Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #962 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-07-31
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 133 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
"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

Synopsis
From DC comics and the Wachowski Brothers (THE MATRIX) comes this tale of revolution in an England of the future, one that has become fearful and fascist; anyone different, from homosexuals to free thinking artists are black bagged and subjected to torture and inhumane medical experiments. Hugo Weaving stars as V, the mysterious masked avenger who carries knives, has lightning reflexes, lots of explosives, and intentions to blow up Parliament. He's also on a vendetta against the evil powermongers who made him the lonely monster he is. Innocent waif Evey Hammond (Natalie Portman) is saved by V and winds up hiding out in his nifty secret lair, which is filled with forbidden books, art and a jukebox that plays Cat Power and Julie London's 'Cry Me a River'. Meanwhile there's a hangdog police inspector (Stephen Rea) picking up their trail, and a plethora of evil British government types regularly bullied into action by the intensely odious Grand Chancellor (John Hurt). Director James McTiegue keeps all these events unfolding at a hypnotically rhythmic pace, like the burning of a long, unstoppable fuse. Some may balk at the film's seemingly pro-explosive, pro-terrorist stance, but to look deeper is to realise the film merely provides a funhouse mirror of our actual messed up world, something that is true of all the best science fiction. V certainly fits that category, especially with Natalie Portman in the lead, as lovely and riveting an actress as a beleaguered nation could ever hope for.

Customer Reviews

Really more of a 3.5
There are good aspects to this film. And then there are bad. The good includes the story (set in the future where the government controls the population, removing privelidges such as freedom, food, opposition), the twists and turns in the plot, the filming (its spectacular to the eyes if nothing else), and certain characters and actors playing those roles (Stephen Fry, for example). However, the first 30 minutes of this film, though full of action, failed to grip me (maybe there should have been an explanation at the start about what was going on exactly), Natalie Portman's acting failed to convince me (and I'm a fan of hers usually!), the love story between the two main characters was bizarre, and sometimes it becomes rather difficult to work out exactly what is going on. It's a good film, but had the potential to be so much better. Hope they may do a re-make in 20 years or so that would be worthy of a 5 star rating.

Pretty dire
This is definitely a case of too many cooks...
Hardly anyone escapes with their reputation intact.

It's hard to know where to start with this film, nothing feels quite cooked. The plot makes no sense, the dialogue is pretentious and ridiculous and the acting varies wildly.
To be fair Hugo Weaving does his best, but locked behind a mask he's largely wasted. Natalie Portman is game but her accent slips all over the place and she's required to betray and assist V randomly to suit the plot, there isn't really a consistent character there for her to get hold of.

The Wachowskis should hang their heads in shame, they've added to the dreadful Alan Moore movie canon. The action seems seem beamed in from another movie (specifically the Matrix), and the twists and ending are unconvincing and poorly staged.

As mentioned in other reviews the two Stephens (Rea and Fry) get away from this mess with their credibility intact.

Avoid! What on earth will Watchmen be like?

something lost in translation?
OK, cards on the table: I am a big admirer of the original comic. I think my disappointment comes not from some crazy notion that to mess with even one word of the book is HERESY, but rather that the transition from one form to another has done no favours.

It was always going to be a battle to make it work - the film clocks in at 2 hours and even then great swaths of plot are absent, whole plots/sub plots in some cases. I don't mind that, but the sadness for me was the end-affect on the character of 'V'who, in the book at least, is a very beguiling and ambiguous individual. Simply, not enough of his 'story' and the events he creates in the book, made it through unscathed onto the screen.

I also had some trouble with the re-arrangement of people/events - most of all V's TV 'lecture' which is a central point midway in the book but here gets short-shrift right at the start. The other thing that I felt was missing - the emphasis on V and the technology he hi-jacks: I wondered what people seeing the film but not having read the book would think.

What I can say with certainty is that: if you liked the film and thought there's was some sort of larger thinking under it all - you are right. But you'll have to go to Alan Moore's original book to find it. He didn't think the book could be made into a film, which is reason why you don't see his name anywhere on it...

Definitely worth a look though - visually they got it spot on in many instances.