands down in the face of a civil rebellion. The Houses of Parliament, like Old Bailey, are destroyed by a series of explosions while Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture plays on public loudspeakers. On a nearby rooftop, Evey and Finch watch the scene together.

[edit] Cast

• Natalie Portman as Evey Hammond: Director James McTeigue first met Portman on the set of Attack of the Clones, where he worked with her as assistant director. In preparing for the role, Portman worked with dialectologist Barbara Berkery in order to perform with an English accent. She also studied films such as The Weather Underground and read the autobiography of Menachem Begin.^[3] Portman received top billing for the film. Portman's role in the film has parallels to her role as Mathilda Lando in the film Léon.^[4] According to Portman, "The relationship between V and Evey has a complication [like] the relationship in that film."^[5]

• Hugo Weaving as V: James Purefoy was originally cast as V but left six weeks into filming due to difficulties wearing the mask for the entire film.^[6] He was replaced by Hugo Weaving, who previously worked with Joel Silver and the Wachowski brothers on The Matrix Trilogy as Agent Smith. However, parts of the film still contain scenes from Purefoy with only a dubbing from Weaving.^[7]

• Stephen Rea as Chief Inspector Eric Finch: Finch is the lead inspector in the V investigation, who, during his investigation, uncovers an unspeakable government crime. Rea is no stranger to politics and terrorism, as he was once married to Dolours Price, a former member of the IRA, imprisoned for bombing the Old Bailey. When asked whether the politics attracted him to the film, Rea replied “Well, I don’t think it would be very interesting if it was just comic-book stuff.” “The politics of it are what gives it its dimension and momentum, and of course I was interested in the politics. Why wouldn’t I be?”^[8]

• John Hurt as High Chancellor Adam Sutler: A former Conservative MP and Under-Secretary for Defence, Chancellor Sutler was the founder of Norsefire and is the de facto dictator of Britain. Hurt acted a contrary role in another dystopian film: Winston Smith, a victim of the state in the film adaptation of Nineteen Eighty-Four.^[9][10]

• Stephen Fry as Gordon Deitrich: Talk show host Gordon Deitrich is a closeted homosexual who, due to the restrictions of the regime, has "lost his appetite" over the years. When asked in an interview what he liked about the role, Fry replied, "Being beaten up! I hadn't been beaten up in a movie before and I was very excited by the idea of being clubbed to death."^[11]

• Sinead Cusack as Dr. Delia Surridge: Dr. Surridge was the head physician at the Larkhill detention centre. V states that the torture and death at Larkhill was only possible because of her research.

• John Standing as Bishop Anthony James Lilliman: Lilliman is a corrupt paedophile bishop at Westminster Abbey, installed into this position by Sutler. In regards to his role as Lilliman, Standing remarks, "I thoroughly enjoyed playing Lilliman... because he's slightly comic and utterly atrocious. Lovely to do."^[3]

• Tim Pigott-Smith as Peter Creedy: Creedy is both Norsefire's party leader and the head of Britain's Secret Police, the Finger. While Sutler is the Chancellor, the real power of the regime lies with Creedy.^[3]

• Rupert Graves as Dominic Stone: Dominic is Inspector Finch’s lieutenant in the V investigation.

• Natasha Wightman as Valerie Page: Valerie was one of the "social-undesirables" imprisoned by the Norsefire government. Her symbolic role as a victim of the state was received positively by many LGBT critics. Film critic Michael Jensen praised the extraordinarily powerful moment of Valerie's scene "not just because it is beautifully acted and well-written, but because it is so utterly unexpected [in a Hollywood film]."^[12]

• Roger Allam as Lewis Prothero: Lewis Prothero, "The Voice of London", is a mouthpiece for the Norsefire government and has been viewed as a parody of American right-wing pundits such as Bill O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh by critics and commentators.^[13][14][10]

• Ben Miles as Roger Dascombe: Though never explicitly mentioned in the film, Dascombe is Sutler's head of the propaganda division.^[3]

• Clive Ashborn as Guy Fawkes: The story of Guy Fawkes is described in the beginning of the film and serves as the historical inspiration for V.

• Guy Henry as Conrad Heyer: A member of Norsefire's cabinet. In the graphic novel, and in the film, he is the head of "The Eye," the visual-surveillance department.

