I saw a GREAT movie last night! But before I tell you about it, let me give you some background....
As has been posted before, I'm a GEEK... A big Geek. A "one-time" comic book geek. I was really hooked on DC Comics and absolutely loved the Vertigo line. One of the first "radical" comics I read was a little ditty called The Watchmen. A great take on the whole superhero genre written by the great Alan Moore. A few years later I saw that DC was going to publish another Alan Moore creation that had been published in a British Comic Book magazine in 8 page shorts. This was tale of England in the not to distant future. An England that hates America due to our politics, our wars, and our "acceptance" of bad cultures.... This was the world that V for Vendetta takes place in and I loved all 10 issues that DC published. Even better, the original was in black and white and, even though Ted Turner did it first, DC decided to get the original artist David Lloyd to color the artwork so they fit into the US comic book world better (and DC did a much better than Turner did with the movies).
So, imagine my delight that DC gave the go ahead to make this great comic book maxi-series into a movie... And not just any movie, but the Wachowski Brothers from the Matrix movies were going to write the screen play and possibly direct. Wow! How could this be bad???? Or would they completely screw up the ideas held within the pages. The ideas that people in government do what they do not necessarily for the good of the people of their country but for the forwarding of their own agendas and pocketbooks and egos. Would I be disappointed?
Not in the least!
People should not be afraid of their Governments. Governments should be afraid of their People.
Now a lot of people will go to watch this movie and their response will be, "The Wachowski's and just using the screen to slam the Bush administration." The central theme of the story is that repressive governments will always be eventually overthrown by the people they oppress and there are a lot of references to a corrupt American Government, Avian flu, an ongoing American War. What a lot of people won't realize, or won't bother to find out, is that the story was written in the early 1980's (not in the past 6 years) and was a response to the governments of England and the US under Thatcher and Reagan. What's scary is that it seems all too relevant now... And maybe that what will bother those who boohoo the movie. And besides, the Wachowski's didn't end up directing the movie, their second unit director, James McTeigue, from the Matrix movies did, and the brother's influence is felt in the movie but it isn't their movie.
What was so great about the movie? Well, one thing is that you will just have to experience the movie for yourself to fully understand, but the Cinematography, the Panel Replication from the pages of the comic, the directing, THE CASTING... They all leave you breathless in the end. I really appreciate who they cast in the two main characters. V was played by Hugo Weaving, from Matrix and LOTR fame. You NEVER see his face in the entire movie but his ability to make you believe that a mask is talking, that you could have sworn that you saw him talk, is amazing. The other main character, Evey, is played by Natalie Portman in role much juicer and fuller than anything she did as Amidala. She transforms so completely from the scared waif in the beginning to the hard as steel, broken down and rebuilt ambassador of chaos and anarchy in the end that she deserves to be recognized in some way for her role.
I could go on and on about the plot lines and the way the story weaves in the past and hints of the future and the brutal torture of a lonely soul but I won't because you need to experience this movie for yourself and make your own decisions about if the lessons taught and learned apply to us or not.
I do have one other observation though.... Alan Moore, the writer of the comic version of V for Vendetta did not want his name attached to the movie. He pulled his approval of the movie some time after the movie went into production. I can understand his reservations. Like most movies based on a former book, the movie is not a fully faithful translation of the story he laid out. Events are moved, especially the opening sequence of the comic. In the movie it is the ending of the movie. Some important plot point are missing, like how Larkham explodes... they never tell you that in the movie. I'm sure he was upset that they didn't stick closer to his storyline.... BUT.... The movie is faithful to the basic story and plots and ideas he placed into his comic. I think that if he ever gives the movie a chance to stand on its own merits, he will eventually appreciate it.
So who did help with the movie? Well the comic artist, David Lloyd, is credited in the closing credits as the creator of the Comic. Just him and I understand that he really likes what the movies creators have brought to the screen.
And I would have to enthusiastically agree! Bravo Boys! And you are right V, why should the Gunpowder Treason should ever be forgot. Now, where's my mask?
