First of all, I do want to say I enjoyed this film. It had a few dodgy moments, but on the whole it was good. And of course Natalie Portman was lovely throughout, even after she was shaved! I’d also like to say that I have not read the graphic novels upon which the film is based, I’m not sure if thats a good thing or not.One of the main complaints about Matrix Reloaded is that it took the world established in the first film and attempted to add a load of religious and philisophical underpinnings to it. Truth be told, that was one of the more enjoyable additions in my opinion - in fact if I had to find a flaw I would say that the fight scenes, whilst visually impressive, went on for way too long. V for Vendetta takes a similar approach when it comes to relevant political issues, and does provolk thought.Set around 20 years into the future, the film depicts a 1984-esque society. America is in a state of civil war after its war on terror backfired. Following a series of biological attacks, including ones on a school and tube station, the Conservative party picked up momentum in Britain. Under the leadership of Adam Sutler, a Hitler-like figure played by John Hurt, Britain has managed to avoid civil unrest by adopting a everything-under-the-sun-phobic policy. Media is controlled by the government, books such as the Quo’ran have been banned and citizens who break the rules are quickly black bagged and taken away.
In this dark world, Evey (Natalie Portman) is rescued from goverment policemen by V. He is the revolutionary or terrorist of the story, always masked, with a dark past and modelled upon Guy Fawkes.
“Remember, remember, the fifth of November, The gunpowder treason and plot. I know of no reason why gunpowder treason should ever be forgot.”
After blowing up the Old Bailey, V appears on television blaming the state of the nation public’s inaction to stand up in the face of tyranny. He urges the people to make a stand, on November the 5th, outside of the Houses of Parliament.Flashbacks provide us with a view of V’s past, a victim of goverment experimentation - with the aim to create a biological weapon, a virus, which can be used to control a population. In many ways like the Big Death in the short-lived series Jeremiah.Meanwhile, Evey becomes the subject of unwanted attention by the goverment, and eventually seeks refuge with Dietrich, a broadcaster brilliantly played by Stephen Fry. Dietrich himself has many similarities to V, and his own secrets - he is homosexual and possesses a collection of outlawed art and literature. When he is eventually discovered Evey is captured, shaved, tortured and locked in a cell. The twist? Her captor is not the government, it is V.His motive? To make Evey face death, to face her fear, so that she can let go of it and become something stronger. This brainwashing demonstrates just how extremist V has become, and how far he is willing to go. After falling victim to Stockholm syndrome, Evey mistakes her beliefs for love.So, what is V? A terrorist or a revolutionary? Is there any difference? Is his means justified given the ultimate end? In a post 9-11 world all of these themes become extremely relevant. On one hand he is a man, persecuted by a corrupt government seeking to change things for the better by bringing people round to his way of thinking and spreading the message, inciting revolt. On the other, he is akin to Osama Bin Laden, performing terrible acts to incite fear, brainwashing followers into carrying out similar acts. It is a fine line between the two, and V’s mask prevents us identifying with him, further blurring his true nature.After asking some thought provolking questions, V for Vendetta leaves the audience feeling both satisfied and thinking about issues which affect us all. The characters are well written, and the style of the film compliments the story. It is slightly let down by some sloppy editing, but otherwise a solid thriller about how things could be if we are not careful! (more…)
Once our ‘heroes’ are nicely checked into the hostel, you start to get hints that things are perhaps not all what they appear and that something sinister is lurking in the backdrop. For a start the girls at the hostel seem way to nice for Eastern Europe! The next morning, after a night in the disco, we discover that the Icelandic sex machine has “checked out”. After a bit of searching, the Americans decide to forget about it and go drink some beer with the girls which leads to both of them being drugged. Luckily one manages to get locked in a cupboard whist searching for the toilets, and is spared a horrible fate… for a short while at least.Josh, wakes up in some kind of dungeon and is confronted by the eccentric German fellow whom they met on the train earlier in the movie. He says how he always wanted to be a doctor, however he had shakey hands so didn’t quite make it. But no worries, he gets to fine tune his skills using the array of tools in the room, and this is where it starts to get quite gory. I do admire Roth for not going all out on the gore, in many ways only suggesting the horrific torture unfolding before the viewers, and also not dwelling on it for too long. As a director he has definately matured in that respect.The other American, Paxton, also ends up in the dungeon which turns out to be part of a derelict factory. Although his piano career is now ruined, he manages to escape his torturer and contemplate escap (Tip: Never run with a chainsaw!). All throughout this, the filmmakers do an excellent job of conveying the terror and “screwed up”-ness of the situation. This is definately something which keeps you on the edge of your seat certainly contrasts with the lighthearted beginning of the film.Instead of simply running, or fighting, you see Paxton beginning to take his fate into his own hands and showing morallity. Wether that be through choosing to rescue a fellow captive or ultimately his revenge on the delightful German fellow who chopped up Josh. The characters are totally believable, even the torturers, and that is what adds a lot of weight to this film.
If you sweep back the gore and the sex, you end up with a film that examines the dark depths of the human psyche - would you pay for the opportunity to take a life? How would you do it? Would you show mercy? The torturers are not nameless, faceless machines. They are real people; with families, small children. They are doing it for different reasons - the feeling of power, control, fear; to live their dreams. Some are addicted to it and keep coming back for more. Some do it mercilessly, others cannot bear the screams or begging of their victims.From Josh and Paxton’s perspective you feel their terror, which leads you to ask what would you do in a similar situation? How far would you go to survive? How far would you go to save another human being? How far would you go to have revenge?An excellent film, recommended for all the gore fans out there but also to those looking for something a bit deeper.Wow. My first review, I’ve not really wrote something like this for ages so apologies if it is rubbish. Stay tuned for V for Vendetta!