[edit] Development

The film was made by many of the same filmmakers involved in the Matrix trilogy. In 1988, producer Joel Silver acquired the rights to two of Alan Moore's works: V for Vendetta and Watchmen.^[15] The Wachowski brothers were fans of V for Vendetta and in the mid-1990s, before working on The Matrix, wrote a draft screenplay that closely followed the graphic novel. During the post-production of the second and third Matrix films, the Wachowski brothers revisited the screenplay and offered the director's role to James McTeigue. All three were intrigued by the themes of the original story and found them to be relevant to the current political landscape. Upon revisiting the screenplay, the Wachowskis set about making revisions to condense and modernize the story, while at the same time attempting to preserve its integrity and themes.^[3] James McTeigue cites the film The Battle of Algiers as his principal influence in preparing to film V for Vendetta.^[3]

Moore explicitly disassociated himself from the film due to his lack of involvement in its writing or directing, as well as due to a continuing series of disputes over film adaptations of his work.^[4] He ended cooperation with his publisher, DC Comics, after its corporate parent, Warner Bros., failed to retract statements about Moore's supposed endorsement of the film. Moore said that the script contained plot holes^[16] and that it ran contrary to the theme of his original work, which was to place two political extremes (fascism and anarchism) against one another. He argues his work had been recast as a story about "current American neo-conservatism vs. current American liberalism".^[17] As per his wishes, Moore's name does not appear in the film's closing credits. Co-creator and illustrator David Lloyd supports the film adaptation, commenting that the script is very good and that Moore would only ever be truly happy with a complete book-to-screen adaptation.^[15]

[edit] Production

V for Vendetta was filmed in London, UK and in Potsdam, Germany at Babelsberg Studios. Much of the film was shot on sound stages and indoor sets, with location work done in Berlin for three scenes: the Norsefire rally flashback, Larkhill, and Bishop Lilliman’s bedroom. The scenes that took place in the abandoned London Underground were filmed at the disused Aldwych tube station. Filming began in early March, 2005, and principal photography officially wrapped in early June of 2005.^[15] V for Vendetta is the final film shot by cinematographer Adrian Biddle, who died of a heart attack on December 7, 2005.

The film was designed to have a future-retro look, with a heavy use of grey tones to give a dreary, stagnant feel to totalitarian London. The largest set created for the film was the Shadow Gallery, which was made to feel like a cross between a crypt and an undercroft.^[18] The Gallery is V's home as well as the place where he stores various artifacts forbidden by the government. Some of the works of art displayed in the gallery include The Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van Eyck, Bacchus and Ariadne by Titian, a Mildred Pierce poster, St. Sebastian by Andrea Mantegna and The Lady of Shalott by John William Waterhouse.

One of the major challenges in the film was how to bring V to life from under an expressionless mask. Thus, considerable effort was made to bring together lighting, acting and Weaving's voice to create the proper mood for the situation. In order to prevent the mask from muffling Weaving's voice, a microphone was placed in his hairline to aid post-production, when his entire dialogue was re-recorded.^[19]

To film the final scene at Westminster, the area from Trafalgar Square and Whitehall up to Parliament and Big Ben had to be closed for three nights from midnight until 5 a.m. This was the first time the security-sensitive area (home to 10 Downing Street and the Ministry of Defence) had ever been closed to accommodate filming.^[19] Prime Minister Tony Blair's son Euan Blair worked on the film's production and is said (according to an interview with Stephen Fry) to have helped the filmmakers obtain the unparalleled filming access. This drew criticism of Blair from MP David Davis due to the content of the film. However, the makers of the film deny Euan Blair's involvement in the deal,^[20] stating that access was acquired through nine months of negotiations with 14 different government departments and agencies.^[19]

[edit] Publicity and release

The cast and film-makers attended several press conferences that allowed them to address issues surrounding the film, including its authenticity, Alan Moore's reaction to it and its intended political message. The responses given at the conferences made it clear that the film was intended to be a departure from some of Moore's original themes. In the words of Hugo Weaving: "Alan Moore was writing about something which happened some time ago. It was a response to living in Thatcherite England... This is a response to the world in which we live today. So I think that the film and the graphic novel are two separate entities." Regarding the controversial political content in the film the filmmakers have said that the film is intended more to raise questions and add to a dialogue already present in society, rather than provide answers or tell viewers what to think".^[9]

