V for Vendetta

V for Vendetta

Director: James McTeigue
Writers: Andy Wachowski (screenplay), Lana Wachowski (screenplay), David Lloyd (graphic novel)

Starring: Hugo Weaving, Natalie Portman, Stephen Rea, Stephen Fry, John Hurt, Natasha Wightman, 

Date of Release: March 17, 2006

Nationality: USA

Genre: Action/Sci-Fi/Thriller

Rating: R

Budget: $54 million

Gross: $132,511,035

Runtime: 132 minutes

Production Company: Warner Bros. Pictures

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvrUo4Y2bLQ

Synopsis:

The film starts off with a look back in time at what appears to be the historical figure Guy Fawkes. The narrator is telling the audience that even though a man could die, the ideas that that man put through could be remembered forever. The film cuts to a man and woman getting dressed and ready at the same time in different places. The story takes place in future London after what appears to be some sort of virus has struck the world. Evey (Natalie Portman), decides to try to sneak out through the streets but there is a curfew in effect. She is caught by some police officers that are undercover and they try rape her before arresting her. A masked figure (Hugo Weaving), comes to her rescue and fights the police officers. He later introduces himself as V. V invites Evey to watch a musical performance with him on a rooftop. He asks her what day it is in which she responds November 4th but the clock chimes midnight and he repeats the famous line "Remember remember the fifth of November..." The music begins as V conducts it and the building across from them explodes. 

After the explosion the film cuts to a round table discussion between several men and a figure on a television. Evey works for the British Television Network (BTN) and a shipment comes in for one of the stages. When the manager opens the stage it turns out to be mask just like V's. She realizes what is going on and as she does V enters the studio with a bomb strapped to him. Evey tries to escape but can't. Men are searching for Evey after the explosion.  V is able to broadcast to the people that in one year everyone should meet to give a proper 5th of November. Police storm the studio but he is able to escape with Evey. She was knocked out in the process and ends up in V's home. 

He explains his plan to Evey but she freaks out and leaves to her boss' home, Gordon Deitrich (Stephen Fry). The two detectives, Finch (Stephen Rea) and Dominic (Rupert Graves), start to put pieces together about people who are being killed off by V. At her Gordon's home, Gordon confides in Evey all the hidden propaganda and items that he has that would get him arrested. The police raid Gordon's home and he is taken by Creedy (Tim Pigott-Smith). Evey is also captured and wakes up in a detention cell. A shadowed figure tells her she will be killed unless she gives information on V. She refuses and is held in a cell and tortured. The only thing that keeps her going are letters written by another prisoner that she gets through the wall.

After about a year or so they inform her that she will be killed by firing squad behind a chemical shed. Back in a cell a figure enters and tells her to give them any information and she tells him that she would rather die. He tells her that she has no more fear and she is completely free. It turns out that the whole time the cell and prison was set up by V and Evey is enraged. But she finally understands why he did it and why it was important to do so. Finch and Dominic are still trying to find out who V is and an older gentleman tells them that V was an inmate at a prison that was open by Chancellor Adam Sutler (John Hurt) as a special project that ends up creating the "St.Mary's Virus" that kills 80,000 people and he pins it as a terrorist attack. V distributes masks for the 5th of November and chaos ensues when a little girl is killed by the police for having a mask on. The 5th of November arrives and V has made a deal with Creedy to deliver the Chancellor. Creedy kills the Chancellor and V kills Creedy after a brutal fight, that ends up being his end as well. 

V left Evey a train full of explosives to destroy parliament. V stumbles back to her after the gun fight and he professes his love for her and dies. Before she could send off the train Finch tells her to stop and she says no and tells him that V was right, the country doesn't need a building, it needs hope. Just as V asked the people, thousands come marching wearing the mask he sent out to protest with him at midnight. Evey sends the train off to its destination. 

As 1812 Overture is playing parliament and Big Ben explode and come falling down. When Finch asked Evey who V was she responds that he is everyone and everyone begins to unmask, both the living and the dead at the fireworks. 

Comments:

This film has gotten a lot of praise from fans and critics. The technical aspects of the film really make it what it is. For example, there are a couple of parallel scenes in the film that show how the characters of V and Every really intertwine. At the beginning of the film it shows them both getting ready and when Evey finally gets air for the first time the film parallels her in the rain and V coming through the fire and out in the open. There is a lot of symbolism that the film uses to get the messages that both the graphic novel portrays and the filmmakers wanted to portray. First and foremost, V is used a symbol for the idea of rebellion, but not rebellion in an anarchistic sense. V wants it to be known that the government should respect the people instead of the other way around. The V also stands for the number 5 which is also seen a lot. The group Norsefire is seen as the big brother government controlling everything from media to food to what they want people to think. The film is really all about personal growth, not only Evey as a character but the people as well. From one year to the next the people came together to stand for what they believed in. The film itself had mixed reviews because of the political stance that it takes. All in all it was an amazing movie with a powerful message.