V for Vendetta

[mandysee_mandydo]

I finally got to see "V for Vendetta" last night. If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend it. It's now on my top ten movies list.

What I liked in particular is the fact that it not simply mirrors Orwell's vision of totalitarian government run amok, but picks up where Orwell left off and gives hope that they can be toppled. I also loved the myriad analogies of American government appearing in the guise of the totalitarian English government. Furthermore I liked the idea in the movie that the United States is not an invulnerable and everlasting union.

I loved the irony of John Hurt playing the Chancellor, since he portrayed Winston in the movie adaptation of Orwell's "1984". In fact, I hadn't quite recognized who he was until I mentioned the Orwellian aspect of the movie to Lonewolf and thought, "A Ha! The Chancellor was Winston!"

Please check it out. Not only is it a good film but it holds many lessons we still need to learn. I love the role of art in society! And I also love the way they address that in a totalitarian society, art is high in priority for the censors.

Think about that now as the Bush Misadministration pushes legislation that could have devastating impact on the Internet and public access television.

Comments

Here, here... I second it!!!

[(Anonymous)]

Yeah I am not surprised you liked it bud. It's right up your alley. But if you think the movie is awesome you should read the Graphic Novel. Alan Moore is a genius. Specially for when he wrote it and how it has stood the test of time. It was originally written in 1982 to 1985 and then released int he states in 1988. "Remember, remember the 5th of November..."

Interestingly enough Moore was not happy with the movie and distanced himself from it and even spoke against it. The movie does differ from the graphic novel. I took this from Wikipedia but I did read it somewhere else too, take it for what it's worth: "After reading the script, Moore remarked that his comic had been "turned into a Bush-era parable by people too timid to set a political satire in their own country.... [This film] is a thwarted and frustrated and largely impotent American liberal fantasy of someone with American liberal values standing up against a state run by neoconservatives — which is not what [the comic] 'V for Vendetta' was about. It was about fascism, it was about anarchy, it was about [England]." He later adds that if the Wachowskis had wanted to protest what was going on in America, then they should have used a political narrative that spoke directly at America's issues, similar to what Moore had done before with Britain."

They really did play the terrorist aspect up.

And yes using John Hurt for the Chancellor was perfect. I was also very impressed with Natalie Portman. I think it is her best role to date.

On a side note if you do read "V for Vendetta" and enjoy it, Alan Moore's "Watchmen" is just as much if not even more so as incredible as "V for Vendetta". It's the only graphic novel that has won a Hugo. It's about power and the corruption that can come with it. As the book states "Who watches the Watchmen". I think you would like it bud.

Re: Here, here... I second it!!!

[srturtle.livejournal.com]

Having read that, I would say I have to agree with Moore. It definitely was making a thinly veiled jab at the Bush Misadministration and that would probably have been best served in a new, custom-tailored movie rather than adapting the graphic novel to suit the political aim.

At the same time, though, that comment to some degree betrays the notion put forth in the movie (maybe also in the graphic novel?) that art is lies that lead to truth, and so the movie in a sense follows that course.

Following Moore's comment, I suppose the remake of Manchurian Candidate was a more suited jab at Bush, but I think I would like to see a more aggressive movie as Moore demands: something sharply critical of this nation's elitist, fascist corporate oligarchy that stands as such, not hiding behind an adaptation of another nation's former plight.

Still, I can't say enough good things about the movie adaptation of "V for Vendetta" for my reasons mentioned above. It gives me hope that someday we might not have such rampant tyranny so firmly planted at the helm of our "democratic republic."