V for Vendetta (2005)

User Rating:

8.2/10   

Director:

James McTeigue

Writers (WGA):

Andy Wachowski (screenplay) &
Larry Wachowski (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

17 March 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Remember, remember the 5th of November, the gun powder treason and plot. I know of no reason why the gun powder treason should ever be forgot.

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Government | Terrorist | Fascist | Freedom | Fight

Awards:

3 wins & 16 nominations

Cast

Natalie Portman	...	Evey
Hugo Weaving	...	V
Stephen Rea	...	Inspector 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)

Also Known As:

V for Vendetta: At the IMAX (UK) (IMAX version)
V for Vendetta: The IMAX Experience (USA) (IMAX version)
V wie Vendetta (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence and some language.

Runtime:

132 min

Country:

USA | UK | Germany

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS | Sonics-DDP (IMAX prints)

Certification:

UK:15 | Australia:MA | Ireland:15A | Finland:K-15 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Malaysia:18SG | Sweden:15 | Canada:14A (British Columbia/Ontario) | Portugal:M/16 | New Zealand:R13 | Argentina:16 | Italy:T | Brazil:16 | Israel:PG | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Japan:PG-12 | Chile:Y7 | Colombia:12 | Greece:K-17 | Iceland:16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | France:U (with warning) | South Korea:15 | Singapore:M18 (video rating) (cut) | Singapore:NC-16 (theatrical release) (edited version) | USA:R (certificate #42210) | India:A (cinema release)

Filming Locations:

Aldwych Underground Station, Aldwych, Holborn, London, England, UK

Company:

Silver Pictures

Trivia:

All of the models (the Old Bailey, the Clock Tower and the Houses of Parliament) were built at tenth scale, and together, they took 20 people 10 weeks to build.

Goofs:

Continuity: While Evey is preparing for her night with Dietrich, when she stands up to put her dress on, she takes the clips out of her hair that were holding her bangs back. In the next shot, her bangs are pulled back again, and alternate between being pulled back and let down, until they are left forward, when she turns off the TV.

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...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Take (2008/I)

Soundtrack:

The Duel

This is one of the best films I have ever seen...

...I am well aware that my summary line invites several retorts, and given the nature of my comment those retorts may very well be resoundingly, unanimously negative. If I say "This is one of the Best films I have ever seen..." One would think the immediate response would be, "Then you must not have seen many films in your time, dear boy." Butoh I have, and it has been far too long since there has been something up on that screen in the darkened theater that I enter to leave this boring, monotonous existence that had the capacity to inspire. To see the possibilities of what might be, what could never be, and what could happen if the leaders of the world keep things going in the directions that they are headed. V For Vendetta is just a film, yes? But it is also a wake up call of which there are not enough in this time we live in. It speaks directly to the hardship that we endure but seldom take notice of because we are distracted by things that do not matter...upon leaving the theater I saw people, teenagers mostly, the very people who should be pro-actively questioning the methodical erosion of this thing called government in the modern age, react with complete apathy. Most try so hard to be so outwardly different from the rest that they do not realize that in doing this they become just like everyone else; oblivious. We as a society do not want to see films like this, we do not want to acknowledge the atrocities going on in the world, all we want to do is play our video games, watch reality television, spend our money on clothes, jewelry, entertainment. Things that for all intents and purposes we do not need. These are the distractions that keep society from pondering in the wee hours of the night what they can do to prevent true injustice. The evils committed by those that govern are far worse than any fiction the cinema can dazzle us with these days. Yes this is a truly great film and one that I will cherish for a long time. I can only hope that its message finds a wide audience that is open to seeing things from another perspective, in a uniquely human light. In the end that is what the film is about...being human. Having the capacity to choose weather or not to recognize the evils of society and take a stand to make things better than they are. The film of course takes this idea to extremes but for the viewing public dramatic examples are needed to awake them from this artificially induced state of being we call existence and say, "I see there is wrong, and it is my duty as a human being to do what I can to make it right." To the makers of this unique and wonderful film, I salute you.