V for Vendetta is a 2006 film set in a futuristic London, and follows V, a freedom fighter, who uses terrorist tactics in pursuit of both a personal vendetta and sociopolitical change in a dystopian future Britain. The film was directed by James McTeigue and produced by Joel Silver and the Wachowski brothers, who also wrote the screenplay. The film stars Natalie Portman as Evey Hammond, Hugo Weaving as V as well as Stephen Rea as Finch and John Hurt as Chancellor Sutler. The film was an adaptation of the graphic novel V for Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd.
| V for Vendetta | |
|---|---|
 V for Vendetta film poster | |
| Directed by | James McTeigue |
| Written by | The Wachowski brothers (script) |
| Produced by | Joel Silver The Wachowski brothers |
| Starring | Natalie Portman Hugo Weaving Stephen Rea John Hurt and Stephen Fry |
| Music by | Dario Marianelli |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release dates | March 17, 2006 |
Running time | 132 mins. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $54 million (US)[1] |
After the release date of November 5, 2005 was delayed, the film opened in conventional as well as IMAX theatres on March 17, 2006.
Synopsis
The story opens with the recounting of Guy Fawkes and his attempt to destroy the British Parliament, which was prevented by his arrest on 5 November 1605. The narrative moves to present day (November 4, the year isn't specified, but is probably around 2039) where government spokesman Lewis Prothero gives a speech showing England to be ruled by a religiously fascist regime.
Evey Hammond, a young woman who breaks curfew, is caught on the street by members of the secret police, known as "fingermen." They are about to rape Evey when a man dressed in black, wearing a Guy Fawkes mask and armed with a set of daggers, intervenes by either incapacitating or killing the fingermen. The man introduces himself to Evey as V and takes her to a London rooftop to show her an event. As the clock strikes midnight at the start of the fifth of November, Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture" begins playing through the city's PA system and the citizens of London go outside, astounded, to listen to the symphony. In the symphony's climax, the Old Bailey is blown up in a spectacular display of fireworks.
The Norsefire regime, the totalitarian regime of Britain headed by High Chancellor Adam Sutler, explains the destruction of The Old Bailey as a voluntary act of emergency demolition on the part of the government. The police are also dispatched to find Evey, who was identified based on closed-circuit television images showing her in the company of V.
Later on during the day (November 5th), V takes control of the state controlled British Television Network (BTN) by threatening to bomb it. V plays a recorded message in which he declares that he was responsible for the destruction of the Old Bailey, and urges the populace to take a look at their government and rise up with him a year from today, on 5 November 2040, when he will destroy the Parliament building. Coincidentally, Evey works at the BTN. The police under Chief Inspector Eric Finch arrive at the BTN originally with the intent of arresting Evey, but ends up dealing with V instead. V is soon stopped by Lt. Dominic at gunpoint, but Evey maces the officer. Evey is rendered unconscious by the detective, who is himself subdued by V. V takes the unconscious Evey with him.
Evey awakens in V's underground lair, the "Shadow Gallery", which is richly stocked with literature and works of art that he has "reclaimed" from the censors. He explains to her that she will need to remain with him for the next year, because even the limited information she has about him could conceivably allow the police to locate his den.
V begins killing people, starting with Lewis Prothero, the Norsefire talking head. Finch tries to deduce V's identity based on his victim selection. Finch begins to suspect a cover-up, as the victims all appear to be tied to a former detention facility, whose records are conspicuously absent from the government archives. Evey spends an indeterminate amount of time with V, learning, among other things, that he has been heavily scarred in a fire. She eventually volunteers to assist V in one of his missions, apparently in order to escape. She dresses as a young girl to gain access to a bishop with a fetish for young girls. This makes V's assault possible, but when V attacks the bishop, Evey flees. She hides with Gordon Dietrich, one of her former superiors at BTN, whom Evey had planned to meet before she was attacked at the beginning of the film. He shows her his collection of contraband and reveals that he is a closeted homosexual who has been forced underground by the Norsefire regime; he tells her that if his house is ever searched, the charge of harboring a fugitive will be the least of his problems, and invites her to stay.
