V for Vendetta

(2005) dir. James McTeigue
viewed: 09/04/06

This overblown sci-fi/comic book adaptation comes stamped with the “hipness” of the Wachowski brothers, who wrote the script and the fact that director James McTeigue was their first assistant director on their Matrix (1999) series and that it has been adapted from a cult comic book from the 1980′s.  That sort of hipness depends on who considers it hip, I guess.

This film, being a mainstream action flick set in the moderately near future, has great pretension and preachiness in its rhetoric about freedom, reasons to fear the government, terrorism and more.  The bad government is explicitly evil and “the people” need to revolt.  V, the vigilante in the Guy Fawkes’ mask, preaches heavily along these lines, but really is simply out for revenge.  The fact that by killing off all of the evil heads of state that imprisoned and tortured him he saves England from authoritarian rule is sort of a bonus.

There are a lot of potential ramifications for our current world order, what with the U.S. government actively spying on its citizens and annihilating civil rights of prisoners and citizens in the name of protecting freedom, and fear-mongering to achieve greater control of the government…uh…it’s could easily resonate.  It doesn’t because it pulls all this off with a stark 1984-like image of John Hurt’s “Big Brother”-like face and this stylized modern world that just seems unlike the real world.

The other side of the film’s ideology is the terrorist as hero.  V is a terrorist.  He blows up buildings to make a point and it’s considered a good thing.  This would seem a touchy road to take in this day and age, not to say that it shouldn’t be their point, but it’s curious how solid the ground is underneath their ideology.  I mean, Guy Fawkes has always confused me.  I jokingly asked if Bonfire Night was a celebration of a failed rebellion, a celebration of terrorism, but was informed it was really the celebration of foiling terrorism and that Guy Fawkes, this film’s historical touchstone, led a very pathetic failed attempt to blow up Parliament.

But V is not just a terrorist, he’s a murderous avenger, slaying all of the bad guys purely for revenge.  And we’re never really told exactly what he suffered or how he suffered more than others.  It’s not just political; it’s personal.  It’s like a call to arms.  And it is.  By the end of the film, the entire city of London is dressed as Guy Fawkes to watch Parliament explode in fireworks.  Maybe there is a valid message somewhere that people should stand up to their government when it’s doing totally evil things.  But the film doesn’t begin to address apathy.

Natalie Portman is fucking awful.  Her English accent isn’t terrible, but she is.  The torture scenes lack shock value, except at the skinniness of her bald-head, potato sack-wearing body.

Let’s face it.  I found this movie utterly asinine.  But tolerable.  What does that say about me?  Viva la revolucion!