V For Vendetta Quotes: Originally a graphic novel, V for Vendetta was turned into a movie in 2005. His complaint was not so much with the films as with the deal involving the use of his work. V : [ giggles ] V : Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it's my very good honor to meet you and you may call me V. As the movie says near it’s beginning, it’s not men, but ideas that change the world. The character of V and his relationship with Evey (Natalie Portman) inescapably reminds us of the Phantom of the Opera. What's less clear, and could use some reflection, is how V's violent acts will or will not produce more victims and vigilantes. He is at one point an inmate at the infamous \"Larkhill Resettlement Camp\", one of, if not the worst of many concentration camps where political prisoners, homosexuals, Jews, Pakistanis, Muslims and probably all non-Europeans are exterminated by Britain's new fascist regime, Norsefire. After all, V is the good guy. On Nov. 5, the eve of Guy Fawkes Day, British schoolchildren for centuries have started bonfires to burn Fawkes in effigy. As quoted from the dystopian political movie V for Vendetta directed by James McTeique, V believes he is not a terrorist and is a freedom fighter by referring the terrorists as degenerates. Themes and interpretations. Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. Out after curfew, Evey (Natalie Portman) is about to be raped by some bad cops when V appears, kills them, and initiates his instruction of the vulnerable Evey in his anarchistic plot. This isn't an action film or a superhero movie or even really science fiction. It can be read many ways, as I will no doubt learn in endless e-mails. One of the best superhero, action thrillers ever. Our ratings are based on child development best practices. While the movie allows that torture only reproduces terrorism and violence, it also presents V's scheme as revolutionary and effectively symbolic. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free. The star rating reflects overall quality. And as such, they need rethinking at every step. Now he has made a low-budget film in his beloved home town, Northampton The art itself is very good, and includes a significant amount of detail. On this eve in 2020, V saves a young TV reporter named Evey from rape at the hands of the police, forces her to join him, and makes a busy night of it by blowing up the Old Bailey courtrooms. An elderly bishop arranges to have sex with underage girl (the actual girl is only pretending to be that young; gay character discusses being closeted as "wearing a mask.". Her eventual escape only leads her to a more awful place, imprisoned and tortured. There are times when you think the soundtrack should be supplying "Anarchy in the UK" by the Sex Pistols. V explains to Evey that she must never remove his mask, even after he dies. The central theme of V for Vendetta is freedom and its relationship with anarchy, or the absence of government. I have not read the original work, do not know what has been changed or gone missing, but found an audacious confusion of ideas in "V for Vendetta" and enjoyed their manic disorganization. The most pointed is V’s belief: “People should not be afraid of their governments. When a bishop arranges for sex with an underage girl (apparently a regular practice), he's killed as punishment (but not before he pushes his would-be girl victim onto his bed). Complex but heavy-handed action film. V for Vendetta directed by James Mcteigue demonstrates the rebellion against injustice of an oppressing government of England in the late 2020s. “V for Vendetta” is a political speech disguised as a movie, but it affirms nothing positive, spending its time engaging in juvenile fantasies about the thrills of anarchism and the evils of Christianized regimes. The titular character, V, seeks revenge against his enemies and aims to bring down the fascist party that has taken over the government. Of course, it was hard to expect something different from changed gender brothers Wachowski. The movie ends with a violent act that left me, as a lover of London, intensely unhappy; surely V's enemy is human, not architectural. Violence includes a hanging, explosions, knife and martial arts attacks, shootings, and scenes of torture, invasions of homes, war scenes on background televisions; bloody smears on walls; police are threatening and militaristic; threatened rape; murder by poisoning; man's figure appears burning during building fire; image of girl's mother dragged away by bad cop); discussion of epidemic fatal virus. To attempt a parable about terrorism and totalitarianism that would be relevant and readable might be impossible, could be dangerous and would probably not be box office. This is V For Vendetta Explained. I see V for Vendetta as a political film. Its hero plays altogether differently now, and yet, given the nature of the regime. In this outing for the CineFix team they have covered the classic graphic novel and movie adaptation of Alan Moore's V For Vendetta. James Purefoy was hired to play V—then fired three weeks into filming. For reasons that are unimportant