V for Vendetta (2005 ) Review

 

V for Vendetta (2005)

V for Vendetta follows Evey Hammond, who, after being rescued by the mysterious masked terrorist V, is taken in by V, who in turn helps her discover what it means to live, and die without fear, ahead of his planned terrorist plot on the 5th of November. 

On this November 5th, I found it only fitting to look back at the revolutionary classic that forever supplanted the phrase, “Remember, remember the 5th of November” into our minds and with it, the concept that ideas, unlike men, live on forever. Set in the fascist, Orwellian dystopia of London in 2020, V for Vendetta draws it’s inspiration from all over the place, from 1984 and the Allen Moore graphic novel, to the real life Gunpowder Plot of 1605, making this a tale deeply rooted in revolution and revenge. And while it was clearly a critique of Bush’s post-9/11 America, it’s pro-terrorism ideology is rather interesting as it raises the damning question of whether or not terrorism, if enacted against a terrorist government, is acceptable?

On top of being a controversial, yet riveting hymn of freedom, V for Vendetta is also an English teachers dream, teaching the importance of what an educated public can accomplish in the face of tyranny and unmatched power. The eloquence of V and the way he speaks in quick alliterations and soliloquies, not only makes him a difficult foe of the body but a master of the mind as well. He can beat you on so many fronts, which is why his individual feats pale in comparison to the way he can spark the simplest idea in the mind of man. 

We get an excellent cast as well, starring Roger Allam, Rupert Graves, Stephen Fry, John Hurt, Tim Pigott-Smith, Stephen Rea, Hugo Weaving, and Natalie Portman. If you needed further proof that Weaving is one of the finest actors of our generation, look no further than his rivetingly eloquent performance as V, where even behind a mask, his charisma and proper intelligence shines through.

 

Based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore and David Lloyd, V for Vendetta, directed by James McTeigue, offers a complex look at the relationship between fear and consent, in relation to a tyrannical government and it’s people, offering up the idea that people should not be afraid of their governments, governments should be afraid of their people. 

8.9/10