'V For Vendetta' review

Rating: *** out of ****

I am glad to see important films are being made again - films that stir up questions, tempers, and tension. Films such as ‘Crash’, ‘Good Night and Good Luck’, ‘Munich’ and ‘Syriana’ are some of the latest crop of political interest films that are opening peoples eyes to current issues – eyes that until recently, may have been blind. In this day of heightened censorship and conservatism, it is great to see that there are still people who will stand up and say things that may make some uncomfortable. ‘V For Vendetta’ is one of these films. Whether you love it or hate it, it will turn heads and flare some tempers.

‘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 vigilante known only as "V." Incomparably charismatic and ferociously skilled in the art of combat and deception, V ignites a revolution when he detonates two London landmarks and takes over the government-controlled airwaves, urging 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 plot to bring freedom and justice back to a society fraught with cruelty and corruption’, according to the Internet Movie Database.

This is a basic outline of the film, but this is a complicated story, involving a plot so intricate, that this film could have been broken up into a series or trilogy. That is actually one of my major complaints with the film – the filmmakers tried to cram too much into one film, to the point that the plot felt convoluted.

I commend this film for being in this new crop of films to make powerful statements; however, I feel it does make some rather large mistakes in going about its methods. Firstly, it felt very militant in its political approach, and yet confused. I enjoy when a film has strong political ideals, but I still want the film to allow the audience to make up their own minds. I found it was borderline propaganda, in its militant stand to show how this is a representation of both Nazi Germany and the current and escalating situation in the United States and Iraq, but the film doesn’t exactly know which events it is a representation of. It just knows that it wants to make a statement, but it does not seem too sure on which to make. The film was so blatant with its actions that it was almost to the point of audience condescension. While films like ‘Crash’ present difficult situations and allow you to make up your own mind about the events and characters, ‘Vendetta’ drills its ideals into your head with little room for negotiation.

One of the few real debates is whether or not the character of ‘V’ is a terrorist or a freedom fighter. I often felt he was a terrorist, but by the end, the movie seems to make up its mind that he was a freedom fighter, as well as making up the audiences mind for them. I was often torn over this issue. I found myself at times agreeing with his ideals and his cause, but at other times disagreeing and finding him to be a disturbing sociopath. One aspect I disagreed on was his philosophy that 'people should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people'. This makes no sense, because fear from any side only leads to more violence and more fear.

In the end, everyone needs to remember that this is a comic book movie and perhaps should not be scrutinized too harshly, or examined at nauseam. For those who do not seek political refuge in the film, there are still scenes of stylized action and some neat explosions to keep most interested.

Rarely am I in the middle of the road over a film. Walking out of the theater, I could not decide whether to recommend this film to people. I think I shall and let the audience make up their own minds. Although it was at times militant and possibly extremist, any movie that sparks debate like this and pulls me back and forth can't be a bad one. I would rather that then have no reaction at all.