I Bet You Didn't See... V for Vendetta
Remember, remember, the fifth of November. Gunpowder, treason, and plot. I see no reason why gunpowder treason, should ever be forgot... - British Folk Rhyme
November the fifth forever lives in British legend as the day that Catholic rebels in 1605 were discovered hiding barrels of gunpowder under the Houses of Parliament in London, intended to blow it up with the Protestant King James I and his parliament. They intended to install James' daughter Elizabeth, then 9 years old, as a Catholic puppet monarch.
The story of the plot is not really told properly. In England, on November 5th every year, communities light bonfires, gather together for fun, festivities and fireworks. Initially, this was done to celebrate that the rebels had been caught, but over 400 years later, it is more of a community gathering and tradition that doesn't really mean anything significant anymore.
The burning of "guys", effigies of Guy Fawkes, is also a misnomer as Guy Fawkes was not one of the lead conspirators. He was the expert in explosives (supposedly), left to guard the gunpowder to stop it getting damp. He was discovered and publicly used as the face of the plot - many of the main conspirators were killed in a shootout when they were tracked down. Others were executed with Fawkes, but he was the first found and his name has lived on. Most of the others are not widely known.
V for Vendetta is a wonderful exploration of the ideology of that conspiracy. One man, "V" (Hugo Weaving), posing as many, rains terror down on a dystopian London, led by the despotic leader Adam Sutler (John Hurt). Much of our history and culture is suppressed as it is seen to encourage free speech and expression. V holds onto that lost culture.
People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.
Evey Hammond (Natalie Portman), works for the state-run television station in no significant capacity. She is jumped by secret police who try and abuse their authority on her, only for V to step in and save her. Soon, Evey is swept into V's plot, and he shows her the truth that has been hidden from her for years. However, unsure of whether to trust her or not, her puts her through a similar ordeal to what he experienced within that suppressed truth. She agrees to help him and helps lead him to commit his final acts in his attempts to topple the oppressive regime.
In between, Chief Inspector Eric Finch (Stephen Rea) is investigating the attacks by V, not knowing who he is. But he soon realises just how deep the rabbit-hole goes, being toyed with by V but to lead him to the truth and also helping him, but unknowingly and willing.
Along the way, we meet the array of characters woven into this world. Stephen Fry, Tim Pigott-Smith, Rupert Graves, Roger Allam and Sinead Cusack all make their mark on the film.
V for Vendetta is one of my all-time favourite films. It isn't so much the story, and I can get past Natalie Portman trying to be an English girl (sorry, Nat, but it wasn't convincing at all!), but the delivery by Hugo Weaving as V. He is poetic and lyrical, with a classical aura about him as he portrays V as someone playing a role. I love the idea of the character stealing old films - hence the appeal to me - but also his switch to the every day things, like cooking Evey breakfast. But we also see a really dark part of society that is still prevalent today. Stephen Fry portrays Gordon Deitrich, a TV personality who is gay, a lifestyle strictly forbidden and taking us back to an era we thought we had passed. It is a great exploration of what could happen if we ignore or "cancel" history, it could easily repeat itself.
I love this film and thoroughly encourage you to watch it. I have to admit, I have not ready the graphic novel series it is based on, so it would be interestingto see how they differ. The film is beautifully shot, changing the tone and textures harshly to reflect the treatment characters are going through and being able to make you feel just as enclosed or exposed as the characters in the scenes. Open areas look confined in tight, tense moments, and grand vistas of the city erupt expose the vulnerability of people when they think they are untouchable.
Plus, we got an iconic costume out of it for Halloween...
Directed by: James McTeigue
Based on: V for Vendetta by David Lloyd
Starring: Hugo Weaving, Natalie Portman, John Hurt, Stephen Rea, Stephen Fry, Rupert Graves
Release date: 11 December 2005
Rating: 9/10
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