Vantastic!

Rating: 10/10 (26 May 2006)

V for Vendetta is a really, really good film. It's spectacular in action, subtle in character development, nuanced about war and complex concepts like good and evil, moving, exhilarating, thrilling and chilling.
The actors are great, the story keeps you on edge, the editing was beautiful and I felt like calling the Wachowski brothers and the director to tell them.
As a movie V for Vendetta is utterly satisfying in all respects. What stays with you afterward is the intelligent ideas that are in the film ánd under the surface.
In a world that is more and more divided in 'good and evil', where everyone is supposed to support a 'war on terrorism', where criticism is deemed unpatriotic, this film manages to turn those ideas upside-down.
Terror can be of the state and what is called terrorism by officials can be exactly the opposite. The concept of freedom struggle as opposed to terrorism, the idea of 'terrorism is in the eye of the beholder' is fundamental to this film.
* spoiler * The final images of the film when the London Parliament is blown up draws in my view a direct parallel to the Twin Towers. Another symbolic building representing power of state is demolished by an enemy of the state, showing clearly that black and white statements often do not do justice to reality (and no I'm not saying the WTC is identical in any way). In this case the bomb clearly sets people free, it's a weapon of liberation and by using this kind of daring symbolism in their film, the Warchowsky brothers use art and movies for a serious criticism on the current state of the world where good vs evil and (fairy)tales of fiction rule politics - A great film.