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March 18, 2006

V for Vendetta - 7

This is one of the best films I have seen in a while. It is a thoughtful and action-packed film about government control in futuristic Britain. One of the major themes is what is the role of violence in fighting and protesting an oppressive government. The film reminded me of a poem by Steve Turner called In the Interest of National Security:

It is wrong
to be wrong
unless
you are wrong
while protecting
the right people
from wrong.
then it is
alright to be wrong
because rulers
have the rights
on what is right
and there's no-one
big enough
to tell a ruler
what is wrong.
Right?

(wrong)

I think the film stays away from making a direct statement about what the audience should do, but rather opens up a conversation that needs to take place about some of our most fundamental beliefs. While the film applies to the current day United States, the story is actually 20 years old, based on the comic by Alan Moore and David Lloyd. The story is well told and no scene or dialogue is wasted. I would recommend seeing this film, this kind of thoughtfulness doesn't come to a theatre near you very often.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's a good film, certainly, and one that I'm generally happy with. However, the ending of the film, from Evey's decision after, is drastically different from the graphic novel and differentiates the film from its more superior source. The film doesn't take the more visceral, powerful ending (that's also the most logical) that Moore had in the original text, but instead makes explicit a more simplistic and easier romance followed through to its conclusion, (instead of the parernal love that was in the comics).

I like the overall film, but the last scenes do deviate in inferior ways from the graphic novel.

Paul

Jason said...

I was tempted to take you up on your offer to see the film (though I had to work, sorry I didn't get back to you)...Alan Moore wants nothing to do with the film, and--as sad as this sound--I'm scared to see the movie because of that. I'm scared that someone will eventually film Watchmen and soil that.