Summary of 'V for Vendetta'

Since its launch in 2006, V for Vendetta has been at the centre of a heated debate. By dealing with crucial issues such as totalitarianism and revolution, the film makes us question not only our position in society and our presumed freedom of choice, but also the characters’. They apparently live normal lives, but are they really free to think and to decide for themselves?

History has a tendency to repeat itself.  One of humanity’s most popular ways of getting its point across is through violence.  When words are no longer enough to argue a point, human casualties not only directly solve the problem, but symbolically send a message to all those affected as well.  Just as the American colonies fought against the British for Freedom when their voice was no longer heard, and just as the Islamic extremists used terrorism to send an evil message to America, both V and Chancellor Sutler used violence to gain a voice in a world of chaos.

In the fictional reading of V for Vendetta, the totalitarian government is centralized and controlling. In the beginning, the government officials take advantage of their power. Throughout the reading, we learn about the government and its branching. People who work in “The Eye” are surveilling and ultimately making sure there is no type of rebellion. At “The Head” the leader stays in contact with the other institutions, “The Nose” and “The Ear”. All these come together creating a dictator. Using the theoretical lenses, there are some that I found interesting and caught my attention. Some of the lenses are easier to understand than others but relate to the story.

In the film V for Vendetta, the director, James McTeigue uses symbolism, costume and dialogue to emphasise the idea of everybody having a right to individuality, and the right - and duty – to resist forced conformism.

The film 'V for Vendetta' directed by James McTeigue addresses the idea of governmental authority and control in our society. One key scene where this is portrayed is in the opening, where Evey goes out to visit Gordon Deitrich after curfew. The futuristic landscape of a totalitarian England is displayed here, where the oppressive party in power have created a culture of fear to ensure the conformity of the citizens. However, in contrast, the final scene of the film where a crowd converges to watch Parliament blow up, illustrates a further idea. That when united, it is the people who have the power to change their society, through rebellion and political uprising.

2a) Describe the differences between the fascist Norsefire government’s and V’s anarchist view of a “healthy country.” How do Norsefire and V define the role of the government and the role of the citizen differently?

To continue, V for Vendetta was Allan Moore 's response to what he witnessed as a corrupt government under the rein of the late Margaret Thatcher. V for Vendetta is a graphic novel that demonstrates what would happen if humans fully committed themselves to the social contract, the law of nature, as illustrated by Thomas Hobbes. V for Vendetta is set in a

It has been established that what sets a human apart from an animal is the ability of reasoning. If animals rely on their instincts to hunt and to mate with other animals, then people are different as they use rationality or reasons. History would prove, from the Age of Civilization up to the 21st century, that the rationality of human beings is the driving force of so many changes that occur in the world. Ideas are the root of rationality or reasoning of the humans. Every human is composed of different ideas more than their physical appearance.

The citizens of Britain lack the ability to express themselves in a way that does not align with the ideology of High Chancellor Sutler. Therefore, minorities such as homosexuals, political dissenters, etc. are shunned and exterminated from society in a manner very similar to the acts of the Holocaust under Adolf Hitler. Moreover, V for Vendetta explores how governments can influence the minds of its citizens through propaganda. Dascombe, a member of the Norsefire party, says this when manipulating the events to present the government in a favourable light, “Our job is to report the news, not fabricate it. That’s the government’s job.” Thus, the role of the government in this fictional society is to use media to control the opinions and thoughts of the mass populace. Liberal governments are often characterised by the freedom of sharing ideas, which is what V attempts to restore. The film criticizes fascist regimes for silencing the voices of its citizens in order to achieve a compliant state. V’s public message includes the lines, “There are, of course, those who do not want us to speak…Why? Because while the truncheon may be used in lieu of conversation, words will always retain their power.” For the government and Sutler fear being criticized and opposed, as they assume that will lead to their downfall. To this extent, government police are specially deployed to arrest dissenters and do with

Of the many symbolic masks, the Guy Fawkes mask stands out as one of the most effective, often being used as a “masked identity” in order to make profound statements. Not only does this secret identity create more attention to the “masked one” but it also diverts attention to the cause rather than the identity. Literally using a mask, Fawkes was the main influence of the character “V”, in James McTeigue’s, V For Vendetta. V’s connections and motivations to Guy Fawkes, his attempt to justify himself as a terrorist, and V’s concealment of his true identity, collectively define the message that V conveys to his audience: to break parliament and take control of their own country.

It’s a title with a strong letter used as somewhat like a alliteration to exaggerate the ideas within this film, ‘V for Vendetta’, directed by James McTeigue, this defines what the true meaning of injustice which seems to be over exaggerated through action, sci-fi and thriller scenes. ‘V for Vendetta’ is a type of film where in a future, where there was a British tyranny or corruption in the government, a shadowy freedom fighter plots to overthrow it with the help of a young woman. This film shows the message of the best advice is to stop fighting it and embrace the fact that you have been given an opportunity if you chose to view it with a different set of eyes. And yet there will be many who miss this opportunity as they feel a false sense of security operating in the belief systems that harbor fear, anger and hate rather than letting go to face the very emotions that enslave them.This film uses fancy quotes or catch phrases, with a strong act of violence in acting around the main character(s), especially the protagonist ‘V’ and to the eventuality, ‘Evey’ at the end of the story. Special effects and the fanatical costume visuals (with the famous Guy Fawkes mask) all is used intently to make the audience with a tint of exhilarance, to make them think, what does this mean? What is the idea that V is trying to show in injustice? Through elements found in the film I’ve found that,......

2. Altieri, C. 2003. The particulars of rapture: An aesthetics of the affects, Ithaca, N.Y: Cornell University Press.

Symbols are used to signify values and ideas, carrying meaning beyond that which appears to be described. Political symbols, in particular, represent the ideals that define a society, and as such, are compelling forces. Some such symbols can be used to instill fear in people and subdue them to allow corrupt regimes to continue to asserting their dominance in a society and maintain control. In the face of such injustice and oppression, other political symbols can, arguably, carry an even greater value, as they can give strength to the marginalized, giving them an emblem under which they can express their ideals. Simple objects can hold such power since the ideas they symbolize are timeless, transcending a single

V for Vendetta is set in the future in England and it depicts the events following a major world war, terrorist attacks and large amounts of degradation within the nation and world. The government that is in power is at first shown as the standard postindustrial government that uses media to inform the people, and in most cases, spread their form of propaganda. The government prides itself in being efficient, in maintain control and the safety of its citizens. The film slowly shows how the government took power and how its use of power resembles a model like Weber’s. To take power, there had to be a party that could seize power, this is where the bottom line focus came in. The seizing power used fear, but they use of terrorist attacks committed by

V for Vendetta is a movie that immediately grasps the viewers attention. It has a tendency to seem twisted and dark. However, after examining the film more closely the themes began to emerge and started to make sense. V for Vendetta seems to align with Plato’s ideals making V’s actions seems less terroristic and begin to shape up to be that of a vigilante.