I saw the movie “V for Vendetta” yesterday. The movie concerns an Orwellian like state that arise in Great Britain due to the war on terrorist and terrorist attacks. The story is one of conspiracy, liberation and vengeance. It is quite a mix.
The screenplay is by the Wachowski brothers and like there past work it is full of philosophical and political dilemmas.
V who was the victim of some government sponsored medical research gone wrong (and which assisted in the rise of the police state) seeks vengeance against those who tormented him while simultaneously liberating the British people from the situation they, through compliance caused by fear and the desire for safety and security, find themselves in.
The government which is now headed by a Chancellor holds the masses in check using various means one would expect a police state to use like controlling the media (and propagandizing) and suppressing all possible opposition including the truth about what has led up to the state of affairs in the country.
The story nicely ties into the present environment or state of the world today and the fear of terrorism, the fear of the types of attacks terrorist might launch, the war on terrorism and its implications for the freedoms enjoyed in free societies.
The movie has a distinctly British flair or flavor to it and the placement of the story seems appropriate considering that Britain has developed laws and procedures that infringe on a free peoples rights (especially the right to privacy) due to its long history of fighting the IRA. It is a very fitting place for the story to be set.
The story does have a gay angle or gay themes in it that are used to illustrate the lack of tolerance in this state where religion is usurped by the government, but there are many other themes of much more prominence flowing through this tale.
To see all the themes, symbolism and metaphors in this movie one must be to some extent politically, historically and philosophically aware. I think that is also the problem with this movie like it was with the two sequels to the movie “The Matrix” (A grade).
The Wachoski brothers who seem to be very knowledgeable of art and philosophy try to stuff too much into the movies they write, direct or both. It takes a very skilled director to handle stories with so many themes. On many occasions the story suffers when one tries to juggle so much meaning in imagery and dialogue.
Such is the case for “V For Vendetta” in my view. The story is lacking in structure and logic in many instances. Logic and structure is lacking to such an extent that the movie has an “arthouse” feel (which may eventually affect the amount the film makes at the box office).
Arthouse films, which are common in many other places in the world besides the US, are more of a person’s artistic expression through imagery and dialogue than trying to tell a coherent or shall I say more linear story with deep meaning (or simple meaning) through film.
Still, I think director James McTeigue’s “V for Vendetta” is an okay movie. I think one should see it, if not in theaters then when it comes out on DVD, as a cautionary tale on what could happen to a free society if a free people gives up their liberties in exchange for safety and security. I give “V for Vendetta” a grade of B minus. At this point in time, it is a very relevant movie.