V for Vendetta (2005)

Director:

James McTeigue

Writers (WGA):

Andy Wachowski (screenplay) &
Larry Wachowski (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

17 March 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Remember, remember the 5th of November, the gun powder treason and plot. I know of no reason why the gun powder treason should ever be forgot.

Plot:

A shadowy freedom fighter known only as "V" uses terrorist tactics to fight against his totalitarian society. Upon rescuing a girl from the secret police, he also finds his best chance at having an ally.

Plot Keywords:

Film Making | Feature Length | Police Raid | Parliament Building | Idealism

Awards:

3 wins & 16 nominations

Cast

Natalie Portman	...	Evey
Hugo Weaving	...	V
Stephen Rea	...	Inspector Finch
Stephen Fry	...	Deitrich
John Hurt	...	Adam Sutler
Tim Pigott-Smith	...	Creedy
Rupert Graves	...	Dominic
Roger Allam	...	Lewis Prothero
Ben Miles	...	Dascomb
Sinéad Cusack	...	Delia Surridge
Natasha Wightman	...	Valerie
John Standing	...	Lilliman
Eddie Marsan	...	Etheridge
Clive Ashborn	...	Guy Fawkes
Emma Field-Rayner	...	Guy Fawkes Lover (as Emma Field Rayner)

Also Known As:

V for Vendetta: At the IMAX (UK) (IMAX version)
V wie Vendetta (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence and some language.

Runtime:

132 min

Country:

USA | UK | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Sonics-DDP (IMAX prints) | DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Finland:K-15 | Germany:16 | Netherlands:16 | Iceland:16 | France:U (with warning) | Greece:K-17 | South Korea:15 | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Chile:Y7 | New Zealand:R13 | Argentina:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Japan:PG-12 | Sweden:15 | Colombia:12 | Portugal:M/16 | USA:R (certificate #42210) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Italy:T | Singapore:NC-16 (theatrical release) (edited version) | Norway:15 | Brazil:16 | Australia:MA | Brazil:14 (DVD rating) | Ireland:15A | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | UK:15 | Singapore:M18 (video rating) (cut) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (British Columbia/Ontario) | Malaysia:18SG | Israel:PG

Filming Locations:

Aldwych Underground Station, Aldwych, Holborn, London, England, UK

Company:

Silver Pictures

Trivia:

The supervising art director, Kevin Phipps, and the production designer, Owen Paterson, are listed on the Larkhill staff list.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The newspaper article with a picture of St. Mary's has two articles, both with exactly the same text but widely differing headlines.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Evey Hammond: [voiceover] Remember, remember, the Fifth of November, the Gunpowder Treason and Plot. I know of no reason why the Gunpowder Treason should ever be forgot... But what of the man? I know his name was Guy Fawkes and I know, in 1605, he attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament...

Movie Connections:

References White Heat (1949)

Soundtrack:

Cry Me a River

Utterly Spectacular!

I was a fan of the "V for Vendetta" graphic novel, and Alan Moore disinheriting the film was a bit discouraging. But he's always been a little crazy. The film version is everything I could have possibly hoped for - gripping, chilling, intense, exciting, heartbreaking. It gets Moore's music if not his exact words; elements are slightly different, subplots removed. But the idea - as V himself would be so proud to say - remains the same.

The plot is surprisingly complex and nuanced, and I don't want to give anything more away than the previews already have. Suffice it to say that a masked anarchist (voiced by Hugo Weaving) must save a young woman (Natalie Portman) during his attempt to expose corruption in the government. Weaving is perfectly cast, using his formidable physicality and imposing voice to give gravitas to the insanity of the character. Portman has gone from child to teen star and is finally emerging as a talented, adult actress following her Oscar-nominated turn in "Closer". Here, she gives her best performance to date as the orphan Evey. John Hurt is characteristically impressive as the enigmatic government leader, and Stephen Rea gives a wonderful supporting turn as the police inspector charged with finding V - before it's too late.

The Wachowski Brothers' former protégé, James McTiegue, takes on the directing duties here and helms an enormously impressive first feature, using every trick in the book in a manner reminiscent of his mentors' breakout hit "The Matrix". Unlike "The Matrix", McTiegue allows the story to be more of a focus than the action, and as a result the film is a tense and emotional thriller, with outbursts of spectacularly filmed and choreographed action. Showing more maturity and restraint than the Wachowskis, McTiegue doesn't show off, and his trickery isn't self conscious. When slow-motion overtakes a late action sequence, it seems as natural as breathing. The late cinematographer Adrian Biddle (the film is dedicated to his memory) does an outstanding job, Oscar-nominated Dario Marianelli's score is a fantastic accompaniment to the piece, and the visual effects are astonishing, terrifying, and deeply moving, especially in the climatic moments in Trafalgar Square.

With solid acting, great action, and fantastic technical wizardry, it sounds just like another "Matrix"-style ripoff. But the biggest difference in "V" is that it is a story of real ideas - not a fantastic, science fiction creation, but a genuine examination of the human condition. The power of fear takes center stage here - the fear of war, of disease, of famine. Fear is a basic human nature, and has been exploited as a weapon - a method of control - for centuries. And for those who would use it, a masked man waits in the shadows to carry out your sentence. The verdict? Vengeance. "V for Vendetta" is a must-see.

10/10