People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.
I couldn't help a feeling of déjà vu as we watched the socio-political-thriller V For Vendetta. After all it isn't long back that Rang De Basanti weaved it's magic over me. Why do we applaud revolutionaries? Is it because they are our alter egos? Is it because they react true to their hearts, in a way we won't dare in real life? I don't know about you guys, but I would rather stay with Bhagat Singh than with Gandhi. Whatever be the majority feelings, bloody revolutions are what works for a movie.
V for Vendetta tells you what is wrong with the world and what the solution might be. No symbolism for this one. The story is set in a dystopian London. It is that time of future when England Prevails and the former super power USA is reduced to a leper colony. More importantly, it is that time of future when England come to resemble the present government of USA, with a few more hard measures added for a better effect. The government keeps the people under control by the stories of impending terrors. It freely snoops around their people.... even the private conversations are not spared. People don't care or they don't dare, as the media keep on feeding them the sensationalized terror stories.
Need I say more? Welcome to London when England is ruled by Chancellor Adam Stutler - A unidimensional, bad character. Minorities are treated without any sympathy. Homosexuals, Muslims, people who dare to voice their opinion.... you are different? You are gone! When Evey Hammond, employee at a premier telecasting company, walks out during a curfew she is assaulted by two policemen. From the shadows emerges our hero - man in the mask - V. After an impressive and easy-looking fight the policemen are reduced to a bundle and the heroine is rescued. V further impresses her and the viewers with his chivalry and Shakespearean dialogues.
V invites Evey to a music concert at the end of which the London court explodes in a fabulous firework. Confused and horrified, Evey parts way with V. But the person who is going to alter your views and life can never be kept out. Her resistance not withstanding, Evey's life takes a non-returning journey forced by V as he finds a Protégée in her. We come to learn in bits and pieces that V is a victim of some experiment that the government secretly carried out which distorted him beyond recognition, along with thousands of other people, on a 5th of November. Ah, vengeance! That bittersweet fuel for the act of undoing the wrong. Come to think of it, with out a personal tragedy would anyone care for a revenge?!
V has got a simple and daring plan. On November 5th he will blow Westminster Abbey as wakeup call for the sleeping citizens of England. An act that will pull at least a few roots of
the dictatorship. In his journey to this finale, he eliminates a few high ranking, official personnel and is called a terrorist by the government and popular media. Even in the present world, isn't our definition of a terrorist a horribly one-sided one? Think about it and in the mean time watch this movie.Wachowski brothers (makers of Matrix) did a wonderful job with screenplay. It is fast enough, without making you gasp for air. I heard that it made by a first-time director James McTeigue. If true, I don't have any words to praise him. As for the performances, Hugo Weaving prevails! It might be tough to do any acting when you are always wearing a mask. But, he does! Watch his slightly exaggerated body language. It's amazing what you can convey using only your body. Natalie Portman as Evey becomes dear to you with her always-slightly-confused expression. John Hurt as the hate-mongering Chancellor Adam Stutler is looks bad enough.
V for Vendetta is an elegant movie without any gory scenes. It has enough action, but it doesn't slip into an action-movie-mode. It rather asks a lot of questions. It states a lot of facts. It forces you to view the world as it is with out any rosy glasses. I give it an A+ rating. PS: To know about the inspiration for V: Read about Guy Fawkes >>
"The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders...tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger." : Herman Goering
Categories: Movie, Review, Movie Review, V For Vendetta, Hugo Weaving