Finch's investigation proceeds, albeit slowly. Speaking with the coroner about one of V's victims, he mentions that V has been leaving a rose with each victim. Recalling that the coroner had once been a botanist, he shows her one of the flowers. She appears rattled, but passes it off by saying that she had thought that breed of rose extinct. At night she is awakened by the appearance of V in her bedroom; she knows V's identity and apologizes to him before V kills her. Finch, having just discovered that the last surviving senior officer from the detention facility is actually the coroner, hurries to her home, but arrives too late to save her. Finch finds and reads her diary, and brings it to the Norsefire council, where Sutler commands him to destroy it and forget its contents. The diary tells the story of the detention camp's medical experiments, which were focused on germ warfare. Almost all of the prisoners died from the experiments. But one, housed in cell 5 (marked with a Roman numeral "V"), not only survived the experiments but appeared to gain unusual strength and agility. He apparently destroys the camp through some type of explosion and escapes.
Gordon produces an episode of his show that mocks both the V plot and the Chancellor, reasoning that his popularity will protect him from any truly dreadful consequences. When the police raid his house anyway and attack Gordon, Evey escapes, but is captured by a man in a police commando's uniform. She is held prisoner, shaved, tortured, and interrogated for information concerning V but refuses to divulge anything. She derives strength from a letter she finds hidden in the cell wall. It is the autobiography of Valerie, a former prisoner incarcerated and presumably executed for being a lesbian. When given one last chance to inform on V to escape her execution, Evey says she'd prefer to die. The policeman, who has been hidden in the shadows throughout her interrogations, tells her that her lack of fear makes her free and leaves, leaving the door open. She emerges from the jail cell to find that she has been in V's lair all this time. V has manufactured the entire experience except for the letter from Valerie, which he found in much the same way she did. He wanted Evey to understand his motivations, and to come to grips with her own fear. Evey is very angry at V, but her anger dies down and she recovers and is transformed mentally from the experience. She leaves, promising to see him again before his final attack.
Finch formulates a theory that the diseases researched at the detention centre became the biological weapons used in the terror attacks that propelled Norsefire into power, and that the attacks themselves were staged by Norsefire party members. He is contacted by a man claiming to be the last surviving fingerman involved in the plot. At the man's suggestion, Finch puts Creedy under heavy surveillance. Later, V breaks into Creedy's house and convinces him that Sutler is planning his assassination, based on the surveillance. Creedy agrees to help V take out Sutler when the time comes as relations between Sutler and Creedy worsen considerably. Shortly thereafter Finch discovers that the purported agent has been dead for roughly 20 years, and that V had conned him into investigating Creedy; it is not clear whether the conspiracy theory was true nonetheless or if Finch was merely duped by V. V soon sends "hundreds of thousands" of Guy Fawkes masks to Londoners through the mail. The resulting explosion of "V" sightings puts the nation on edge. Sutler orders a propaganda initiative to remind the population why they need the state and to subdue it through fear again. However, (probably as V planned) out of desperation the state-run propaganda starts spewing out so many alarmist reports, so fast that the populace begins to realize they are being lied to. Finch predicts that under this climate, someone will eventually do "something stupid," bringing chaos, but admits that he doesn't know how to stop V's plan. His predictions prove correct when a fingerman shoots a child wearing a Fawkes mask, setting off a riot.
