V for Vendetta - politics in pictures

I just got back from watching "V for Vendetta"

It's been a while since I saw a film where I just was blown away by the central themes and this was one.

The last film that did that for me was "Lords of War"

It seems to me that there is a growing space for serious thought in Hollywood movies - that suddenly the canvas may be a little wider than just tits and guns.

I don't have a huge point to make about it, other than I really wish I'd written either of those two movies.

Are we seeing a repolitisation of Hollywood?
 
A few of my friends saw it and they all said that it was awesome. Not just for the VFX, but for the story and content.

I can't wait to see it.
 
I admire hollywood for growing a bit of balls for once in thier life and reaching beyond the lowest common denominator.

We really need to see issues explored such as brokeback mountain, crash etc and not have them seen as taboo.

I still love the no brainer action flick as much as the next guy, but a bit of intellectual stimulation is long overdue

Kudos and more of the same please
 
I thought the politics of the film were heavy handed. The scene in particular that turned me off was the one at the memorial with the back story of the Chancelor and Lark Hill explained.

I also felt the film was too segmented -- it had obvious chapters, kind of like reading the graphic novel. But that's a different subject.

Poke
 
I loved the film. I had read the novel in the months leading up to the films release and the film held remarkably true to the novel. I loved the way the film was presented. There was no clear cut side that the film falls upon, insted it leaves it to you to decide.

It was an extremely intruiging film, one that like Poke, had me a little blown away. I saw it at 2pm yesterday afternoon and have been thinking about it every since.
 
I thought the politics of the film were heavy handed. The scene in particular that turned me off was the one at the memorial with the back story of the Chancelor and Lark Hill explained.

Interesting -- I thought there was a lot of subtly in that scene -- for instance the statue of the children in center of the memorial were playing ring-a-round-a-rosy, an english playground game that goes back to the days of the black death in London -- if the scene had been really heavy handed someone would have explained that instead of leaving it in the background as a cultural reference.

You're right that it has an episodic story, it was originally a comic story in the short lived Warrior magazine in the late 70's -- then reemerged in the magazine 2000AD and then became a graphic novel. That defiantely effected the narative.
 
Does this mean that my Warrior comics are going to be worth something?

I can't remember the story (more of an Axel Pressbutton fan). I don't think I'll go back and read the story, I'll see the film 'fresh'.

Sounds good.
Steven
 
I too loved this film. The political themes are pretty universal. A tyrants rise to power is several centuries old, and just as relevant as ever.

I wished they had not hyped & sold the film as an action movie. There are only two action scenes in the entire film, but that doesn't bother me, but it will bother people expecting "from the makers of the Matrix trilogy" and showing fists & knives flying. The other marketing aspect that worries me is that the film is full of British "ins" and that might not fly with Americans as well (stupid Americans!). I'm worried about the masses here in the States will deal with the film because I think it's an important messege.

Personlly? I loved it. Even without the current political allegory, the story was well done and deeply emotional.

I read this review:

Republican said:
Trying to make a significant message “V for Vendetta” has vendetta against modern conservative politics. In the middle, things turn out to be more about the oppression of homosexuals (a blindingly obvious dig at the recent gay marriage issues that have gone down in flames) than about politics. I would imagine a heavily fascist government would more interested in detaining and arresting radicals and subversives than someone who has a copy of the Koran or the lesbian couple living on their own.

I guess this guy never heard of the Nazi party, Hitler, or the Holocaust.... I could have sworn Hitler was in charge of a facist regime and that they arrested & detained people for having Hebrew bibles or being homosexuals. I don't think it was subtle to name the Chancellor "Sutler" because of it's similarity to "Hitler".


This kind of blind ignorance is why I weep for America and wish I was Canadian, eh
 
clive said:
..would have explained that instead of leaving it in the background as a cultural reference.

What I thought was heavy handed about the scene in question was the montage of how the Chancellor rose to power. In the VO it is stated that he rose from the ranks of the conservative party while it shows him in a Hitler-esque pose while an army marches in front of him. Earlier it is explained that America's War on Terror was the catalyst of the Chancellor's rise to power. For me it just felt heavy handed. I've read comments by the Wachowski's condemning Bush and the War. This combined with the "So-n-so is Hitler" comments being thrown around these days made me feel they were being a bit preachy in that scene. But that's just my opinion.

That's really the only political gripe I had with the film. I've read other people complaining how the ending left something to be desired (
You can not overthrow a Government and expect everything to be peachy keen - just look at Iraq
). But I felt that was just where the story of V and Evey ended, the rest is another story -- you have to leave room for a sequel.

Poke
 
I really enjoyed the movie- personally a tad long, and felt as if the whole prison sequence was a bit of a sidetrack from the main story; but the characters were rich, and the style was defintely coolbeans. I agree with PJR- the action was elaborated in the trailers, but the film itself was plot driven. I was actually pleasantly surprised.

As for the politics, I can see how people might think it's heavy handed. Seeing it in a small theatre with a Canadian audience though, every time there was a similarity to Bush and the Cons, all the men in the audience (myself included) chuckled with laughter. You gotta remember at all times- a movie is a movie. Even though it seems to get "on-the-nose" with the politics, I think that's just the audience filling in the blanks... it drops clues, but doesn't outright point a finger. A quality I quite enjoyed about the film. Defintley the best use of subtley in a film I've seen.

