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pwsull
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Well, it ain't fan fic, but...Is a V4V Movie Review OK?
I couldn't find anywhere else here in The Shadow Gallery to post my published review of V for Vedetta, so here it is. This appeared in my local paper "The Amherst Citizen" on April 11, 2006. If anyone would like to see it as it appeared in the paper with stills from the film, I would be glad to send you a PDF of the page (unfortunately it is no longer available on line). You can also get it from Leda who has a copy.
ENJOY!!!
Movie Review
V for Vendetta: The Best Cautionary Tales Entertain
pwsull
April 7, 2006
We live in an age in need of cautionary tales, and while big budget, science fiction, action-adventure movies are not the usual form they take, the Wachowski brothers of “Matrix” fame are definitely up to something provocative, and yes perhaps even subversive here. In this film the brothers take second billing as screenwriters and producers, while the director’s chair is taken over by their protégé James McTeigue. None the less the Wachowski’s trademark is stamped all over the production. Fortunately though, this film can trace its creative lineage to the thought provoking, original “The Matrix” rather than its two disappointing sequels. I believe many of the professional reviewers of this film "got it wrong" or didn't get it at all (especially Manohla Dargis of The NY Times, and David Denby of The New Yorker). They focused on its comic book origins and the previously mined literary territory it is derivative of. It is much better for the viewer of V for Vendetta to relax and enjoy being swept along by the roller coaster ride of its surprising, and yes, sophisticated plot, allegory, symbols, and message. The echoes of so many tragic and vengeful literary characters are represented in V: from Frankenstein, to Beauty’s Beast, to The Count of Monte Cristo, to The Phantom of the Opera, to Zorro, and yes also to both Batman and his nemesis the Joker. But these literary allusions strengthen the narrative rather than detract from it. As an old fan of "graphic" (comic book) literature, I probably accept the broad premises and conventions of the movie's source material less critically than Ms. Dargis and Mr. Denby do. One can not escape the fact that the movie is based on the “graphic novel” written by Alan Moore and illustrated by David Lloyd twenty plus years ago. But V is a very different kind of comic book animal, whose motivation and demons are compelling in spite of the broad, archetypal brush strokes with which he is painted. The Wachowskis have improved and updated the original material, crafting a movie that is plot driven, and provocative. They go far beyond the “action-adventure” genre the ads and trailers suggest, and into mystery, romance, and political intrigue with compelling cinematic mastery.
I shall avoid plot spoilers for those who have not seen the film, but there are some details which bear mentioning.
So, who is this V? As played by Hugo Weaving (the creepy and threatening Agent Smith of the Matrix movies) he is the always masked, lone, cloaked terrorist, fighting a near future, totalitarian, fascist regime. He lives underground in a London, multi-roomed, gothic vault where he is surrounded by stolen artifacts of culture forbidden by the regime, and Julie London’s “Cry Me A River” plays mournfully on his “Wurlitzer Stereophonic” jukebox. He takes as his alter ego/costume/disguise the persona of Guy Fawkes, the English, 17th century, Catholic terrorist who attempted to blow up parliament and king on November 5th, 1605. He hoped to bring about a revolt against the repressive protestant government of the time. Fawkes was apprehended and along with his co-conspirators was hung, drawn, and quartered. But he remains a vibrant part of modern day British culture where he is burned in effigy with much merriment every November 5th.
In V for Vendetta, now comes the England of a dystopian near future where the overwhelming geopolitical, economic, ethnic, religious, climatic, and pandemic issues of the present have led to a state of pervasive chaos and fear. In this atmosphere freedoms are willingly given up to strong leaders who promise safety and security. It is clear that the film makers are grinding a present day political axe here, but it is done so seamlessly, within the context of compelling story, that it does not come off as preaching. This film presents us with the perplexing questions of “when do the ends justify the means?” and “how does one tell the difference between a terrorist and a legitimate freedom fighter?” Some may be offended by the conservative politics and fundamental religious clothing in which the fascist government is dressed, but this is really just a metaphor for any rigid and exclusionary belief system which is intolerant of diversity. When V proclaims “People should not be afraid of their governments, governments should be afraid of their people!” he is updating a host of similar exclamations made by our founding fathers at the birth of the modern form of government we call democracy. Those patriots of the 18th century were a group with intimate firsthand knowledge of the repressive effects of despotic leaders and religious intolerance; and they designed a government to prevent the will and beliefs of a few being imposed upon “the people”.
