Starring: Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Rea, John Hurt Directed By: James McTeigue Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1 Audience Rating: R (Restricted) Binding: HD DVD Format: Anamorphic, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen Label: Warner Home Video Number of Items: 1 Release Date: October 31, 2006 Running Time: 132 minutes Theatrical Release Date: March 17, 2006
Description: Set against the futuristic landscape of totalitarian Britain, V For Vendetta tells the story of a mild-mannered young woman named Evey (Natalie Portman) who is rescued from a life-and-death situation by a masked man (Hugo Weaving) known only as "V." Incomparably charismatic and ferociously skilled in the art of combat and deception, V ignites a revolution when he urges his fellow citizens to rise up against tyranny and oppression. As Evey uncovers the truth about V's mysterious background, she also discovers the truth about herself - and emerges as his unlikely ally in the culmination of his plan to bring freedom and justice back to a society fraught with cruelty and corruption.
Amazon.com: "Remember, remember the fifth of November," for on this day, in 2020, the minds of the masses shall be set free. So says code-name V (Hugo Weaving), a man on a mission to shake society out of its blank complacent stares in the film V For Vendetta. His tactics, however, are a bit revolutionary to say the least. The world in which V lives is very similar to Orwell's totalitarian dystopia in 1984: after years of various wars, England is now under "big brother" Chancellor Adam Sutler (played by John Hurt, who ironically played Winston Smith in the movie 1984) whose party uses force and fear to run the nation. After gaining power, minorities and political dissenters were rounded up and removed; artistic and unacceptable religious works were confiscated. Cameras and microphones are littered throughout the land, and the people are perpetually sedated through the governmentally controlled media. Taking inspiration from Guy Fawkes, the 17th century co-conspirator of a failed attempt to blow up Parliament on November 5, 1605, V dons a Fawkes mask and costume and sets off to wake the masses by destroying the symbols of their oppressors, literally and figuratively. At the beginning of his vendetta, V rescues Evey (Natalie Portman) from a group of police officers and has her live with him in his underworld lair. It is through their relationship where we learn how V became V, the extremities of the party's corruption, the problems of an oppressive government, V's revenge plot and his philosophy on how to induce change.
Based on the popular graphic novel by Alan Moore, V For Vendetta's screenplay was written by the Wachowski Brothers (of The Matrix fame) and directed by their protégé, James McTeigue. Controversy and criticism followed the film since its inception, from the hyper-stylized use of anarchistic terrorism to overthrow a corrupt government and the blatant jabs at the current US political arena, to graphic novel fans complaining about the reconstruction of Alan Moore's original vision (Moore himself has dismissed the film). Many are valid critiques and opinions, but there's no hiding the message the film is trying to express: Radical and drastic events often need to occur in order to shake people out of their state of indifference in order to bring about real change. Unfortunately, the movie only offers a means with no ends, and those looking for answers may find the film stylish, but a bit empty. --Rob Bracco
SKIP IT! Can I give this movie zero stars?? Unforutnatly, this movie is just a twisted attempt to demonize Christianity. All the "Chirstian/Catholic" charecters are apart of the evil dictatorship, and all the gay/lesbian charecters are completely flawless beings, suffering oppression from the "narrow-minded" Christain based political party. It's a little over the top. I'm all for freedom of expression, but this movie takes basic Christian beliefs and twists them to seem opressive. Besides that, it also looks low-budget and cheaply made. Natalie Portman is a brilliant actress, unfortunatly this role is way beneath her. The acting from the other British actors is mediocre at best. I wasnt impressed with anything in this movie and will be selling my copy at my next yard sale.
The DVD SKIPS!!! I wasn't even able to watch the movie (I love the movie) because the DVD skipped so much. Lesson learned......don't buy used DVD's anymore!
would be a five star, if it had 24-bit audio and a high-def trailer The review on blu-ray.com pretty much says it all, but to be more concise: 1. The lossless audio track is nice, but only 16-bit. Some of the quieter and louder details that were audible in the theater are muddled on the bluray.
