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List Price: $14.98 | | Label: Warner Home Video
Salesrank: 2042
Released: August 1, 2006 |
| Our Price: $2.49 |
| Used Price: $2.18 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
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.
Description of V for Vendetta (Full Screen Edition):
"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 played Winston Smith in the movie 1984), whose party uses force and fear to run the nation. After they gained 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 U.S. 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
Beyond Vendetta
The graphic novel by Alan Moore and David Lloyd | 
More by Alan Moore | 
From Graphic Novel to Big Screen |
More by Natalie Portman | 
More by Hugo Weaving | 
More by the Wachowski Brothers |
V for Vendetta (Full Screen Edition) Reviews:
The Revolution 
2008-12-01 - This is an awesome movie, based on a true story, only the original outcome for Guy Faux wasn't quite so spectacular, It COULD have been, but they found the expolosives back then. Keep in mind whats happening worldwide, and remember,,,,,,,,,
It's Bad 
2008-11-24 - An all-around dreadful film. Terrible dialogue, subpar acting, wrapped in a story filled with absurd, juvenile politics with obvious and obligatory nods to the present-day "War on Terror" for easily amused critics to fawn over. Provoked no emotional or visceral reaction from me, other than laughter at its banality, and when it ended, astonishment at how such garbage could be so widely praised. If you're out of high school, and like good films, pass on this.
A truly magnificent movie
2008-11-20 - I saw this movie this week on DVD in two sessions on a friend's recommendation. I think it is an absolutely wonderful movie: ingenious, imaginative, always exciting, with a breathtaking performance from Natalie Portman, who takes her character through momentous emotional changes and is always riveting to watch. Hugo Weaving is magnificent as the silken-voiced V. John Hurt is marvellously menacing as the High Chancellor and I thought Stephen Fry's performance really moving and highly convincing. The plotting and dialogue are simply splendid. I also loved the early historical enactments to link the modern story with Guy Fawkes. I would have liked to have seen V's face at some point but this is only a minor quibble.
Well done, everyone who was involved with this movie!
Heartily recommended.
good movie 
2008-11-16 - I saw this a few years ago, and it is really thought provoking, which is rare in movies nowdays. It makes you wonder how easy it could be to create a dictatorship in which the few own the powerful, especially since nowdays the media will participate because they care more about ratings than reporting. my only complaint was the length, although that is due to my short attention span
Great movie, garbage propoganda
2008-11-11 - Wonderful entertaining movie. Simple political analogies weigh the movie down. I believe in tolerance not forced recognition. Problem is the downtrodden thrive to turn the tables rather then line then up evenly. Fire for fire. Violence for violence. Revenge is the function of vendetta. Ultimately this movie fails in its noble cause but works as a source of entertainment.