The film takes extensive imagery from the 1605 Gunpowder Plot, where a group of Catholic conspirators plotted to destroy the Houses of Parliament in order to spark a revolution in England.^[15] The film was originally scheduled for release on the weekend of November 5, 2005, the 400th anniversary of the Plot, with the tag line "Remember, remember the 5th of November", taken from a traditional British rhyme memorialising the event. However, the marketing angle lost much of its value when the release date was pushed back to March 17, 2006. Many have speculated that the delay was due to the London tube bombings on July 7 and 21. The film-makers have denied this, saying that the delays were from the need for more time in order to finish the visual effects production.^[21] V for Vendetta had its first major premiere on February 13 at the Berlin Film Festival.^[9] It opened for general release on March 17, 2006 in 3,365 theatres in the United States, the United Kingdom and six other countries.^[2]

[edit] Music

Main article: V for Vendetta (soundtrack)

The V for Vendetta soundtrack was released by Astralwerks Records on March 21, 2006. The original scores from the film's composer, Dario Marianelli, make up most of the tracks on the album. The soundtrack also features three vocals played during the film: "Cry Me a River" by Julie London, a cover of The Velvet Underground song, "I Found a Reason" by Cat Power and "Bird Gerhl" by Antony and the Johnsons. As mentioned in the film, these songs are samples of the 872 blacklisted tracks on V's Wurlitzer jukebox that V "reclaimed" from the Ministry of Objectionable Materials. The climax of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture appears at the end of the track "Knives and Bullets (and Cannons too)". The Overture is played at key parts at the beginning and end of the film.

Three songs were played during the ending credits which were not included on the V for Vendetta soundtrack. The first was "Street Fighting Man" by The Rolling Stones. The second was a special version of Ethan Stoller's "BKAB". In keeping with revolutionary tone of the film, excerpts from "On Black Power" by black nationalist leader Malcolm X, and from "Address to the Women of America" by feminist-writer Gloria Steinem were added to the song. Gloria Steinem can be heard saying: "This is no simple reform... It really is a revolution. Sex and race, because they are easy and visible differences, have been the primary ways of organizing human beings into superior and inferior groups and into the cheap labour on which this system still depends." The final song was "Out of Sight" by Spiritualized.

Also in the film were segments from two of Antonio Carlos Jobim's classic bossa nova songs, "The Girl From Ipanema" and "Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars". These songs were played during the "breakfast scenes" with V and Deitrich and were one of the ways used to tie the two characters together. Beethoven's Symphony No.5 also plays an important role in the film, with the first four notes of the song signifying the letter "V" in Morse code.^[22][23] Gordon Deitrich's Benny Hill-styled comedy sketch of Chancellor Sutler includes the "Yakety Sax" theme. Inspector Finch's alarm clock begins the morning of 4 November with the song "Long Black Train" by Richard Hawley, which contains the foreshadowing lyrics "Ride the long black train... take me home black train."

[edit] Themes

The story of V for Vendetta can be viewed in the tradition of the other cautionary dystopian stories like It Can't Happen Here, The Handmaid's Tale and Nineteen Eighty-Four.^[24] V for Vendetta sets the Gunpowder Plot as V’s historical inspiration, contributing to his choice of timing, language and appearance.^[3] (For example, the names Rokewood, Percy and Keyes are used in the film, which are also the names of three of the Gunpowder conspirators). The film creates parallels to Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo, by drawing direct comparisons between V and Edmond Dantès. (In both stories, the hero escapes an unjust and traumatic imprisonment and spends decades preparing to take vengeance on his oppressors under a new persona).^[25][26][27] The film is also explicit in portraying V as the embodiment of an idea rather than an individual through V's dialogue and by depicting him without a past, identity or face. According to the Official Website, "V’s use of the Guy Fawkes mask and persona functions as both practical and symbolic elements of the story. He wears the mask to hide his physical scars, and in obscuring his identity, V becomes more than just a man with a revolutionary idea – he becomes the idea itself":^[3]

""Beneath this mask there is more than flesh... Beneath this mask there is an idea, Mr. Creedy, and ideas are bulletproof."^[28]