2. I understand the extras being produced in 480p, but the trailer not being 1080p is just laziness.
Even with these nits, it's a great purchase if priced correctly. I picked mine up for $12.99, which is quite reasonably given how good it stacks up on other fronts.
Recommended.
Chapter 11: Valhalla "V for Vendetta" is more than just a masked terrorist running amuck in a futuristic Britain; it is more than just the quick wits of an anti-hero challenging the government; and it is far more than just the follow-up film from the Wachowski brothers. This is a philosophical cinematic entry disguised as a blockbuster. While most will argue that it is a poor excuse for the graphic novel (and slightly I agree) because it doesn't follow the story frame by frame, the themes are still pulled through. Looking back into the graphic novel, the changes made from page to screen were dramatic, yet bold. The "happy" ending in the film gives way to the more dismal, slightly uplifting ending in the graphic novel. The main difference between the two is the lack of grittiness, one could call it realism, found within the story and missing in the film. "V for Vendetta" the film is beautiful, watched in full HD, the sound, visuals, and colors are exactly the opposite from the graphic novel, and while comparing the two is not the extent of this review, it is an element that needs to be considered. Alan Moore took his name off this film, reading the graphic novel will explain why.
With that said, what worked and was miscalculated in the film? To begin, the Wachowskis coupled with the direction of director James McTeigue captured the visual of "V" perfectly. The mask was chilling, and the darkened question of his origins remained open-ended. Their depiction of this masked vigilante was brilliant. The way the shadows fell, the camera angles on his face instilled both fear and excitement for this character. "V", with this film, became iconic. Alas, the visual alone couldn't counter what preceded "V". The use of Hugo Weaving's voice was, like Natalie Portman's accent, weak. "V" was a bold character, but when he spoke, he seemed weaker and in less control. Weaving's voice-work didn't capture the intensity that surrounds this character - and then there was Portman. While she brought some innocence to the character of Eve (a name symbolic as well as poignant), the fading British accent continued the idea that she was merely Natalie Portman playing a character, not just Eve incarnate. Stephen Rae was superb in his role, as always, as the tamed cop hunting for a belief he struggles with, and John Hurt was completely over the top, applauding his role as evil as outstanding. These secondary characters, proving their might stronger than the primary ones, added much needed relief to this film, but it didn't make it perfect.
"V for Vendetta" is a great film to sit down and enjoy two hours of crisp visuals, amazing music (look for a beautiful cover by "Cat Power"), and intense ideals. It is a thinking film. It camouflages itself as a big-budget action/adventure film, but all the while it is asking to you see the modern news and question our governments. It will keep your mind occupied for hours. McTeigue did a great job of bringing modern relevance (still tragic today) into this film to create a timeless sensation, but it still doesn't counter the disappointing acting. As mentioned before, what makes "V for Vendetta" the graphic novel work is our characters, and as they lacked in the film - it moved it in a different direction. Without the graphic novel, this film still works as entertainment, and slight thought - but it isn't a complete masterpiece. I enjoyed this film when it was first released on the big screen, but watching it today - the small nuances with the characters just don't hold up well over time. Its message is in tact, but lacks the body.
Grade: *** out of *****
Thanks for the recommendation Never would I have thought to watch this movie on my own. Comic books/graphic novels have never interested me. Fortunately, a friend recommended it to me, so I broke out of my usual selections and gave it a shot. This is both an entertaining and thought provoking film, one which shines a revealing light on our own recent and current political climate.
If more people would, as I did, take a chance and view this film, they might find themselves having a better appreciation for freedom and see the dangers we succumb to when we willingly sacrifice our liberty for security. This film offers a vision of what occurs when a paternalist government seises ever more power "for your protection." We should look at our own politicians skeptically, whether they promise to protect us from the danger of "terrorists" or "greedy capitalists." Yes, this review is political, as so in the movie.
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