The Thinking Man's Horror Movie

Rating: 9/10 (27 March 2006)

V for Vendetta is a combination of many things that ultimately adds up to a surprisingly enjoyable film. It is based on a comic book character but you can wipe that little fact from your memory since this is unlike any other comic book movie you have ever seen. There is no super hero aspect here that is saturated with over-the-top nonstop action and violence. While the main character V does have some very slick combat skills using only knives and swords, that is not the main focus of the storyline. Depending on your perspective V can even be seen as a anti-hero or terrorist instead of a hero.
This is a film that is meant to provoke thought from the viewers throughout every plot twist in the movie. There is a lot of intentional symbolic references that mirror past and present events in the world we know. This is probably a result of The Wachowski Brothers directing the film. They should have made this movie after the original Matrix instead of cashing in on lackluster Matrix sequels. I digress... V for Vendetta is set in England in the near future. The entire country is being ruled by a fascist dictator who will let nothing stand in his way of absolute control. This includes control over all media which are sometimes forced to broadcast false stories by putting a 'spin' on them. This is done to misinform the citizens for political reasons and paint the picture of V as a terrorist who must be stopped.
The film covers the next 12 months of V's life in which he meets Evey (played by Natlie Portman) who is a journalist for Britains largest news network. The two spend time learning of each others past history and how they became who they are today. V simultaneously spends his time pulling the citizens away from the lies the government is feeding them and instead show them the truth. He wants to hand the power to make their own decisions back into their hands. He preaches things like "People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people." and "Remember, remember the 5th of November." All of this leads up to an exciting ending that will leave you thinking about all the ideas expressed in this film and what they mean to you. I recommend this film to anyone to go see.