V For Vendetta (2006)
V For Vendetta(2006) 9/10
“Remember, Remember, The 5th of November!”
Currently my favourite film of 06 so far, V for Vendetta is brilliantly shot & utterly riveting. Definately going to be in my Top 10 list for this year.
Chock full of memorable quotes, with an excellent soundtrack, slick direction and memorable imagery, V for Vendetta is one of the most enjoyable and similarly thought provoking film of the year. In a post 9/11 world where a film glorifying terroristic behaviour would be an obvious taboo, V for Vendetta packages its defence of dissent in a fun and enjoyable package that can be enjoyed as a big budget spectacle or as a political allegory. Either way, it a winner, and Georger Orwell would have been proud.
Though some may have criticised the depiction of V, Hugo Weaving’s potrayal of this enigmatic, and shakepeare-spouting anti-hero is a most refreshing change. The mask may make him look a tad wooden but it gives him a Phantom of The Opera kind of mystic. Plus, his verbose soliliquay is one of the most memorable scenes of the film, the other being the domino scene. And speaking of Opera, the theatrical motiff features prominently in the film, and its mostly very well done.
Natalie Portman is, as usual, a fine leading lady and always a delight to watch, while the supporting cast is uniformly excellent. The film is tightly paced and while it is more a talky thriller than a wham-bam thriller, which fits me just fine, and the film’s pacing never sags. V is the thinking man’s hero and often the highlight of the film. The many subtle and not so subtle allegory, like the Chancellor as a Hitleresque figure, or the mention of a ‘red book’ and red rose is fertile ground for a film student to ponder what all the little nuaces are supposed to symbolise. Granted, its message of dissent isn’t exactly subtle, and the characters lack depth, but V still stands high above most of the other stuff Hollywood regularly churns out.
Directing is generally excellent, and i liked the parrallel opening with V and Natalie Portman in nice juxtaposition. The film is also remarkable in how it subtly shows the background and establishes the context of the film without having to use a voice over or explicitly stating that this is a dystopian future with authoritarian govt. using conservative morality as a grip to its power, but rather lets the audience infer from the happenings of the film. Other little nice touches include the final scene which shows the faces of some who died during the film and how that relates to Portman’s ending quote which says something to the effect that V is everyone.
Ripe with symbolism and allegory, V for Vendetta is a mesmerising piece of filmmaking that would make Shakespeare proud.
People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.
