V For Vendetta [MA]

"Remember, remember the fifth of November: the Gunpowder Treason and plot. I know of no reason why the Gunpowder Treason should ever be forgot."

In an England ruled and unknowingly repressed by its Government a working-class girl named Evey is caught outside after curfew by finger men who proceed to administer their brand of justice. She is rescued by a charismatic and poetic freedom fighter who wears a Guy Fawkes mask and refers to himself only as V. V invites Evey to listen to a little music with him and he takes her to a rooftop where she witnesses his destruction of an iconic British landmark, marking the start of direly-needed revolution. England and its High Chancellor, Sutler, have one year to capture the now-labelled-terrorist V, and when Evey’s path entwines with V’s a second time, she must make the decision as to who is the hero, who is the villain, and does she have the courage to do her part for the greater good? 

This is a very important review for me everyone. THIS IS MY 1000^TH REVIEW! I can hear the 1812 overture! Quite a while ago, I decided that for my 1000^th review, it would have to be V For Vendetta. Let me tell you why. If I was to be placed in a life or death situation and my only hope of escape was to choose an all-time favourite movie… it would be this one. There are quite literally no words to describe how much and how irrevocably I adore this movie! Every time I see it, I find something else, something new, in it that brings more meaning and more emotion and more brilliance to the symbolism, the action, the drama, the politics, the romance, and everything. For me, this film goes beyond the realms of genius: something about it is always new, you can look at it from any angle, it’s an English students most delicious dream in terms of motifs and symbolism, and even after multiple viewings it still has the power to make its audiences really think. In my opinion, it is just the most memorable and brilliant cinematic achievement and I say this without embellishment, without gush, I say it simply and without blinking. The greatest film in the world I live in…is V For Vendetta. 

In an England ruled and unknowingly repressed by its Government a working-class girl named Evey is caught outside after curfew by finger men who proceed to administer their brand of justice. She is rescued by a charismatic and poetic freedom fighter who wears a Guy Fawkes mask and refers to himself only as V. V invites Evey to listen to a little music with him and he takes her to a rooftop where she witnesses his destruction of an iconic British landmark, marking the start of direly-needed revolution. England and its High Chancellor, Sutler, have one year to capture the now-labelled-terrorist V, and when Evey’s path entwines with V’s a second time, she must make the decision as to who is the hero, who is the villain, and does she have the courage to do her part for the greater good? 

This movie is based on a graphic novel illustrated by David Lloyd and published by Vertigo/DC Comics and the Wachowski brothers, who famously brought us The Matrix, wrote the screenplay. The Wachowski brothers, it has to be said, have done an immaculate and almost demigod-esque job in creating this extraordinary action political thriller that is so perfectly balanced between stories and genres. I think the film can best be described as this gargantuan and intrinsic spider’s web of all these different little stories that intertwine and interlink with each other to create something that is very beautiful. At a glance, the main story is a political one: the story of V getting the country to realise that it shouldn’t be afraid of its Government, in fact quite the reverse. But then we have these other stories that proceed to give the film its beautiful shape. We have an action-packed and murderous revenge story of V paying back those who had a hand in his history. We have the story of Evey, an unlikely and at times ironic heroine; her story becomes one of self-discovery as well as the romantic tale between her and V. And then we have the detective thriller story as a certain detective becomes so immersed in the case to find V that he stumbles upon something else… something much bigger and more disturbing. 

I really adore too, the fact that this is set in a futuristic England with a political system that is basically a dictatorship. I find the paradoxes outlined in this film, particularly the reversion to the most basic of political systems in a time that is so far ahead of now, to be most thought-provoking and these jabs at the world of politics and leadership provide a strong dramatic, thrilling, and even comedic pedestal on which this film stands. 

All throughout the movie we have these characters that are all wearing their own versions of masks and this is where symbolism takes centre stage. What I particularly love about this movie is the fact that almost everything in it has double, triple, or even quadruple entendres and it is so wonderful to see them and think one thing, and then see some other pivotal moment and suddenly they mean something else entirely. The screenplay was ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT, I cannot stress that enough! 

We were all blown away by the special effects of The Matrix and to be honest, V For Vendetta doesn’t really hold a candle to the awesomeness of those action sequences, but it does spark a match. The slow motion to indicate incredible speed is just breathtaking, it brings a beauty and a grace to all fighting sequences within this film, making it all the more irresistible. 

And then we have the performances! HOLEY RUSTED METAL BATMAN the cast and the performances from all of them were absolutely incredible! Natalie Portman stars as Evey and she is just so beautiful. She delivers a performance that is conflicted, romantic, and really brave. She’s captivating from start to finish. 

But the real star of the show is Hugo Weaving who stars as V. This was an interesting film for Hugo to do I think and I don’t know if anyone could have done a better job. It would have been incredibly easy and even tempting to over-romanticise and over-poeticise the character of V, but Hugo toed the line with the utmost poise and balance. It’s important to note that he conveys so much emotion and he spends the entire film wearing a mask. That’s the mark of a truly great actor. Watching Hugo in this film, I have never been so proud to be an Aussie. In this film, I bow, I scrape, I grovel, at the feet of Hugo Weaving! The cast itself is a most brilliant one, featuring a healthy mix of stars. 

Starring Stephen Rea, Stephen Fry, Rupert Graves, Tim Pigott-Smith, Roger Allam, Ben Miles, Sinead Cusack, Natasha Wightman, John Standing, Eddie Marsan, and John Hurt, V For Vendetta is, without a doubt in my opinion, quite simply the BEST. FILM. EVER! Filled with action, politics, symbolism, drama, romance, beauty, art, comedy, a most wondrous script, and immortal performances, it’s a true marvel in cinematic history and if I were to write my own list of 1001 films you have to see before you die, this would be at the very top! I say all of this simply and without embellishment, without gushing, and without blinking. THIS. MOVIE. ROCKS. LIKE. A. HURRICANE! 

"Voila! 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 honour to meet you and you may call me V."