V is a monster “created” à la Frankenstein by a totalitarian government. But in his world, the average person is so cowed by the pervasive control of the monstrous fascist state, that only another monster, motivated by a need for vengeance, can successfully strike the spark which lights a revolution. The best literary heroes are conflicted, and here we have V who trumps them all in that regard. Quite disturbingly, he is as mentally ill and sociopathic as the political leaders he is planning to topple. V is physically and emotionally injured, disfigured, traumatized, egotistical, sadistic, vengeful, and violent. He is also a cunningly intelligent manipulator who is charming, charismatic, well read, cultured and possessed of unusual physical and mental talents. So, what you may ask is there to like about him and identify with? Despite the perpetually smiling Guy Fawkes mask he wears, Weaving is able to communicate V’s tortured complexity and humanity through vocal intonation, posture, and gesture. Natalie Portman, acting a surprising range of convincing and moving emotional states, is his reluctant compatriot and the foil who brings back some of his humanity as the Beauty to his Beast. But V’s methods are reprehensible, and in the final analysis, the only real difference between V and his fascist antagonists is that his ideals are liberty, freedom, open-mindedness, and altruism, while theirs are power, control, and intolerance. To V’s credit though, he is well aware that he and his antagonists are a yin and yang cut from the same monstrous cloth.
Film is an intensely visual medium, and here in the service of plot and emotional texture the cinematography is as oppressively dark as vibrant Technicolor can get. The explosive and artfully depicted special effects scenes are riveting, but few in number, and they support, rather than take the place of the drama. Two particularly emotionally evocative scenes stay with you long after the final credits have rolled. In one Evey (Natalie Portman) goes through a gestapo-esque torture and then experiences an emotional rebirth on the roof, in the rain, with the camera following enormous, shimmering rain drops down toward her outstretched arms and upturned face. In the other a crescendo pattern of falling dominoes intercuts with a montage of revelatory scenes, and like Stephen Rea’s Inspector Finch with whom we have followed the clues, all begins to become clear to us. As artful and satisfying a pair of scenes as you will see in any movie for some time to come.
Several friends and family members who have seen the film have independently said to me “this movie should be required viewing for all high school students”. I am inclined to agree with their sentiment.
Hollywood super hero entertainment this movie is, but also a moving cautionary tale about how easily we tumble toward totalitarianism when fear is close at our heels.
A thought provoking treat…and linger a moment at the closing credits for a perfectly chosen ‘60’s anthem rendered in Dolby digital.
"V for Vendetta" is rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian). Less violent than might be expected, the film includes bloody sword violence, sadistic torture and intimations of pedophilia.
V for Vendetta
Currently in theaters.
Directed by James McTeigue; written by the Wachowski Brothers, based on the graphic novel illustrated by David Lloyd; director of photography, Adrian Biddle; edited by Martin Walsh; music by Dario Marianelli; production designer, Owen Paterson; produced by Joel Silver, Grant Hill and the Wachowski Brothers; released by Warner Brothers Pictures. Running time: 131 minutes.
WITH: Natalie Portman (Evey), Hugo Weaving (V), Stephen Rea (Chief Inspector Finch) and John Hurt (Chancellor Sutler).
Last edited by pwsull, 12/5/2007, 7:46 am
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"Perily, this pichyssoise of perbiage peers most perbose, so let me simply add that it is my very good honor to meet you and you may call me"...... P |
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5/17/2006, 6:41 pm
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pwsull
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Re: Well, it ain't fan fic, but...
Thank you V Dazzled!
I am not a professional writer like some of the other contributors here and this was the first movie review I had ever written.