As noted by several critics and commentators, the film’s story and style mirrors element’s from Gaston Leroux’s Phantom of the Opera.^[29][30] V and the Phantom both wear masks to hide their disfigurements, employ roses, control others through the leverage of their imaginations, have tragic pasts and are motivated by revenge. V and Evey’s relationship also parallels many of the romantic elements of the Phantom of the Opera, where the masked Phantom takes Christine Daaé to his subterranean lair to reeducate her.^[29][31][30]

As a film about the struggle between freedom and the state, V for Vendetta takes imagery from many classic totalitarian icons both real and fictional, including Nazi Germany and George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four.^[3][9] For example, Adam Sutler (whose name evokes that of Adolf Hitler)^[9] primarily appears on large video screens and on portraits in people's homes, reminiscent of Big Brother.^[32] In another reference to Orwell's novel, the slogan "Strength through Unity. Unity through Faith" is displayed prominently across London, similar to "War is peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength" in Orwell's Oceania.^[33] There is also the state's Orwellian use of mass surveillance, such as closed-circuit television, on its citizens. (Britain currently has the world's highest concentration of CCTV.)^[34] Valerie was sent to a detention facility for being a lesbian and then had medical experiments performed on her, similar to Nazi Germany's treatment of gays during the Holocaust.^[30] The Aryan-sounding Norsefire regime also uses red and black as their party colours, similar to the Nazi party.^[32] Norsefire has also replaced St George's Cross with the Cross of Lorraine as their Nordic-style national symbol. This was a symbol used by Free French Forces during World War II, as it was a traditional symbol of French patriotism that could be used as an answer to the Nazi's Swastika. The media is also portrayed as highly subservient to government propaganda, a characteristic of totalitarian regimes in general.

[edit] Modern fears of totalitarianism

We felt the novel was very prescient to how the political climate is at the moment. It really showed what can happen when society is ruled by government, rather than the government being run as a voice of the people. I don't think it’s such a big leap to say that things like that can happen when leaders stop listening to the people.

– Director James McTeigue^[3]

With the intention of modernizing the film, the filmmakers added topical references relevant to a 2006 audience. According to the Los Angeles Times, "With a wealth of new, real-life parallels to draw from in the areas of government surveillance, torture, fear-mongering and media manipulation, not to mention corporate corruption and religious hypocrisy, you can't really blame the filmmakers for having a field day referencing current events." There are also references to an avian flu pandemic, as well as pervasive use of biometric identification and signal-intelligence gathering and analysis by the regime.^[33]

Many film critics, political commentators and other members of the media have also noted the numerous references in the film to events surrounding the current American administration. These include the "black bags" worn by the prisoners in Larkhill that have been seen as a reference to the black bags worn by prisoners at Abu Ghraib in Iraq and Guantánamo Bay in U.S.-administered Cuba.^[35][32][36] Also London is under a yellow-coded curfew alert, similar to the US Government's color-coded Homeland Security Advisory System.^[37][38] One of the forbidden items in Gordon's secret basement is a protest poster with a mixed U.S.–UK flag with a swastika and the title "Coalition of the Willing, To Power." This is likely a reference to the real Coalition of the Willing that was formed for the Iraq War.^[14] (At the same time, it also appears to be a reference to Friedrich Nietzsche's concept of Will to Power).^[39] As well, there is use of the term "rendition" in the film, in reference to the way the regime removes undesirables from society.^[7][36] There is even a brief scene (during the Valerie flashback) that contains real-life footage of an anti-Iraq war demonstration, with mention of President George W. Bush. Finally, the film contains references to "America's war" and "the war America started" as well as real footage from the Iraq War.

The modern U.S. imagery is personified in the character Lewis Prothero. For example, his combat record seems to be an allusion to the war in Iraq and other parts of the Middle-East with strong political tensions ("Iraq, Kurdistan, Syria: before and after, Sudan").^[40] As the talk show host “The Voice of London”, Prothero evokes the image of conservative American pundits like Bill O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh, (particularly with Prothero's and Limbaugh's drug use).^[13][14] Furthermore, with his rhetoric about God, gays and Muslims, Prothero is likely a caricature of religious right-wing commentators like Pat Robertson.^[37] (Prothero mentions that the U.S. itself has collapsed due to "Godlessness").

