FORGOTTEN |
With the Oscar season here and the summer movie season fast
approaching, I wanted to talk about a film I think fits into both. Now comic book films are usually
shrugged off as just popcorn fluff. Most
times, they are. To this day,
however, there hasn’t been a comic book film that has challenged me
intellectually more than V For Vendetta.
It is one of the most intelligently made, beautifully shot, well
performed films of the genre. But
sadly for some reason, it is FORGOTTEN.
V For Vendetta plot revolves around a knife wielding masked
terrorist/freedom fighter trying to take down an oppressive British government
in the not too distant future. I
put terrorist/freedom fighter because the film blurs the line between the two. It makes you question the
difference and presents the perspective of people on either side of the
chaos. Some would argue that the
character of V is clearly the hero and the government is bad. However, when you really get into the
specifics of V’s acts, it is hard to paint him as a true blue hero. Even an antihero for that matter. Robin Hood robbed from the rich and
gave to the poor. V is out for
vengeance, admittedly so. He kills in cold
blood. He kills innocents. He kidnaps. He tortures. He
does whatever it takes to accomplish his goals. You might say the ends justify his means, but his acts seen
through a different spectrum can easily be construed as terror. That is why I love this film. It can be dissected and analyzed even
to this day. The Avengers is my favorite comic book movie of all time,
however, V For Vendetta is much meatier when it comes to substance.
Comic book legend Alan Moore is famous for angrily dismissing
and disavowing any adaptations of his work.
This is thanks primarily to the abysmal League Of Extraordinary Gentleman. I wish he’d take a
slightly lighter stance on this though.
It might be easy for me to say but, films aren’t bad solely because the
filmmakers take liberties with the source material. I detest Michael Bay’s Transformer films and Marc Webb’s
Amazing Spider-Man not just because they changed things. I detest them because they are poorly
written, horribly performed, lowest common denominator catering tripe. Their changes weren’t done to add
anything new or stimulating to the material. They were made for convenience sake. The same cannot be said for V For
Vendetta. Yes, V is a warmer character
in the film than he was in the comic book. However, I think that makes him even more complicated when
compared to the coldness of his methods.
Yes, the fascist vs. anarchist theme was more liberal vs.
neo-conservatism. However, that is
a lot timelier for today’s political atmosphere and still has the nod to the fascist's ideas of purity from the comic book. My point
being that the alterations made in V For Vendetta do not weaken it as a story. It merely updates it.
The Wachowskis, the source material meddlers in this case,
exist in a weird place for me as a film fan. I was highly disappointed with their conclusion of The Matrix trilogy, but still respect the fact they always take crazy chances. They entrusted the directing duties to
long time collaborator James McTeigue, while staying on to write and
produce. However, their
fingerprints are still all over this picture. Finding and concentrating on the heart of their cinematic worlds
is a common Wachowski m.o.. Where
a film like V For Vendetta could have just fallen into the basic action vehicle
cliché, the Wachowskis don’t let it.
There are genuinely moving moments in the film that still stun me. The action scenes are terrific, but
always serve as a tool to tell the story.
Not the other way around.
Before The Dark Knight came along, V For Vendetta was my choice for best ensemble cast performance in a comic book film. Strange category, I know. However, it
is always a relief and a thrill for me when I see great talent trying to do
great work in a genre film such as a comic book movie. It thrilled me in History Of Violence,
it thrilled me in The Dark Knight, and it thrilled me in V For Vendetta. It is still a common misconception that
the genre should be treated the way Schumacher treated Batman. But there can be some amazing work
turned in with the cape and cowl subset.
For example, this is by far my favorite performance by Hugo
Weaving. Yes, even more than his
iconic Agent Smith. Odd, seeing as
we never see his face and that he was a last second replacement for James
Purefoy. Despite his Oscar, I’d
put Weaving’s V right up there with Ledger’s Joker. To accomplish the subtleties of V’s rage, anguish, humor and
theatricality through an emotionless mask with only a voice is no small feat. Portman, who I’ve loved since Leon: The Professional, seems
to be playing a stereotypical damsel at first. Much like she did in Thor. However, Evey has the strongest arc in the film. Her performance highpoint happens
during the film's big twist. Her
emotional journey during the four minute long scene hints at the Oscar caliber
performance she had in her in the years to come. Other than the leads, you have stellar supporting
performances from John Hurt, Stephen Fry, Roger Allam, and the unsung anchor of the
film, Stephen Rea. There is
absolutely no phoning it in here.
V For Vendetta doesn't get nearly as much love as it should. Even from it's creator. It seems to get misplaced amongst it's lesser comic book movie brethren For me, however, it is a film that shall never be FORGOT. Remember, remember...to watch it....then tell me I'm wrong.
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