I do have to admit that my motivations for writing it and getting it published were more of a blatant attempt of movie promotion than balanced criticism. I just wanted to get as many people as posible into the theater to see what I considered to be the best movie I had seen in years.
And yeah, i was kind of proud of my allusions to Frankenstein and my Yin and Yang metaphor.
Glad you liked it!
P
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"Perily, this pichyssoise of perbiage peers most perbose, so let me simply add that it is my very good honor to meet you and you may call me"...... P |
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5/18/2006, 3:20 am
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Tamlin
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Re: Well, it ain't fan fic, but...
Good review, but one thing caught my eye...intimations of pedophilia? I think I missed that part. In the gn Evey was younger, but V never acted sexually towards her at all there. I wonder where the reviewer is getting this.
Otherwise, very well-done review! Thank you for sharing it.
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6/7/2006, 3:13 pm
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Leda74
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Re: Well, it ain't fan fic, but...
quote:
Tamlin wrote:
Good review, but one thing caught my eye...intimations of pedophilia? I think I missed that part. In the gn Evey was younger, but V never acted sexually towards her at all there. I wonder where the reviewer is getting this.
That's a reference to Evey and the Bishop, not Evey and V.
--- "What is done out of love always takes place beyond good and evil" - Friedrich Nietzsche
"V For Vendetta" Shrine
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6/7/2006, 3:25 pm
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pwsull
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Re: Well, it ain't fan fic, but...
quote:
Leda74 wrote:
quote:
Tamlin wrote:
Good review, but one thing caught my eye...intimations of pedophilia? I think I missed that part. In the gn Evey was younger, but V never acted sexually towards her at all there. I wonder where the reviewer is getting this.
That's a reference to Evey and the Bishop, not Evey and V.
Yes, exactly...Leda is correct about this.
The line "intimations of pedophilia" was a reference to the Bishop's sexual tastes and Evey's masquerade as the object of his perverse desires: a much younger girl dressed up in frills, pigtails and rouge.
Actually the entire phrase:
<"V for Vendetta" is rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian). Less violent than might be expected, the film includes bloody sword violence, sadistic torture and intimations of pedophilia.
V for Vendetta
Currently in theaters.>
was a standard tag line that papers put at the end of reviews...it wasn't really part of my piece at all. Everything up until that point was written by me.
Thanks for reading it Tamlin! I hope you enjoyed it.
P
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"Perily, this pichyssoise of perbiage peers most perbose, so let me simply add that it is my very good honor to meet you and you may call me"...... P |
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6/7/2006, 4:22 pm
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scimitar
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Re: Well, it ain't fan fic, but...
pwsull wrote...
quote:
I am not a professional writer like some of the other contributors here
From reading your review I'd say you certainly have the tools to churn out some fine prose, why not give it a go? I have been inspired by Leda and V to trot something out and, whilst I'm not brave enough to reveal it yet, I imagine it will surface in a few chapters time.
Go on, you know you want to! Great review!
Be your own God - Scimitar
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6/8/2006, 12:03 am
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pwsull
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Re: Well, it ain't fan fic, but...
Thanks Scimitar,
Really glad you liked it!
P
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"Perily, this pichyssoise of perbiage peers most perbose, so let me simply add that it is my very good honor to meet you and you may call me"...... P |
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6/8/2006, 12:02 pm
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pwsull
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Re: Well, it ain't fan fic, but...
Thank you Lady V.
I am honored by your comments.
Actually it was published on April 7, so I was probably sending the paper the final tweeks on the piece on your birthday! So Happy Birthday To You!
Actually I felt like I was publishing the review pretty late in the game since the film had already been in theatres for almost three weeks and I had already seen it two or three times...but my aim was to get more people to see a film I was head over heels in love with, and not necessarily to publish a balanced "critical" review.
Glad you liked it!
P 
Last edited by pwsull, 6/9/2006, 7:09 am
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"Perily, this pichyssoise of perbiage peers most perbose, so let me simply add that it is my very good honor to meet you and you may call me"...... P |
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6/8/2006, 6:48 pm
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sorry, just thought that was cool for me.