for this post, I was forced to rewatch the 2006 film adaptation of Alan Moore’s graphic novel V for Vendetta. I actually gave up on it about a… While the movie allows that torture only reproduces terrorism and violence, it also presents V's scheme as revolutionary and effectively symbolic. We display the minimum age for which content is developmentally appropriate. The story is set in a post-apocalyptic version of the United Kingdom in the 90s, after a nuclear war. "V for Vendetta" has been written and co-produced by the Wachowskis, Andy and Lana, whose "Matrix" movies also were about rebels holding out against a planetary system of control. V's rage is fueled by the usual superhero's past trauma. Can calculated violence, ever, as its proponents argue, lead to "freedom"? Heavy-handed pronouncements exemplify V for Vendetta's distrust of viewers to interpret what they see, making the film's political and social commentary seem more cartoonish than insightful. Violence is not heavy. 5 Tips to Make Family Movie Night a Success. One difference, and it is an important one, is that V's facial disguise does not move (unlike, say, the faces of a Batman villain) but is a mask that always has the same smiling expression. The film opens with a flashback to a 1605 hanging, and then, in the present, an imminent rape (stopped by V's violent intervention). is he a terrorist or a freedom fighter? Hey there, I'd love to answer this question since V For Vendetta is more or less one of my favorite movies of all time. For example, the names Rookwood, Percy and Keyes are used in the film, which are also the names of three of the Gunpowder conspirators. What to Watch, Read, and Play While Your Kids Are Stuck Indoors, Common Sense Selections for family entertainment, Check out new Common Sense Selections for games, Teachers: Find the best edtech tools for your classroom with in-depth expert reviews, 5 Ways Video Games Can Help Kids with Special Needs, Which Side of History? Yes, imperialism is really bad, and yes, Nazi-ish iconography is a sure sign of a regime's need for change. With Hugo Weaving, Natalie Portman, Rupert Graves, Stephen Rea. There are government curfews issued, mass surveillance of the population, searches without warrants, all speech is censored and news is specifically altered to portray the government in a positive light. Families can talk about the film's presentation of terrorism as reasonable response to state oppression. Primary terrorist justifies his violence as resistance to the completely corrupt state. If you chose to provide an email address, it will only be used to contact you about your comment. The same with the movie “V for vendetta”, in its essence, which apart from the fighting by means of terror with “manifestations of abomination”, offers conjointly to defend the rights of sexual perverts. More generic action movie than philosophical investigation, V FOR VENDETTA focuses on a young woman's political education. V, still alive but bleeding heavily, crawls back to the Shadow Gallery, where Evey is waiting. V kills various government agents, throwing daggers into some, slicing and stabbing others and throwing another dagger into one's head (all seen in slow-motion footage, with blood coming out from such contact). We see a police state that hold citizens in an iron grip and yet is humiliated by a single man who seems impervious. I’m going to take you through the events of the movie in chronological order as that makes things a lot more clear and gives a good … See our. Dann M Super Reviewer. In 1988, Alan Moore penned a scathing critique of complacency in the face of fascism known as V for Vendetta. V for Vendetta was excellent entertainment, but it had messages about tolerance, belief, art, freedom, hope, and love. Given recent events in the U.S. and in global politics, V for Vendetta is more relevant than Watchmen 's focus on Cold War-era nuclear tension, which is less relevant, even though there are still instances of nuclear tension between countries today. We won't share this comment without your permission. With a pursuit of dominant ideology along with government treating him as a huge threat, V is a heroic terrorist in view of his motivation and political affiliation, acts of violence, strategies, and his rationality. In it, a masked vigilante named V rises to prominence as a direct response to the machinations of a dictatorial regime in '90s England.In 2005, it was turned into a film, where many changes were made to update the setting, the characters, and the message to appeal to a modern … This story was first told as a graphic novel written by Alan Moore and published in 1982 and 1983. The state tries to suppress knowledge of his deeds -- to spin a plausible explanation for the destruction of the Old Bailey, for example. Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization, earns a small affiliate fee from Amazon or iTunes when you use our links to make a purchase. A few brief swear words probably wont have a negative affect on kids. Searching for streaming and purchasing options ... Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Throughout the movie, the main character 'V' gathers the support of the citizens that is growing more and more … Behind it is the actor Hugo Weaving, using his voice and body language to create a character, but I was reminded of my problem with Thomas the Tank Engine: If something talks, its lips should move. One man stands against him, the man named V, who moves through London like a wraith despite the desperate efforts of the police. Add your ratingSee all 33 parent reviews. Britain is ruled by a man named Sutler, who gives orders to his underlings from a wall-sized TV screen and seems the personification of Big Brother. Thank you for your support. In 2005, V for Vendetta was adapted into a movie, which starred Hugo Weaving as V and Natalie Portman as Evey. In a future British tyranny, a shadowy freedom fighter, known only by the alias of "V", plots to overthrow it with the help of a young woman. 1) V … ... Rea is good in his role, although nothing exceptional to write about him, and John Hurt is also very enjoyable as the English Tyrant. Common Sense and other associated names and logos are trademarks of Common Sense Media, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (FEIN: 41-2024986). These people exist in scenes designed to portray them as secure, until V sweeps in like a whirlwind, using martial arts, ingenious weapons and the element of surprise. Still, Portman’s Evey has expressions enough for most purposes, as she morphs from a dutiful citizen to V’s sympathizer, and the film is populated with a gallery of gifted character actors. While there, the woman held captive in the cell next to his, Valerie Page, had written her life story on toilet paper about how how she was captured and tortured for being a lesbian, and pass… Your privacy is important to us. For fans of the book, families can discuss the differences between the film and its inspiration. At the center of is masked terrorist V (Hugo Weaving), who battles against a very corrupt British regime. All rights reserved. In a general sense, the identity of V for Vendetta isn't a superhero film, because of the delayed appearances of V and a relative lack of action, but as and when V does do what he does, the film more than makes up for its deficiency in action. So, truth be told, I'm not a huge fan of the Alan Moore graphic novel V For Vendetta - yeah, yeah, I know: sacrilege. Adults only. Early in his life, V was captured and put in Larkhill retirement camp in room V (probably how he got his name) where he is experimented on and tortured. Alan Moore, eccentric genius behind graphic-novel classics V for Vendetta and Watchmen, rejected big-movie riches. More importantly, it presented these ideas in ways that forced audiences to think about them and form their own opinions. In the opening chapters of the book, there is an enjoyable irony felt when Norsefire calls V a terrorist. The Wachowskis have done a phenomenal work in adapting a screenplay out of the comics, in many ways outdoing the original. I love the comics too, and appreciate both mediums even though there are some narrative differences between the two. He also tells her that there is a block in the subway lines, and begs Evey to give him a “Viking funeral.” Evey is enormously moved by V… A young girl sees her mother kidnapped by government flunkies, then witnesses a similar brutality as an adult. Chatty terrorists use some profanity (including at least one f-word, and infrequent uses of "bloody hell," "damn," "bitch," s-word). Get full reviews, ratings, and advice delivered weekly to your inbox. "V for Vendetta" will follow his exploits for the next 12 months, until the night when he has vowed to strike a crushing blow against the dictatorship. V's rage is fueled by the usual superhero's past trauma. Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners. V is the only person who dares take them on, to say that they're wrong, and to free an entire populace that has been enslaved. for strong violence and some language, Breaking Bread on the 25th Anniversary of Big Night, ABC’s Rebel Wastes Talent on Fictional Version of the Erin Brockovich Legacy. Comic-book adaptation has brains, brawn, and style. Summary: Set against the futuristic landscape of totalitarian Britain, V for Vendetta tells the story of a mild-mannered young woman named Evey (Portman) who is rescued from a life-and-death situation by a masked man (Weaving) known only as "V." Incomparably charismatic and ferociously skilled in the art of combat and deception, V ignites a Set against the futuristic landscape of … Want to help us help them? Fear in either direction must lead to violence. "V for Vendetta" has only come to look more prophetic in the decade since its release on March 17, 2006. Common Sense is the nation's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of all kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the 21st century. Why the mask does not limit his peripheral vision is a question I will leave for the experts. V’s actions, and thus, the plot of the graphic novel, reflect his commitment to freedom. Yet despite its flaws V for Vendetta is a provocative and well-crafted film that delivers an impassioned and powerful tale that continues to resonate with audiences. I watched this movie when I was about 12 and I thought it was quite alright. This movie is garbage. I watched v for vendetta last year when I was 10 years old and it became my favourite movie. The audience might start to question the main characters actions as the film progresses. James Purefoy (A Knight’s … © Common Sense Media. But I'll avoid fabrication and stick with facts. The background and identity of V is largely unknown. Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive, diverse representations in books, TV shows, and movies. Very little is known about V, with one of the exceptions being he has a background in the military. I will do so now. Parents need to know that this film includes recurring and explicit violence, including explosions, martial arts fights, knifings (with bloody results quite visible), shootings, and torture inside prison cells (where one character shares her space with a rat). It is garbage in ways and for reasons that are important to enumerate specifically. At last, she admits, she is no longer afraid to die. But V commandeers the national television network to claim authorship of his deed. Characters curse occasionally (infrequent use of the f-word, plus "bloody hell," "bitch," and the s-word). Task: Politics in V for Vendetta The movie, which is a production of the novel by Moore and Lloyd, has several instances that call for political action to end totalitarian authorities in the society. "V for Vendetta," directed by James McTeigue, almost always has something going on that is actually interesting, inviting us to decode the character and plot and apply the message where we will. Keeping Kids Motivated for Online Learning. "Predicative programming" has been around for ages, and I believe that the 2005 movie, "V For Vendetta" has some messages for us 20 years later. He gets little support, although Stephen Fry plays a dissident TV host who criticizes the government at his peril. V for Vendetta is an idea. Rated R V describes himself as an anarchist (as does Alan Moore, the author) — one who believes that all governmental authority is corrupt because it infringes on human freedom. James McTeigue uses symbolism in the film V for Vendetta to juxtapose the idea of individuality and the rebellion against forced conformity. Use these free activities to help kids explore our planet, learn about global challenges, think of solutions, and take action. V and the Phantom are both masked, move through subterranean spaces, control others through the leverage of their imaginations and have a score to settle. I was used to swearing at that age so it did not affect me much. But V has a totalitarian state to overthrow, and only a year to do it in, and we watch as he improvises a revolution. As iconic as the movie became, "Vendetta" ran into numerous obstacles during its … Is violence ever an appropriate response? It has a great message and over all it was great. With most action thrillers based on graphic novels, we simply watch the sound and light show. It is the year 2020. He wears a mask showing the face of Guy Fawkes, who in 1605 tried to blow up the houses of Parliament. District 9 (2009) District 9 is a sci-fi action film partially presented in a mockumentary style using … Anywho, the film “V for Vendetta” takes place in a dystopic United Kingdom and starts on the fifth of November. The film has been disowned by Alan Moore, who also removed his name from the movie versions of his graphic novels From Hell and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, but then any sane person would have been unhappy with the Gentlemen. Is this movie a parable about 2006, a cautionary tale or a pure fantasy? After being wounded, V leaves a bloody smear along a wall. Not a superhero movie; a dark, gory, complex morality tale. A virus runs wild in the world, most Americans are dead, and Britain is ruled by a fascist dictator who promises security but not freedom. While ostensibly we did this to … While V is hunted by a decent cop Finch (Stephen Rea), he keeps Evey at his secret lair, where he makes her tea and eggs for breakfast. Warning: major spoilers below Every Nov. 5 for the past few years, I've sat back with a few friends to watch V for Vendetta. The similarity may have come easily to Moore, whose graphic novel “From Hell” was about the Ripper, and inspired a good 2001 movie by the Hughes brothers. In addition to Hurt as the sinister dictator, we see Stephen Rea and Rupert Graves as the police assigned to lead the search for V. Tim Pigott-Smith is an instrument of the dictator. And is: Sutler is played by John Hurt, who in fact played Winston Smith in “Nineteen Eighty-Four” (1984). Family Activities: Use these creative ideas for free activities to move, learn, relax, and connect as a family. V for Vendetta (2005) — Movie Review. While V is hunted by a decent cop Finch (Stephen Rea), he keeps Evey at his secret lair, where he makes her tea and eggs for breakfast. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism. 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