| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Administrator |
Posted - 11/02/2005 : 20:11:24
Many of you film enthusiasts will be aware of the upcoming film "V for Vendetta", based on the Alan Moore graphic novel and adapted for the screen by the Wachowski brothers who did the "Matrix" trilogy.
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 on November 5th 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.
The original "V" character was based on Guy Fawkes, and the tenets he held true are similarly held by "V". Several months ago the Gunpowder Plot Society was approached by producers compiling the extras for the film when it eventually comes to DVD (release date at cinema's is now March 2006). We are presently acting as consultants to the producers and as information becomes available, we will release more details here on the forums. |
| 5 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Storm |
Posted - 07/19/2006 : 15:51:44
Hi, MaxMarie, welcome to the forum. Don't feel too bad about being a forum invader, this place gets little enough activity of any kind! |
| MaxMarie |
Posted - 07/17/2006 : 17:43:21
I loved the film. But perhaps my critique is not so objective. I have a weakness for comic book films. The Crow, Batman, Superman, Spiderman. And now V.
I liked this bit though:
*********
It is in this context that we come to V for Vendetta. As Alan Moore wrote in his behind-the-scenes article "Behind the Painted Smile":
The big breakthrough [regarding what the character of V should look and act like] was all Dave's, much as it sickens me to admit it. More remarkable still, it was all contained in one single letter that he'd dashed off the top of his head . . . I transcribe the relevant portions beneath:
"Re. The script: While I was writing this, I had this idea about the hero, which is a bit redundant now we've got (can't read this next bit) but nonetheless . . . I was thinking, why don't we portray him as a resurrected Guy Fawkes, complete with one of those papier mache masks, in a cape and conical hat? He'd look really bizarre and it would give Guy Fawkes the image he's deserved all these years. We shouldn't burn the chap every Nov. 5th but celebrate his attempt to blow up Parliament!"
The moment I read these words, two things occurred to me. Firstly, Dave was obviously a lot less sane than I hitherto believed him to be, and secondly, this was the best idea I'd ever heard in my entire life. All of the various fragments in my head suddenly fell into place, united behind the single image of a Guy Fawkes mask.
I think I have become one of those forum invaders that I really dislike.
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| Administrator |
Posted - 03/19/2006 : 17:44:50
I saw the film myself on the opening night and a review is in the works. While I agree with you on the opening scene of Fawkes' capture and execution, it was done more for dramatic effect. What I will be looking at in the review is the symbolism in the film and how it pertains to the actual Gunpowder Plot. |
| Storm |
Posted - 03/19/2006 : 17:17:29
Well, I saw the film yesterday. In terms of the overall plot, it was really just Nineteen Eighty-Four redrafted for the post-Thatcherism era. Don't get me wrong, it's still enthralling for all that, it's just after you've watched it you'll probably get the feeling you saw it all last time you watched Blake's 7.
I think the acting was quite dodgy, at least in the first half an hour. As Evey, Natalie Portman does a passable English Rose accent, but she can't quite get the manner of an English girl right; in emotional moments Evey sounds very American in the force she puts into her lines, even though the accent sounds English.
Similarly, some of the dialogue isn't written too carefully. The writers have done the right thing in as much as the colloquial slang is British rather than American, but there's still too much of it and written with the kind of forcefulness you'd get in L.A., not in London. People are saying, "Damn it!" at the tops of their voices far too often to be Brits. It's clear in the early stages of the movie that some of the actors are feeling a bit awkward, although they seem to get used to it eventually.
Top acting credits go to John Hurt (has he ever acted badly in his life?), and to Stephen Fry for proving he really can do a serious role if he puts his mind to it.
So, onto the details more relevant to this site; -
The portrayal of Fawkes' arrest at the beginning was painfully inaccurate. (This was probably just for dramatic effect, but I still feel uneasy when movies do things like that.) They had him arrested while he was carting the powder into Parliament's cellars, when in truth he'd gotten that done weeks earlier, they had him resisting arrest by drawing a sword and fighting the palace guards, when in truth he surrendered straight away and tried to bareface his way out of it by claiming to be 'John Johnson', and when he was hanged, there was no sign whatsoever that he'd been through days of blood-curdling torture.
Folks, don't watch this film if you want a history lesson!
But do watch it if you're looking for politically-insightful entertainment, there's no denying it does a fair job of that. |
| Administrator |
Posted - 11/21/2005 : 01:13:42
I was in California this weekend to meet with Josh Oreck and do an interview for one of the DVD supplemental documentaries for the DVD release of "V for Vendatta". The film is scheduled for cinema release on March 17, 2006.
Josh has secured some excellent footage of the Lewes 400th anniversary celebrations which will be included and is presently arranging interviews in England for the new year. |
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