Evey reappears as promised on the evening of November 4th. After a short dance between the two, V shows her the explosive-laden Tube train he plans to detonate under the Parliament Building, explaining that he has repaired and cleared the unused track in the past years for this purpose. He defers the decision whether to destroy the building to her. V feels that he is part of the old world, which along with Sutler's regime is about to be swept away, and Evey is part of the new world that is to come: the people of this new world should have the freedom to decide their own fate, not him. He then leaves to meet Creedy, who (as promised) has abducted Sutler. Creedy shoots Sutler in front of V even as Sutler's prerecorded speech is being broadcast. V then kills Creedy and his men, suffering mortal injuries in the process. V manages to return to Evey, where he dies in her arms after professing his love for her. Evey places V's body on the train, covering it ceremonially with his trademark roses. Finch eventually locates Evey and the train, but allows Evey to send the train on its way. Above ground, hordes of Londoners dressed as Guy Fawkes advance on Westminster. The armed forces, which had been deployed to stop V's anticipated attack, receive no orders from the Chancellery and, at the last moment, stand down rather than open fire on the civilians. Evey takes Finch up on a roof to watch the explosions as V's train detonates, destroying the Houses of Parliament amid the resounding notes of the 1812 Overture as it again plays over the public address system, signaling the eternal legacy of V. Template:Endspoilers
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Natalie Portman | Evey Hammond |
| Hugo Weaving | V |
| Stephen Rea | Eric Finch |
| John Hurt | Chancellor Sutler |
| Stephen Fry | Gordon Dietrich |
| Sinead Cusack | Dr. Delia Surridge |
| John Standing | Bishop Lilliman |
| Tim Pigott-Smith | Creedy |
| Rupert Graves | Dominic |
| Natasha Wightman | Valerie |
| Roger Allam | Lewis Prothero |
| Ben Miles | Dascombe |
| Clive Ashborn | Guy Fawkes |
Background
Conception
Producer Joel Silver acquired the rights to two of Alan Moore's texts, V for Vendetta and Watchmen in 1988. Although Watchmen changed hands over the years, Silver did hold on to V for Vendetta.[2] The Wachowski brothers were known to be huge fans of the graphic novel V for Vendetta, and first wrote a draft for the script in the 1990s before they worked on The Matrix. [3] During the post production of the last two Matrix films, the Wachowski brothers revisited the script and offered James McTeigue a director's role. All three were intrigued by the themes of the novel and viewed them particularily relevant to the current political climate at the time. According to McTeigue, the novel “really showed what can happen when society is ruled by government, rather than the government being run as a voice of the people. I don’t think it’s such a big leap to say that things like that can happen when leaders stop listening to the people.” [4] Upon revisiting the script again, the Brothers set about making revisions to the original script, which according to McTeigue was almost a "blow-for-blow retelling of the graphic novel." The story was moved into the future and the story of the novel was condensed, while at the same time attempting to preserve the integrity and themes of the original work.[4]
Moore explicitly disassociated himself from the film adaptation, continuing his ongoing dispute over film adaptations of his works[5]. He ended cooperation with his publisher, DC Comics, after its corporate parent, Warner Bros., failed to retract statements that Moore called "blatant lies" about his supposed endorsement of the movie in a press release by producer Joel Silver. Moore says he views the script as containing "plot holes you couldn't have got away with in Whizzer and Chips in the nineteen sixties. Plot holes no one had noticed." [6] As well, Moore complained that the script runs contrary to the entire theme of his original work, which was to place two political extremes (fascism and anarchism) against one another, while allowing readers to decide for themselves whether V was right in his actions or simply insane. He argues his story had been reduced to debating "current American neo-conservatism vs. current American liberalism". [7]As per his wishes, Moore's name does not appear in the film's closing credits.
Despite Moore withdrawing his support from the project, co-creator and illustrator David Lloyd supports the film adaptation, opining that the script is very good and that Moore would only ever be truly happy with a complete book to screen adaptation. [8]
Casting
Natalie Portman, who plays Evey Hammond, signed on for the film in January 2005,[9] following a highly successful year during which she starred in both Garden State and Closer. Director James McTeigue first met Portman on the set of Attack of the Clones, where he worked with her as assistant director of the film, Portman received top billing for the film. She apparently looked forward to shaving her head totally bald for the role of Evey Hammond during the torture scenes, stating that she has wanted to do it for a long time. In preparing for the role of Evey, Portman worked with a dialectologist in order to perform a successful English accent.
Hugo Weaving plays V, although James Purefoy was originally cast as V but left the project six weeks into filming, the exact details or the reason for his departure have not been confirmed, but have largely been attributed that Purefoy had difficulties wearing the mask for the entire film.[10] He was replaced as V by Weaving, who previously worked with Joel Silver and the Wachowski brothers on The Matrix as Agent Smith.
John Hurt's role as Chancellor Sutler was complete role reversal for him, as he played the part of Winston Smith, a victim of the state in the film adaptation of 1984.