Despite the American specific references, the filmmakers have always referred to the film as adding dialogue to a set of issues much broader than the U.S. administration.^[9] When James McTeigue was asked whether or not BTN was based on Fox News McTeigue replied, "Yes. But not just Fox. Everyone is complicit in this kind of stuff. It could just as well been the Britain's Sky News Channel, also a part of News Corp."^[38]

[edit] The letter V and the number 5

Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a bygone vexation stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it's my very good honor to meet you and you may call me V.

– V's introduction to Evey

Similar to the graphic novel, there is repeated reference to the letter “V” and the number five throughout the film.^[41] The name of the film itself, "V for Vendetta", has five syllables. V's introduction to Evey is a monologue that begins and ends with "V", contains 49 words beginning with the letter "V" and the "V" he cuts in the nearby poster makes a total of 50 "V's", and is composed mostly in iambic pentameter. During his imprisonment at Larkhill, V was held in cell number "V". V's Zorro-like signature is also the letter "V". In the explosion involving the Old Bailey, the fireworks form a red V configuration, completed by a circular firework, thus resembling not only V but the V for Vendetta logo. It is revealed that V's favorite phrase is "By the power of truth, I, while living, have conquered the universe", which according to the film translates into the 5 "V"ed Latin phrase: "VI•VERI•VNIVERSVM•VIVVS•VICI" (motto of Faust). In a dance with Evey, the song V chooses is number five on his jukebox. When V confronts Creedy in his home, he plays Beethoven's "Fifth" Symphony, whose opening notes have a rhythmic pattern that resembles the letter “V” in Morse code(···–).^[22][23] The film’s title itself is a reference to "V for Victory".^[42][43] As V waits for night to fall, he arranges a complex domino pattern in black and red which forms the V logo. During this sequence, an overhead view of train tracks can be seen which resemble the letter V. In the battle with Creedy and his men at Victoria station, V forms a “V” with his daggers just before he throws them, Before the battle, he says that they'll all be dead "before they've reloaded." Creedy's revolver holds only 5 bullets by the end of the slaughtering. Creedy's men are also standing in the shape of a letter "V". After the battle, when V is mortally wounded, he leaves a “V” signature in his own blood. After V battles Creedy the clock strikes 11:05 forming a "V". The destruction of Parliament results in a display of fireworks which form the letter “V”, which is also an inverted red-on-black “A” symbol for anarchy.^[44] The character name "Evey" is made up of "E" - the fifth letter of the alphabet, "V" - five in Roman numerals, and "Y" - the twenty-fifth letter of the alphabet, or five squared. There are five members of Sutler's cabinet, each the leader of a department representing one of the five organs of government: The Eye, The Ear, The Mouth, The Nose and The Finger. Also, the date in which V strikes is November 5th. All of these would be incredible coincidences in the film world, but as V said himself, he, "like God, does not play dice" and does not believe in coincidences.

[edit] Reception

As of December 2006 V for Vendetta had grossed (USD) $70,511,035 in the United States and $62,000,000 elsewhere, for a worldwide gross of $132,511,035. The film led the United States box office on its opening day, taking in an estimated $8,742,504 and remained the number one film for the remainder of the weekend, taking in an estimated $25,642,340. Its closest rival, Failure to Launch, took in $15,604,892.^[2] The film debuted at number one in the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden and Taiwan.^[45] Despite taking place in the UK, the film did not reach number one at the UK box office on opening weekend; instead, The Pink Panther took the number one spot. V for Vendetta also opened in 56 IMAX theaters in North America, grossing $1.36 million during the opening three days.^[46]

