Read the Comic

Rating: 6/10 (15 December 2008)

V is, in ma opinion, one of the most fascinating characters, not just in comics, but in all of literature. Why? Well as Alan Moore depicted him, V was enigmatic, ambiguous and at times quite chilling; the reader found it impossible to tell whether this was a passionate idealist or a cold-blooded psychopath. V talks (in both film and comic) about freedom and liberty; yet this is also a man who both physically and mentally tortures an innocent girl, murders a defenceless woman and manipulates all around him in order to bring about total social breakdown (admittedly in a fascist police state, though this does result in at least one child's death). Though I liked it, the problem the film has is that in trying to make V more human and sympathetic, it misses the point. V has more in common with the idea of a villain than a straight-forward hero. Scenes where he breaks down in tears when Evey leaves, when his hands are revealed to be burnt and scarred or when he cuts down a bunch of fingermen in slo-mo just don't work for me. And don't get me started on that bloody "vis a vis' speech. Nice explosions though!