Filming and production
Filming in London, United Kingdom and Germany began in early March 2005[11] at the Babelsberg Studios in Potsdam. A large amount of the film was shot on soundstages and interior designs, with ___location work done in Berlin for three scenes: the Norsefire rally flashback, Larkhill and Bishop Lilliman’s bedroom. The scenes taking place in the abandoned London Underground station were filmed at the abandoned Aldwych tube station. Principal photography officially wrapped in early June of 2005.[12]
Prime Minister Tony Blair's son Euan Blair worked on the film's production and is said to have helped the filmmakers obtain unparalled filming access to Westminster. This drew criticism for Blair from MP David Davis due to the content of the film. The makers of the film deny Mr. Blair's son's involvement in the deal. [13] V for Vendetta is also the final film shot by noted cinematographer Adrian Biddle, who died of a heart attack on December 7, 2005.
Marketing and release
One of the earliest promotions was on June 15th when members of the cast and crew attended Comic-Con in San Diego, making one of their first major appearances, it was here that the trailer was shown for the first time. July saw the first poster for the film distributed to theatres and the first trailer became available on the film's official website.
The film was originally scheduled to be released on the weekend of November 5, 2005 with the tagline "Remember, remember the 5th of November", the first line of a traditional British rhyme recounting the discovery of the Gunpowder Plot to blow up Parliament in 1605. The 5th of November 2005 was the 400th anniversary of the infamous plan. The Gunpowder Plot imagery is leant on extensively by both the graphic novel and the film, with V behaving as a latter-day Guy Fawkes (albeit more successful) in his destruction of the Houses of Parliament, an event which, in the original graphic novel, took place on that same anniversary in 1997 with V reciting the rhyme and dressed as Guy Fawkes. However, the creative marketing angle lost much of its value when in late 2005, the release date was pushed back to March 17, 2006. Some have speculated this was due to the London bombings on 7 July and 21 July.[14] The film-makers have denied this, and say it was delayed to allow more time for production, explaining that the visual effects would not be completed in time.[13]
On November 15, a special internet campaign was launched following the delay of the film. Four never-before-seen posters for the film were distributed to four independent websites, one of which would become the main theatrical art. These new posters, or rather sets of posters have been seen presented in such a fashion that is reminiscent of propaganda-like art. On December 15, a new trailer became available online. In addition, Warner Bros. promoted three of its biggest films of 2006, Poseidon, 16 Blocks and V for Vendetta, during the broadcast of Super Bowl XL. Major theatres decorated the exterior of their buildings with flags featuring the Norsefire logo.
Interestingly, the official website can also be accessed through typing the url 'whowatchesthewatchmen.com'. This was once the official website for the film adaptation of Watchmen, another comic book by Alan Moore.
Music
The film's soundtrack from was released by Astralwerks Records on March 21, 2006. The soundtrack features artists such as Julie London, Cat Power and Antony and the Johnsons, but the majority of the work is by composer Dario Marianelli, who created the original score for the film
Three songs were played in the ending credits which were not included on the V for Vendetta soundtrack. The first was "Street Fighting Man" by the Rolling Stones. The next song was Ethan Stoller's BKAB which contains excerpts from black nationalist leader Malcolm X, as well as feminist-writer Gloria Steinem's "Address to the Women of America". The final song was "Out of Sight" from Spiritualized. Also in the film were Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture and Beethoven's Symphony No.5, both of which played important roles in the film. Dietrich's Benny Hill styled comedy sketch of Chancellor Sutler includes the Yakety Sax theme.
Novelization
A novelization of the screenplay was written by comic writer Steve Moore who, while credited to introducing Alan Moore to comics, is not related to him. The novel was released on January 31, 2006.[15] (This should not be confused with the original graphic novel).
Differences from the graphic novel
The story from V for Vendetta was taken from a British comic published between 1982 and 1985 in the comic anthology Warrior. The series was later collected as a graphic novel, published in the United States by DC's Vertigo imprint and in the United Kingdom by Titan Books. While the film is often seen as a faithful adaptation of the original novel, there are many key differences that make the novel a very different story. Template:Spoilers
Characters
The film tones down V's anarchist philosophy, as well as the amount of violence V inflicts. While the film casts V clearly a protagonist, in the novel he takes on both antagonistic and protagonistic roles. In the words of Alan Moore, V's actions were left "morally ambiguous" [16] so that readers could consider for themselves whether his actions were heroic or atrocious. Instead of being a side-effect from bio-warfare experiments, V's abilities are explained as stemming from synthesized hormone experiments on prisoners to create super soldiers.