The critical reception of the film was largely positive, with the film review collection website, Rotten Tomatoes, giving the film a 75% Fresh approval.^[47] As of March 2007, V for Vendetta is listed in the top 250 films as voted on by IMDb users, occupying the 121st position.^[48] Ebert & Roeper gave the film two thumbs up with Roger Ebert stating that V for Vendetta "almost always has something going on that is actually interesting, inviting us to decode the character and plot and apply the message where we will."^[29] Margaret Pomeranz and David Stratton from At the Movies state that despite the problem of never seeing Hugo's face, there was good acting and an interesting plot, adding that the film is also disturbing, with scenes reminiscent of Nazi Germany.^[49] Jonathan Ross from the BBC was one of the only ones to blast the film, calling it a "woeful, depressing failure" and stating that the "cast of notable and familiar talents such as John Hurt and Stephen Rea stand little chance amid the wreckage of the Wachowski siblings' dismal script and its particularly poor dialogue."^[50] While Harry Guerin from the Irish TV network RTÉ states the film "works as a political thriller, adventure and social commentary and it deserves to be seen by audiences who would otherwise avoid any/all of the three", adding that the film will become "a cult favourite whose reputation will only be enhanced with age"^[51]

[edit] Comments from political sources

V for Vendetta deals with issues of race, sexuality, religion, totalitarianism, and terrorism. Its controversial story line and themes have, inevitably, made it the target of both criticism and praise from sociopolitical groups.

Several anarchist groups have rejected the film, while at the same time have used it as a means to promote anarchism as a political philosophy. On April 17, 2006 the New York Metro Alliance of Anarchists (NYMAA) protested DC Comics and Time Warner, accusing it of watering down the story’s original message in favour of violence and special effects.^[52][53] David Graeber, an anarchist scholar and professor at Yale University, was not upset by the film. "I thought the message of anarchy got out in spite of Hollywood." However, Graeber went on to state: "Anarchy is about creating communities and democratic decision making. That’s what is absent from Hollywood’s interpretation."^[52] Despite the lack of acceptance by some anarchists, the film has brought renewed interest to Alan Moore's original story, as sales of the original graphic novel rose dramatically in the United States.^[54] According to Publishers Weekly, by end of the March 2006 V for Vendetta was the number one graphic novel and number four fiction trade paperback at Barnes & Noble and was the number one graphic novel and the number three book on the overall bestseller list at Amazon.com.^[55]

Several libertarians, including members from the Mises Institute's LewRockwell.com, see the film as a positive depiction in favour of a free society with limited government and free enterprise, citing the state's terrorism as being of greater evil and rationalized by its political machinery, while V's acts are seen as "terroristic" because they are done by a single individual.^[13][56] Justin Raimondo, the libertarian editor of Antiwar.com, praised the film for its sociopolitical self-awareness and saw the film's success as "helping to fight the cultural rot that the War Party feeds on".^[13]

In the United States, several conservative Christian groups were critical of the film's negative portrayal of Christianity and sympathetic portrayal of homosexuality and Islam. Ted Baehr, chairman of the Christian Film and Television Commission, called V for Vendetta "a vile, pro-terrorist piece of neo-Marxist, left-wing propaganda filled with radical sexual politics and nasty attacks on religion and Christianity".^[57] Don Feder, a conservative columnist, has called V for Vendetta "the most explicitly anti-Christian movie to date"^[58] that "combines all of the celluloid left’s paranoid fantasies".^[59] Meanwhile, LGBT commentators have praised the film for its positive depiction of gays, with writer Michael Jensen calling the film "one of the most pro-gay ever".^[12]

Dave Saldana from the left-wing media group ZNet says that Norsefire's acts of state terrorism could have “come from today's newspaper: secret tribunals, secret prisons, political scapegoats 'disappeared' and tortured, a too-cozy relationship between Big Business and government, TV blowhards and corrupt religious leaders helping the government do its dirty work, and a ruthless political henchman pulling the strings.”^[24] However, David Walsh from the World Socialist Web Site criticizes V's actions as "antidemocratic" and cites the film as an example of "the bankruptcy of anarcho-terrorist ideology" stating that because the people have not played any part in the revolution (though this view is contradicted late in the film), they will be unable to produce a "new, liberated society."^[60]

[edit] Differences between the film and graphic novel

For more information, see V for Vendetta.

The film's story was adapted from an Alan Moore comic originally published between 1982 and 1985 in the British comic anthology Warrior, and then reprinted and completed by DC. These comics were later compiled into a graphic novel and published again in the United States under DC's Vertigo imprint and in the United Kingdom under Titan Books.

