V is the new 1984

Rating: 10/10 (23 March 2006)

V for vendetta is more than just your new attempt at a unique view of dictation from the Wachowski brothers. It is a stroke of comic genius brought to life.
Set in the near future, we see a world that has been ruined by war, plague, and political corruption. The scene is London, where there is a high chancellor in power of the country of England. 'Strength in unity, unity in faith'. The motto of the regime. A complete totalitarian view of ruling a country, fueled only by the fear of its people.
Along comes a man named v. a freedom fighter to some, a terrorist to others, and he is here to show us that people shouldn't be afraid of their governments, but governments should be afraid of their people.
Albeit, there isn't as much action as the trailers would leave you to believe, it is the parts in the middle that make this film amazing. The dialogue that transpires, and the graphic tale of corruption that is told is almost epic. We come to see how a government can spiral out of control, and that one of the scariest things can be the government attacking its own people.
Long forgotten was the failed destruction of parliament, by a man named Guy Fawkes, we see V taking on this image of not a man in a mask, but the symbol of an idea. just as parliament is a symbol of London, it was only made so by the power of the people, as V reminds us, and as such, blowing up parliament, with enough people, can mean the exact same. It can create unity that this country needs.
As you go through the movie, not only are issues of an overly oppressive government attacked, issues such as gay/lesbian rights are dealt with. As well as the freedom of speech and censorship.
And as the transformation of the main character Evey Hammond, Natalie Portman, evolves into the patriot she becomes at the end of the film, we go through a transformation ourselves. We are reminded of the world we live in today and what we are fed to expect and relinquishing our free will without a fight instead of standing up for an idea that is proper and right.
Natalie Portman's acting in this feature was simply perfection. The events that shape her life in this movie are uncanny, and would tear a normal person apart, but she finds a way to work through it all. And when she is trapped in a prison, being tortured day in and day out, she is finally set free to feel the rain on her face once again. Well, it's very powerful, and it's very moving...
Beyond the emotional roller-coaster that this film can send you through, there are sparks of comedy and action as well. If you don't laugh at the terrorist V flipping eggs for morning breakfast while standing around in an apron, then I don't know what's wrong with you. And if you don't find the special effects on the destruction of Big Ben astounding, then you should be smacked.
Furthermore, some of the fights scenes were V uses his knives are flat-out unbelievable. Yeah, they use 'cheesy slow-mo' as some might complain about, but I beg to differ. I find the slow-mo completely necessary to appreciate the amazing speed at which V moves, and to showcase exactly what he did. Just is the case in which his knives leave a slight glow behind them. And as for an unbelievable amount of blood, which has also been pointed out in reviews. It's a comic book movie. You'll learn to deal, but you will also note that most of the places along the body that were sliced apart were major arteries which would have a ton of blood in them.
And at the end, as V seems he should've died after being pelted with tons of bullets, you can see the underlying true meaning to the film.
Hope is everything. And all you need is the will to go on, and you can. Death can wait for that one thing that is more important than life itself, and that is an idea. For something better. And all it takes is the will to live, and the will to fight to keep that hope alive just a little bit more.
I think this movie is amazing, and I say right now, that even by the end of the year, this will be one of the best films of 2006, and I seriously hope Natalie Portman gets some consideration for an Oscar nod for Best Actress in a Leading Role, because she was amazing. I've seen this film now 3 times already, no joke. I hope you all can find the time to see it at least once, because it is worth your time.
And I leave you with the best quote in the film: V: beneath this mask there is more than flesh. There is an idea, Mr. Creedy, and ideas are bulletproof.