V for Vendetta

Remember, remember

The fifth of November

The gunpowder treason and plot

I know of no reason

Why the gunpowder treason

Should ever be forgot

- English Folk Verse, The Fifth of November (c. 1870)

It was 1982. Margaret Thatcher was the conservative Prime-Minister of England and Ronald Reagan had just began his first term in the White House. The Iron Wall divided the world in two and the Doomsday Clock marked four minutes to midnight. There was fear in the world and Alan Moore, a relative unknown comic book writer come to Quality Comics, a newly formed British publishing house,  with the idea for a post-apocalyptic story. From 1982 to 1989, V for Vendetta was released and it is still so relevant know, with the Wall gone and the world changed, as it was when those treats were a reality.

Promotional Poster for V for Vendetta

This is not a review on the comic. Despite its success, V for Vendetta was not a mainstream success. It would be only in 2006, with the release of the movie I am about to review, that Alan Moore’s brilliant book would come into mainstream. Curiously (or not, for those familiar with Moore’s approach to his work being transported to other media), Alan Moore disassociated himself with the movie, to the point where he asked his name to be taken out of the credits. To a point, I can see how Moore feels about his work and the movie, though inspired by the graphic novel, has differences in tone, approach and theme. But let’s go to the point of business…

Another promotional poster for V for Vendetta

V for Vendetta is, in essence, a movie about Evey Hammond and how she gets in the eye of the storm of political turmoil. Sometime in the near future, a series of wars, plagues and terrorist attacks throw England into a dictatorial government, led by Adam Sutler’s party Norsefire. One night, during the mandatory curfew, Evey finds herself involved with a mysterious figure calling himself V. V is a revolutionary anarchist, never reveling his face and hiding it behind a Guy Fawkes mask, uses Fawkes history as a motif to rally the English against Sutler’s rule and return the democratic and freedom spirit to England.

This movie can be viewed in many different ways: an action movie, a mystery movie, a thematic movie and so on… It is probably all of that. It is not, though, without problems. The directorial work, by James McTeigue, is, in my opinion, subpar and that is not so evident because of the screenplay and the main characters interpretation. The filming is boring if you are focus on it, without taking any risks, and some shots are awfully done, especially the bullet-time shots.

The cast, mainly of British origin, leaves me with bittersweet feelings. Natalie Portman (as Evey) and Hugo Weaving (V) are superb in different ways. Portman sells the transformation of Evey over the arc of the movie with excellence while Weaving is able to show a multitude of emotions with his face hidden by a mask the whole movie. Of notice are also John Hurt, a personal favorite of mine, who I unfortunately feel was underperforming in this movie, and Stephen Fry, that delivers a multilayered intellectual comedian trying to be subversive in a world controlled by a dictator and his censors. The remaining interpretations are subpar in my personal opinion and I even feel that Stephen Rea hurts the movie with his Inspector Fynch, a vital character in the story.

Weaving and Hurt

Dario Marinelli was in charge of the soundtrack. Throughout the movie, I felt that the soundtrack was trying too hard to lead the audience into some emotions and that pulled me out of the movie a bit. Where Marinelli delivers perfectly is when songs are inserted into the background or even are integrant part of the plot, in special the amazing Cry Me a River by Julie London. Of notice, since we are touching the issue, is the inclusion of scenes of 1934’s The Count of Monte Cristo, with Robert Donat as Edmond Dantes and of which V is a ferocious (even childish) fan. When epicness is needed, Marinelli steps down and leaves it for the classics: in a sort of circular idea, part of the 1812 Overture by Tchaikovsky is heard twice, always when a sort of climax is about to happen.

All in all, V for Vendetta is an entertaining movie that carries with it a powerful theme and message.

Plot 4/5

With small details that made me cringe a little, V for Vendetta still is a well plotted movie, not unlikely due to the source material from which it spawned.

Visual 3/5

Though the cinematography feels right and delivers completely, the direction is sort of boring and riskless.

Sound 4/5

Like I discussed above, the soundtrack feels leading at times, but the inclusion of other songs is perfect. Also, the sound effects during the movie are more than adequate (even in fight scenes, though it is a Hollywood movie and suffers from the usual over-the-top sound effects during action scenes!).

Performances 4/5

The high rating in this category is more due to the amazing performances of Portman, Weaving and Fry than of the overall cast, but it would be a shame to punish them for the rest of the cast. Also, I think some of the shortcomings in the performances may be due to the director inability to direct than to the cast itself.

Final Score 15/20

V for Vendetta is a good movie that deserves watching and, I dare say, rewatching. In times like the ones we live, it is impossible not to resonate with the audience and the idea that:

“People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.”

- V, V for Vendetta

Weaving and Portman