Remember, remember...

Rating: 8/10 (22 October 2012)

So who is this masked man who calls himself V? He is a freedom fighter. He is a terrorist. He is a hero. He is a villain. Depends on your point of view. The movie brings a young woman, Evey, into V's world. And it is Evey's point of view which will prove to be most vital. What will she make of this man who is her rescuer and then her captor? What will V inspire in Evey? What will she discover in herself? Does she have the strength to do what is right? And what is right anyway? It's a movie which asks a lot of questions, not the least of which is whether Parliament is going to get blown to bits.
The story takes place in a near-future dystopian London. The world has gone to hell in a handbasket. The United States has collapsed, chaos and terror seem to be the order of the day worldwide. England is presented as the last bastion of modern civilization. But all is not wine and roses here. Control is maintained by a government which rules with an iron fist. The fascist totalitarian regime has stolen freedom from its people. And in some cases stolen away their very lives. Undesirables are shuttled off to camps. Dissidents, minorities, homosexuals, Muslims, anyone who does not fit the ruling party's standard of purity is taken away, presumably to die in the camps. Those who remain "free" live in fear of the government. There really is no freedom at all. One man stands against this. V is determined to bring down the fascists, to give England back to its people. And to blow up some buildings along the way.
The movie begins with V rescuing Evey from an attack by the corrupt, rather Neanderthal, secret police. V blows some stuff up and they go their separate ways but they are soon to meet again. V commandeers a TV station to invite the people of England to rise up and join him. Conveniently for the movie's plot Evey works at this station and she helps him escape although she gets herself knocked out cold in the process. V brings her back to his hideaway and tells her she must remain there with him for one year for her own safety and to protect his identity as he builds toward the big climactic moment of his revolution. Understandably not thrilled with this scenario Evey plots to escape. But while Evey and V are together what connections will form? What does she really think of the man behind the mask?
Events transpire which will force Evey to evaluate not just V but herself. She must find an inner strength. She changes, grows, learns so much about herself and perhaps comes to understand V's point of view. He may be an anarchist or a terrorist and the High Chancellor surely wants his head on a plate. But maybe V has had it right all along. OK, his methods are admittedly unorthodox but where does the true evil in this story lie? On the surface this may seem to be V's story, V's movie. But the argument can be made that it's really Evey's story which is most important of all. It's her evolution which drives the movie forward. And Natalie Portman does a wonderful job portraying that evolution. As Evey finds a power she didn't know she had Portman grows right along with the character. Hugo Weaving, in playing V, had the challenging task of giving life to a man hidden away behind a mask. Weaving does this beautifully, giving personality to a man whose face we never even see. Supporting players Stephen Rea, Stephen Fry and John Hurt all turn in fine work in their respective roles of detective, talk show host and tyrant. It's a movie about two revolutions. There's V's grand plot to topple tyranny. And there's the revolution inside Evey as a passive young woman begins to strive for control of her own destiny. It's a very compelling story presented in rather stunning visual style by director James McTeigue. Remember, remember, the Fifth of November. This is a movie which most certainly should never be forgot.