I just had to write a review on a masterful adaptation of the even more wonderful comic series V for Vendetta concieved by Alan Moore, though I had read a few of the comic series a long time back, I waited with bated breath for the movie release.
The Real Life V
Around four hundred years back there lived a common soldier called Guy Fawkes who with several others in the year 1605 on Nov 5 which is even now celebrated every year with fireworks, conspired and almost succeeded in blowing up the then protestant controlled Parliment , he was caught on the eve of the intended attack, was tortured and hanged to death with the remaining conspirators.
Though the man Guy Fawkes was majorly forgotten, his story remains ever so living in the verse of the poem:
:Remember, remember, the 5th of November
The Gunpowder Treason and plot;
I know of no reason why Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes,
’Twas his intent.
To blow up the King and the Parliament.
Three score barrels of powder below.
Poor old England to overthrow.
The first 4 lines of the poem are the opening of the movie to follow....
The Plot
Set in the near future UK in which a dystopian government led by the Chancellor Suttler rules over the populace of UK by using their freedom as collateral for provding peace nationwide.
Before Suttler came into power there was utter choas in the entire northern hemisphere including the USA. Riots and terrorist attacks were common day events.Then comes Suttler a seemingly unknown conservative politician from an obscure party called the Norsefire. He promises peace and restoration of order, but in turn he asks for all executive powers to be placed in his hands- the media, human rights, policy decisions, censorship etc. After he assumes power he starts vindication of gays, lesbians and anyone who are "different" and makes mass arrests using a wing of his political outfit called the black baggers lead by Creedy.
Meanwhile under the auspices of the Norsefire government the Army and a group of medical scientists are preparing a deadly virus whose cure only they possess. V as we know him as comes to the experimentation center as a test subject along with hundreds of vindicated citizens. Though most of the subjects die because of the virus, V( which actually stands for the roman numeral 5, viz his cell number in the lab where he is detained) shows resolute immunity to it. Also his senses and reflexes become very acute and unhumanly fast because of the side effects of the virus. He then manages to destroy most of the lab and escape but not before he gets burnt very severely.
Though the lab has been destroyed, the scientists are able to generate a viable strain of the virus and also a cure for it. While Suttler wants to use this virus against the enemies of UK, Creedy suggests that to make Suttlers rule absolute, that they should use the virus on their own citizens. Thus the governtment attacks St. Marys School to target children and Three Waters which is a water ditribution plant. More than 120, 000 people are left dead. Then when there is absolute chaos, the government comes out with a "cure" and the citizens think that this an act of God and henceforth Trust Suttler as they Trust God...Strength through Unity...Unity through Faith...and England Prevails become the new anthems.
Over the years people have now come to the realisation that not everything is right with their country but dont talk about it and go about their usual ways. Evey Hammond is one such girl, she works for the BTN(British Television NetworK). One night as she is on the way to meet Gordon-host of a popular talk show, its almost past curfew time of 11PM when she leaves. She encounters fingermen(Creedy frontline police) who are about to rape and probably kill her, then comes in V wearing a Guy Fawkes mask. He rescues her and takes her to a high ceiling promsing her some entertainment and makes her witness the blowing up of The Old Bailey. Here the movie takes off and takes you on a ride, V later takes the Jordan Tower(BTN Head Quarters) hostage and broadcasts his message to every TV in the UK. that there is something wrong with the world we live in, and among other things that if you want to find the ones guilty look no further then the nearest mirror. He promises them that come this November 5th he will blow up the Parliment and he asks
everyone of them watching to be there along with him.
The rest of the movie slightly varies off course as V tries to take revenge by killing all the people who were in charge of the facility he blew up all those years back - most of them very highly placed Norsefire party members and respected citizens. Lewis Prothero, the Bishop, the Coroner...etc.
After the killing of the Bishop, Evey escapes and goes to Gordon for help. He hides her in her house where he reveals that he is actually gay and is very opposed to the Norsefire rule but stays silent about it, not for long as he makes a farce of the Chancellor on his talk show and is black bagged for it. Evey is again rescued by V. And in his own way V transforms Evey into an extension of V....
Then V though not directly doing anything, creates a huge awakening syndrome among the citizens and they start revolting against the Norsefire regime culuminating with the promised 5th of November blowing up of the Parliment.
The end is pretty much expected as V corrupts the mind of Creedy and induces him to kill Suttler...and in turn Creedy gets killed by V who inturn is hurt pretty badly in the event. V dies in the arms of Evey who puts him on a train in the London underground filled with high explosives and watched by thousands of citizens wearing Guy Fawkes masks blows up the Parliament
The Cast
Hugo Weaving(V)
Brillant performance though never seen.Dialogue delivery is one of Hugo Weavings fortes and he does excel in this outing.
Natalie Portman(Evey Hammond)
Bold role for a girl next door kind of an actress, maybe her role was cut short or underplayed, deserved more screen time as well as better character development.
The rest of the cast are also very good..Stephen Fry playing Gordon...Stephen Rhea playing the Detective Finch
My Take on the movie
Every now and then there comes along a movie that leaves an impression on the viewer...this is one of them...though people have compared the Norsefire to the present goverment in the US, i feel there are more Nazi Germany and Chancellor Hitler undercurrents in the characterization of Suttler and his kind...the vindication of homosexuals for instance...the black baggers could be the Storm Troopers or the Shulz Staffen-SS
Overall imagery and extraordinary camera work has been a feature of all the Waichowski Brother movies...well this one is also full of them...the letter V is given a lot of importance if you listen to the dialogues carefully...the scene where they show V coming out of the fire and Evey walking into the rain...the main idea behind the mask I think is that V could be anyone...you..me...anyone..and we all have the power to change things...and that a man can die...but ideas are bulletproof.
Final Word
Must watch movie of the year....10/10 from my side.