V for Vendetta (2005)

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.

Director:

James McTeigue

Writers:

Andy Wachowski (screenplay), Lana Wachowski (screenplay),

Stars:

Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Rea

Top 250 #162 | 4 wins & 17 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Natalie Portman	...	Evey
Hugo Weaving	...	V
Stephen Rea	...	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)

Storyline

The futuristic tale unfolds in a Great Britain that's a fascist state. A freedom fighter known as V uses terrorist tactics to fight the oppressive society. He rescues a young woman from the secret police, and she becomes his unlikely ally.

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Plot Keywords:

government | terrorist | freedom | police | secret police | 

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Taglines:

People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.

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Genres:

Action | Fantasy | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence and some language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Warner Bros [fr]

Country:

USA UK Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 March 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

V for Vendetta: The IMAX Experience

Filming Locations:

Güterfelde, Stahnsdorf, Brandenburg, Germany

Box Office

Budget:

$54,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$117,499 (Turkey) (7 April 2006)

Gross:

$70,496,802 (USA) (23 June 2006)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros, Virtual Studios, Silver Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

132 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS Sonics-DDP (IMAX version)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Madam Justice is often depicted wearing a blindfold to represent justice that does not see, and cannot be biased or discriminatory in any way. This film shows the statue of Justice that has stood above the Old Bailey criminal courts since 1907, which is not blindfolded.

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Goofs

The newspaper articles throughout the film include several headlines. Under these headlines, the articles are repeating text with virtually no correspondence with the headlines. This is possibly a tribute/reference to the original comic book, as that medium frequently uses repeating text to "represent" newspaper articles.

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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. But who was he really? What was he like? We are told to remember the idea, not the man, because a man can fail. He can be caught, he can be killed and forgotten, but 400 years later, an idea can still ...

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Crazy Credits

Like "Batman Begins", the opening Warner Bros. logo is gray on a gray sky.

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Connections

Referenced in England Prevails: V for Vendetta and the New Wave in Comics (2006)

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Soundtracks

"Bird Gerhl"
Written by Antony Hegarty
Performed by Antony and the Johnsons
Courtesy of Secretly Canadian, Inc.

User Reviews

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