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V for Vendetta
OK, here we have the latest comic book move to
the big screen. This particular story comes from Alan
Moore, whose graphic novel League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
was also made into a film. V for Vendetta makes a
better transition to film but it's far from perfect as well.
In the future England is lorded over by a classic
totalitarian style leader who controls everything the
inhabitants think through use of the police force and the media.
V doesn't think this is a good idea. So, he dawns a mask
representing a British revolutionary from the 1600's and he sets
out causing chaos and trying to get people to join him in
changing the country for the better.
V saves Evey (Natalie Portman), who is on the
streets after curfew, from a group of roving cops who are
looking to rape her. As it turns out though V and Evey
meeting may not have been coincidence. V takes Evey on top
of a building so she can witness the explosion of the city
courthouse. V breaks into the local TV station and
broadcasts a message that he will destroy parliament and that
those who believe "something is wrong" with the country should
come out and witness the destruction and support his cause.
The screenplay was adapted from the mid 80's
comic by the Wachowski Brothers and as you would expect if
you've seen the Matrix films this one too is full of long
speeches, some are wonderful, almost awe inspiring, while others
are tedious and full of similar popcorn philosophy that drug
down the second and third Matrix films. Here's the
other thing: the graphic novel was originally written as an
allegory to the political climate of England in the mid 80's so
of course that part of the story had to be updated but it feels
confused in the film. It feels like it's touching on
Nazism, a little of what's happening in England, and a ham
fisted attempt to bring some of what is happening here in the
good ol' U.S. of A. too. This approach makes the film
often feel unfocused and long winded. Even with that I
still felt a little preached at by the closing credits. To
me what would have been more interesting would have been to stay
on task and examine the revolutionary versus a terrorist.
The subject is approached in the film but not given the time it
deserves.
Natalie Portman does a fine job as Evey in the
film, even if her accent does change stylistically here and
there, but she doesn't get much back-story. We see her go
through a transformation in the film and her eyes open to what
her parents had known about her country before she did but I
never felt that I could connect with her. The actor
playing V, I won't give his name away here, does an amazing job
of conveying emotion from behind the mask but the mask does kill
most of the chemistry between Evey and V.
Stylistically the film is beautiful falling
somewhere between Orwell's 1984, A Clockwork Orange,
and Batman Begins. It feels like a natural
evolution for the Wachowski's from The Matrix films.
Character-wise what we get has a bit of Beauty and the Beast
and Phantom of the Opera. Many comic book fans will
be disappointed to know that considering its running time the
film doesn't have a lot of action in it. The final set
piece and a great fight between V and a group of cops at the end
of the film are both amazing and worth the wait though.
At the end of the day the film does suffer from
the Wachowski brothers wordiness and it also suffers from a
second unit director making his directorial debut. .James
McTeigue's work as a second unit director on The Matrix
films and Dark City shows in his excellent use of set
pieces but his lack of experience shows in the plodding pace
through the middle and the large number of false endings.
But at the same time Alan Moore's work still saves the film.
There's some excellent thought provoking stuff here and the few
action sequences that are present are well done and happily,
they don't look like Matrix outtakes. While not a
perfect film V for Vendetta does stand out as a unique entry in
the comic book to film universe.
7.5/10
-Stephen Lackey |
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