V for Vendetta movie: summary and analysis

V for Vendetta (V for Vendetta) is a science fiction film released in 2006 that is an adaptation of the homonymous graphic novel by Alan Moore and David Lloyd. The film was directed by James McTeigue and written by the Wachowski sisters.

The plot takes place in England, in a fictional future, when the country is oppressed under a dictatorial system. Meanwhile, a mysterious masked man appears with a desire for revenge and a desire for freedom.

Despite the years that have passed since its premiere, this cult work is capable of lasting over time. But why? What is the meaning of the movie? What's the reality in this dystopia?

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England is under a totalitarian system in which its citizens are controlled by a cruel tyrant, who managed to seize power after a war.

There lives Evey, a young journalist who works in a television channel manipulated by the government. One night, the girl's life is in danger when she finds herself on the street during a curfew. Then, a mysterious man who attends to the name of V appears to her rescue, which helps her get rid of the police.

V is dressed in black and wears a mask continuously that does not allow to guess his face. She is a guy who appears to spread terror, especially among the leaders, who are obsessed with finding her whereabouts at all costs.

Meanwhile, V proposes to the citizens to rebel against the iron system on November 5, the day of the death of Guy Fawkes. For this day, V has a plan: to blow up the Parliament of London. Until then, V does not hesitate to kill all those who not only hurt him in the past, but also those who are restricting the freedom of citizens.

Little by little Evey gets to know V, although not his face, and she becomes one of his greatest allies. after it helps you face his past and fight for a more just society and less corrupt.

Finally, despite the failed attempt by politicians to curb V's plans, the people decide to rise up. Thus, on November 5, the London Parliament is totally destroyed and V loses his life after having carried out his revenge.

Analysis

Sometimes we may be surprised to discover that certain science fiction movies released years ago predicted the future. Some of them even raised dystopian futures that today defy the present.

As the phrase “who forgets their history is condemned to repeat it” says. Is this movie an everlasting sign that serves to remind us not to forget?

It is clear that the last century witnessed great moments of cruelty and tyranny, possibly this film released in 2006 evoked a cruel past to turn it into an undesirable future. However, the discourse of fear becomes more and more present. For this reason, some dialogues contained in the film take on greater significance today.

But what can we learn from this cult movie? What lessons do we not have to forget?

The persuasive power of the media

What are the mass media for? What role do they have in the society posed in V for Vendetta?

One of the purposes of mass media is to report objectively about what is happening in the world. But, does informational impartiality exist? Can you find a basic editorial line or with specific experiences and context?

If there is something that reminds us of V for Vengeance, it is that there is a very fine line between the pretense of information and manipulation. In the movie, the government is using the country's main channel to hide reality from its citizens and promote, through it, a non-existent truth in order to create obedient inhabitants and nothing critics.

Today, there are more and more sources of misinformation. Although the possibilities of contrasting them grow, a new term resonates even more strongly, this is that of fake news. But who is behind these hoaxes? To what end?

What is clear is that we should not settle for every information, video or headline that appears on our screens. We must be critical and train ourselves in the recognition of this type of news, so that it cannot penetrate society.

Fear as a way to reach power

In the first minutes of the film, messages of hatred towards certain groups or customs emanate from the media led by politicians.

The film exposes a clear criticism of authoritarianism that, inevitably, leads us to reflect on some current messages that, in reality, come to camouflage the politics of fear. Because, fear has gone from being a feeling triggered by the feeling of danger to being a political weapon and social control.

How did Adam Sutler come to power in this film? A war frightened the population. The dictator was involved in the creation of a concentration camp where biological weapons, in the form of viruses, were used on people locked there for their ideals or conditions. Among them V, the only one who managed to survive.

Later, Adam Sutler broadcast a "saving" speech that struck a people succumbed by fear, promising a cure for the virus that he himself had spread. And what was the result?

Adam Sutler came to power, and then medicine happened by chance. Since then, all of his acts were allegedly justified to "safeguard the safety of the people." His message uses fear and dynamite dialogue. Today it is important to remember the power of the word against permissiveness:

There are, of course, people who do not want us to talk. I suspect that at this moment, they will be giving orders over the phone and that armed men are already on their way. Why? Because while force can be used, why dialogue?