There are several fundamental differences between the film and the original source material. For example, Alan Moore's original story was created as a response to British Thatcherism in the early 80's and was set as a conflict between a fascist state and anarchism, whereas the film's story has been changed by the Wachowskis to fit a modern political context.^[17] Alan Moore charges that in doing so, the story has turned into an American-centric conflict between liberalism and neo-conservatism, and abandons the original anarchist-fascist themes. Moore states, "There wasn't a mention of anarchy as far as I could see. The fascism had been completely defanged. I mean, I think that any references to racial purity had been excised, whereas actually, fascists are quite big on racial purity."^[17] (Despite playing down racial elements of the regime, the film retains the Aryan superhero Storm Saxon). Furthermore, in the original story, Moore attempted to maintain moral ambiguity, and not to portray the fascists as caricatures, but as realistic, rounded characters.^[17] The time limitations of a film meant that the story had to omit or streamline some of the characters, details and plotlines from the original story.^[3]

Many of the characters from the graphic novel underwent significant changes for the film. For example, V is characterized in the film as a romantic freedom fighter who shows concern over the loss of innocent life and even cooks breakfast for Evey. However, in the graphic novel, he is portrayed as a ruthless anarchist willing to kill anyone who gets in his way.^[4] Evey Hammond's transformation as V's protégé is also much more drastic in the novel than in the film. At the beginning of the film, she is already a confident woman with a hint of rebellion in her, whereas in the graphic novel she starts off as an insecure, desperate young woman forced into prostitution. In the end, she not only carries out V's plans as she does in the film, but also clearly takes on V's identity.^[4] Whereas in the film Inspector Finch sympathizes with V, in the graphic novel he is determined to stop V and goes as far as taking LSD in order to enter into a criminal’s state of mind.^[4] Characters who were completely omitted from the film or had a significantly reduced role include Rose Almond, Alistair Harper, and Mr. and Mrs. Heyer.

The graphic novel's main villains also underwent changes in the film adaptation. While the Chancellor within Moore's text is a brutal dictator, he is also a lonely, socially inept man who truly believes in fascism, and, in the end, wishes merely to be accepted and loved by his people. In the film, however, he is devoid of these human qualities. Creedy, meanwhile, evolves from a relatively minor character in the graphic novel to one of the chief characters of the film adaptation; in the film, he is revealed to have been the brains behind the bioterror attack that Norsefire used as an excuse to seize power. His personality is also somewhat revamped in the film; whereas he is a coarse, petty opportunist in the graphic novel, in the film he is an icy sociopath whom V calls "a man who appears to have no conscience, for whom the ends always justify the means."

The setting and plot of the film were also changed from the original story. Whereas the film only mentions America's civil war and collapse, in the graphic novel, it is mentioned that a global nuclear war has destroyed much of the world outside of Britain. With a nuclear winter causing famine and massive flooding, there is a real fear that a collapse of the Norsefire government would lead to disaster. Whereas the film ends in a relatively peaceful overthrow, in the graphic novel there is a violent collapse of authority. Other differences include the computer system "Fate", which is completely missing from the film. (In the original story, Fate was a Big Brother-like computer which served as Norsefire's eyes and ears and also helped explain how V could see and hear the things he did.) V's terrorist targets are also different in the graphic novel, as he destroys Parliament and the Old Bailey in the beginning, and destroys 10 Downing Street for the finale. The 'St Mary's virus,' engineered and released by the Norsefire party as a means of gaining control over their own country, a major focus of the film, is absent from the novel entirely.

[edit] DVD and other releases

V for Vendetta was released on DVD in the US on August 1, 2006 in three formats: a single-disc wide-screen version, a single-disc full-screen version, and a two-disc wide-screen special edition. The single disc versions contain a short behind-the-scenes featurette and the film's theatrical trailer, whereas the two-disc special edition contains three additional documentaries, and several extra features for collectors. On the second disc of the special edition, a short Easter egg clip of Natalie Portman on Saturday Night Live can be viewed by selecting the picture of wings on the second page of the menu. The film has also been released on HD DVD high definition format.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official V for Vendetta site at Warner Brothers
• V for Vendetta at the Open Directory Project (suggest site)
• V for Vendetta at the Internet Movie Database
• V for Vendetta at All Movie Guide
• V for Vendetta at Rotten Tomatoes
• Early undated V for Vendetta screenplay by the Wachowski brothers at imsdb.com
• V for Vendetta A classroom study guide for the film created by CHUM Limited.