But as for the role of politics like this in movies- I'm glad. A lot of friends I know just don't care about politics... but they do about movies. Interesting how fantasy rules over reality in this western culture. By putting politics in movies, even though it slants the view, at least that view and the events leading to it will be exposed to an audience that might not have otherwise been privy to care. But I sometimes wonder what the flip side would look like- often when people talk about "controvery or politics in film" they are referring to things like Brokeback, or "liberal poltics in film". I'd be interested to see a film about conservative politics, and how that would go over in theatres. Imagine- A for Anti-Abortion, where the masked man runs around with coathangers under his cloak. Now THAT would have been too "in your face". I think "v" handled using politics well, and presented an interesting resolution. I enjoyed it alot.

Anyway, I think this rant has gone on long enough.
 
What I thought was heavy handed about the scene in question was the montage of how the Chancellor rose to power. In the VO it is stated that he rose from the ranks of the conservative party while it shows him in a Hitler-esque pose while an army marches in front of him

I must agree with you there -- I thought the goose stepping fascists was an image too far.

Plus I don't know if you noticed, but there's a massive logic problem in the plot!

The sequence is:

Sutler develops biological weapon -- uses it on population to seize power -- clears immigrants -- arrests "undesirables"

However, the camp that the weapon is developed in is populated by the "undesirables" -- which can't have been true because it's out of sequence.

Does this mean that my Warrior comics are going to be worth something?

I'd be slapping them on e-bay right now!

Originally Posted by Republican
Trying to make a significant message “V for Vendetta” has vendetta against modern conservative politics. In the middle, things turn out to be more about the oppression of homosexuals (a blindingly obvious dig at the recent gay marriage issues that have gone down in flames) than about politics. I would imagine a heavily fascist government would more interested in detaining and arresting radicals and subversives than someone who has a copy of the Koran or the lesbian couple living on their own.

Soony Boo:
I guess this guy never heard of the Nazi party, Hitler, or the Holocaust.... I could have sworn Hitler was in charge of a facist regime and that they arrested & detained people for having Hebrew bibles or being homosexuals. I don't think it was subtle to name the Chancellor "Sutler" because of it's similarity to "Hitler".


This kind of blind ignorance is why I weep for America and wish I was Canadian, eh

Hell, I hope someone pointed out that the story came from a comic written in the UK in 1978 and is about the Thatcher government -- in particular clause 28, which banned any public support of gays by local authorites.

I've read other people complaining how the ending left something to be desired

Hell, they blow up parliment -- the people rise up to defy an unjust government -- apart from lynching the Queen from a lampost I don't see how much further they could have gone.

Although I think that Sonny Boo has a point about the film being too Anglo-centric -- blowing up Parliment has a much bigger emotional impact for a Brit like myself than maybe it does for an American.

On the other hand I just don't think the film every would have been made if story had been set in America -- imagine, film ends with the White House blown to bits, whilst thousands of Americans dressed in Fidel Castro masks converge on the army! ;)

The Wakowski Brothers would have been lynched!
 
I would imagine a heavily fascist government would more interested in detaining and arresting radicals and subversives than someone who has a copy of the Koran or the lesbian couple living on their own.

Hitler was as anti-gay as he was anti-Jew. And if this Republican feels that even fascists wouldn't bother arresting homosexuals in their own homes then what must he think of those who do.
 
Taken totally by surprise!

I have had a lot of things going through my mind the past couple of days (moving, applying to school, friends and stuff) and I needed to take a break. So, I went out to see this movie tonight not really thinking much of it other than I love Natilie Portman (who couldn't?) and it's been advertised all over tv. I even walked in the movie 15 minutes late.

I was instantly mesmerized. The dialog was exceptional with a Shakespearean feel. Yes, it wasn't the action packed movie that the trailers made it out to be, but it surely was moving. I definitely think that even though it was taken place in a British setting that Americans should have no problem relating to this movie.

In the movie, the reason the conservative party has power is because of fear. That's what the movie is about. That is why the movie ends the way it does. People concentrate on homosexuality in the movie and miss the whole point. The suppression of gays is an effect. Just like giving up freedoms in order to no longer have fear an ominous enemy. I think when people try to compare this to the real world they are going to lose the message. This movie isn't a politcal outcry, it's a fact of life. People who fear give power to those who don't.
 
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Great movie..... I agree with poke that at times the film was a bit heavy handed but it was still enjoyable. I particularly felt that the idea of controlling the populace through fear struck close to home.

While it was heavy handed I couldn't help but laugh at the headline that briefly flashed across the screen referring to avian flu..... we're all going to die!!!! :lol:

The one experience that I found most entertaining was before I even entered the theater.... I was carded at the door. Just to explain I am a 29 yr old heavy set, bald white male. I don't think anyone with sight would think that I was any where near 18 yrs. Go figure. I think there might be some irony in here. Wait.... wait.... there it is!!!!!!
 
Mikey D said:
While it was heavy handed I couldn't help but laugh at the headline that briefly flashed across the screen referring to avian flu..... we're all going to die!!!! :lol:

I forgot about that. Made me laugh too.

Poke
 
While it was heavy handed I couldn't help but laugh at the headline that briefly flashed across the screen referring to avian flu..... we're all going to die!!!!

It's the picture of the chicken that makes that gag so funny -- chickens are just inherently funny.
 
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