George Orwell's 1984...?

Rating: 9/10 (19 March 2006)

I loved this movie! It had many parallels with George Orwell's 1984. There were also a lot of symbolism, especially integrating color and elements such as fire and water. V for Vendetta criticizes the totalitarian government of Britain, and although this may be understood as a direct attack against current events happening in the US or Middle East, I think the underlying theme of V for Vendetta is to capture the strength and resiliency of ideals such as freedom and justice (for which V is fighting for), as well as that of the human condition.
In regards to the characters, Natalie Portman is astounding in the portrayal of Evey as she goes through the process of self-identification and comes to an understanding of her place in her society. There are many parallels between her growth and V's growth, as they both undergo a mental breakdown of their understanding of reality, and emerge resolute and determined to fight for the causes they believe in. Their purification (under fire and water respectively) symbolize the completion of their journey in conquering fear - fear that drives people to think they are weak. I found that the most poignant moment in the film was when Evey comes out of the cell free and realizes everything was not what it seemed. When she breaks down crying, she portrays all the emotions of shock, disbelief, betrayal, strength and resolution as she comes to an understanding of her transformation. Also, by characterizing V as an intellectual, literary, well-learned and compassionate figure, his acts of terrorism are portrayed in less of a sadistic way. This still begs the question of whether his means are justified for his end, as the ending of the movie seems to implicitly suggest that it is.
Overall, I find this movie to be empowering in an intellectual sense because it portrays the fight for freedom as one that is not merely based on bombing/killing those who stand against it, but calls for a collective stance against injustice and oppression by reminding us of the power of what our voice can be used for.