As has been posted before, I'm a GEEK... A big Geek. A "one-time" comic book geek. I was really hooked on DC Comics and absolutely loved the Vertigo line. One of the first "radical" comics I read was a little ditty called The Watchmen. A great take on the whole superhero genre written by the great Alan Moore. A few years later I saw that DC was going to publish another Alan Moore creation that had been published in a British Comic Book magazine in 8 page shorts. This was tale of England in the not to distant future. An England that hates America due to our politics, our wars, and our "acceptance" of bad cultures.... This was the world that V for Vendetta takes place in and I loved all 10 issues that DC published. Even better, the original was in black and white and, even though Ted Turner did it first, DC decided to get the original artist David Lloyd to color the artwork so they fit into the US comic book world better (and DC did a much better than Turner did with the movies).
So, imagine my delight that DC gave the go ahead to make this great comic book maxi-series into a movie... And not just any movie, but the Wachowski Brothers from the Matrix movies were going to write the screen play and possibly direct. Wow! How could this be bad???? Or would they completely screw up the ideas held within the pages. The ideas that people in government do what they do not necessarily for the good of the people of their country but for the forwarding of their own agendas and pocketbooks and egos. Would I be disappointed?
Not in the least!
People should not be afraid of their Governments. Governments should be afraid of their People.
Now a lot of people will go to watch this movie and their response will be, "The Wachowski's and just using the screen to slam the Bush administration." The central theme of the story is that repressive governments will always be eventually overthrown by the people they oppress and there are a lot of references to a corrupt American Government, Avian flu, an ongoing American War. What a lot of people won't realize, or won't bother to find out, is that the story was written in the early 1980's (not in the past 6 years) and was a response to the governments of England and the US under Thatcher and Reagan. What's scary is that it seems all too relevant now... And maybe that what will bother those who boohoo the movie. And besides, the Wachowski's didn't end up directing the movie, their second unit director, James McTeigue, from the Matrix movies did, and the brother's influence is felt in the movie but it isn't their movie.
What was so great about the movie? Well, one thing is that you will just have to experience the movie for yourself to fully understand, but the Cinematography, the Panel Replication from the pages of the comic, the directing, THE CASTING... They all leave you breathless in the end. I really appreciate who they cast in the two main characters. V was played by Hugo Weaving, from Matrix and LOTR fame. You NEVER see his face in the entire movie but his ability to make you believe that a mask is talking, that you could have sworn that you saw him talk, is amazing. The other main character, Evey, is played by Natalie Portman in role much juicer and fuller than anything she did as Amidala. She transforms so completely from the scared waif in the beginning to the hard as steel, broken down and rebuilt ambassador of chaos and anarchy in the end that she deserves to be recognized in some way for her role.
I could go on and on about the plot lines and the way the story weaves in the past and hints of the future and the brutal torture of a lonely soul but I won't because you need to experience this movie for yourself and make your own decisions about if the lessons taught and learned apply to us or not.
I do have one other observation though.... Alan Moore, the writer of the comic version of V for Vendetta did not want his name attached to the movie. He pulled his approval of the movie some time after the movie went into production. I can understand his reservations. Like most movies based on a former book, the movie is not a fully faithful translation of the story he laid out. Events are moved, especially the opening sequence of the comic. In the movie it is the ending of the movie. Some important plot point are missing, like how Larkham explodes... they never tell you that in the movie. I'm sure he was upset that they didn't stick closer to his storyline.... BUT.... The movie is faithful to the basic story and plots and ideas he placed into his comic. I think that if he ever gives the movie a chance to stand on its own merits, he will eventually appreciate it.
So who did help with the movie? Well the comic artist, David Lloyd, is credited in the closing credits as the creator of the Comic. Just him and I understand that he really likes what the movies creators have brought to the screen.
And I would have to enthusiastically agree! Bravo Boys! And you are right V, why should the Gunpowder Treason should ever be forgot. Now, where's my mask?
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