However, the words will always retain their power, the word makes it possible for something to take on meaning and if they are heard, they enunciate the truth. "

Freedom, revenge and justice

Who is V? What is he up to? On the one hand, V is a character that represents being aware of the world around him. He is a subject who represents individual freedom and defends collective freedom.

On the other hand, the character of V is inspired by the historical figure of Guy Fawkes who, in the year 1605, he was intercepted in a gunpowder-laden tunnel, under Parliament, to assassinate the king Jacobo I. The events occurred on November 5, which is why V intends to blow up Parliament this very day and invites the people to reveal themselves against the government.

V, carries out criminal acts to free his country from tyranny and avenge the events that occurred in the concentration camps. Also, with this, he wants to do justice. But in any case, is the violence justified? Are the crimes he commits acceptable?

From indifference to revolution

As we have wondered who V really is, it is interesting to also take into account the character of Evey. Well, behind this, concepts such as impassivity arise.

The evolution of this character walks from indifference to revolution and this is very interesting. Could it be that this Evey is a metaphor about the passive role that citizens sometimes have in the world?

Evey learns to look at the world around her critically, to rebel against a system that restricts her freedom. Because, as she concludes in one of her dialogues towards the end of the film:

Our integrity is worth so little... but it is all we have, it is the last centimeter that remains of us, if we safeguard that centimeter, we are free.

Symbology and significance

The mask is, without a doubt, one of the most transcendental symbols of this film. The mask is inspired by the face of Guy Fawkes and covers the enigmatic countenance of V. But what does it represent? What has been its impact?

Only with the fact of referring to the face of Guy Fawkes can we imagine that the mask is a revolutionary symbol. At the beginning of the film, the mask only identifies V, however, little by little this icon becomes a sign of individual identity to become the personification of an ideal when other citizens use it as an emblem of resistance against a government oppressor. Thus, as the protagonist indicates to one of his adversaries:

Under this mask there is something more than flesh and blood. Beneath this mask are ideals, Mr. Creedy. And those ideals are bulletproof.

The mask of v for Vendetta it has crossed the screen to become a symbol that identifies some groups that carry out activist actions. On the other hand, the use of a mask as a symbol of identity has also been seen in recent productions such as the Spanish series The Money Heist although, in this case, the face of the mask is Salvador Dalí.

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Movie allusions

During the two hours of feature film, different references appear literary, cinematographic, quotes some historical events and certain pieces of music. These allusions complete the message and even serve as a trigger. Let's see what these references are:

• Literary: the character of V is a follower of William Shakespeare for this reason, sometimes in his dialogues, he uses texts from the writer's theatrical works. On the other hand, the film establishes certain parallels with the novel by 1984 by George Orwell.
• Cinematographic: the movie The Count of Monte Cristo (1934), by Rowland V. Lee, it turns out to be the protagonist's favorite movie, in fact, a scene from this tape appears on V's television.
• Historical: The allusion to the so-called “gunpowder conspiracy” carried out on November 5, 1605, in which Guy Fawkes participated, is clear. Likewise, there are also allusions to Nazism and its symbolism.
• Musicals: at the beginning of the film the composition is present Overture 812 by Tchaikovsky, a piece that was created to commemorate the Russian resistance of 1812 against Napoleon Bonaparte.

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• George Orwell novel 1984
• William Shakespeare

Main characters

• V (Hugo Weaving): is a mysterious man who hides his face with a mask that has the face of Guy Fawkes and is dressed in dark clothes. In the past he was tortured in a concentration camp, which he managed to survive after a fire. Since then, V plans to do justice with his own hands. Even if this means murdering those who repress society.
• Evey Hammond (Natalie Portman): he is one more citizen in a society dominated by a totalitarian regime. Evey suffered the loss of her parents in the past, who tried to defend her rights as activists. He works in the television network as a journalist and, although at first he lives according to his own accord, he finally fights for justice after meeting V, with whom he falls in love.
• Eric Finch (Stephen Rea): he is an inspector who is entrusted to follow V's trail when he begins to commit crimes. Eventually, he discovers the massive crime carried out by the government he works for.
• Adam Sutler (John Hurt): embodies the dictator of Great Britain, a man who belongs to the Nordic Fire party.
• Roger Allan (Lewis Prothero): presenter of the BTN channel who appears on television spreading hateful messages towards different groups. He is the voice of the government in the media.
• Peter Creedy (Tim Pigott- Smith): he is a member of the Nordic Fire party and Britain's secret police.

Trailer

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