Many other characters were also significantly altered as well. Evey Hammond is much younger in the novel. Instead of being an assistant at the government-controlled television station (BTN), she is a desperate, would-be prostitute working at a munitions factory. Evey is also much more trusting of V immediately. Chancellor Sutler (originally simply known as "Leader" Adam Susan in the novel) is less straightforward and is much more insecure. Inspector Finch, instead of being a brooding investigator who eventually stumbles upon the truth, is portrayed as an obsessive legalist who eventually kills V. Gordon is involved in organized crime in the novel, and he is killed by another gangster, not the government. Several minor characters were also omitted from the film version.
Setting and themes
The technological, sophisticated Norsefire regime of 2020 is clean and orderly, and the setting of the novel is much darker and more chaotic. Protests, riots, and acts of terrorism were rampant, and society began to crumble; there was a backlash to maintain order, and dissidents started being held en masse by the British Government in detention centers.
Whereas the film's Norsefire party is voted into power after a Reichstag fire ploy, in the novel Norsefire comes into power after a nuclear exchange between NATO and the Soviet bloc leaves the world shattered. While not hit with a nuclear weapon, the nuclear winter leads to famine and massive flooding in the UK that gives a local militia (Norsefire) the opportunity to take power. Alan Moore later states in the foreword to the trade paperback edition of V for Vendetta that scientists now felt that even a "limited" nuclear war was not survivable. Thus biological weapons would be considered more plausible in the film.
The central themes of the story have been updated as well. As noted by Alan Moore, the film has shifted its focus from the novel's original anarchist themes, to the more American-centric conflict between liberal and neo-conservative values. Norsefire's choice of "enemies" seems to have followed suit. Whereas the ultra-conservative regime of tomorrow targets homosexuals and muslims, the fascist regime of yesterday mirrors the policies of Nazi Germany; the protection of racial purity, through the detention and execution of blacks and Jews, was prime, but homosexuals, leftists, and others were conspicuous in camps as well. Despite playing down racial elements, the film retains the Aryan superhero Storm Saxon.
Plot
Plotline involving the rivalry between the different state institutions was deleted, including the entire Rose Almond subplot (in the graphic novel, she assassinates the leader). The computer system "Fate", which played an important role in the graphic novel, is also completely absent. V's terrorist targets change, as he begins with destroying Parliament, the Old Bailey later, and 10 Downing Street for the finale. V is killed by Finch instead of Creedy. As well, during the ending, there is an actual confrontation that takes place between the soldiers and the citizens. After receiving Finch's report that V has been fatally wounded, the police report over loudspeakers that V is dead, and the crowd hesitates. However, after Evey lays V's body in state, she takes one of his spare costumes from the Shadow Gallery, and effectively becomes "V"; Evey-as-V appears on a rooftop and declares to the large crowd below that the reports that "he" died were just more lies. The reinvigorated crowd rushes the barricades and a bloody riot ensues.
Themes
A modern totalitarian dystopia
- “We felt the novel was very prescient to how the political climate is at the moment. It really showed what can happen when society is ruled by government, rather than the government being run as a voice of the people. I don’t think it’s such a big leap to say that things like that can happen when leaders stop listening to the people.” Director James McTeigue[4]
In making film about the struggle between freedom and the state, the film takes imagery from many classic totalitarian icons both real and fictional, including Nazi Germany and George Orwell's 1984. With the intention of making the film relevant to today’s audience, the filmmakers have included many modern day references and symbols as well. Critics and supporters alike have noted, in particular, the film’s numerous references to the current American administration. [17][18] [19][20][21]
These include the "black bags" worn by the prisoners in Larkhill that have been seen as a reference the black bags worn by prisoners at Abu Ghraib in Iraq and Guantánamo Bay in Cuba.[17][20][19] Also public loud-speakers announce that London is under a yellow-coded curfew alert, which is similar to the US Government's color-coded Homeland Security Advisory System.[22] One of the forbidden items in Gordon's secret basement is a protest poster with a mixed US–UK flag with a swastika and the title "Coalition of the Willing, To Power!" This is likely a reference to the real Coalition of the Willing that was formed for the Iraq War.[21][18] (At the same time, it also appears to be a reference to Friedrich Nietzsche's concept of Will to Power). There is even a brief scene (during the Valerie flashback), which contains real-life footage of a anti-Iraq war demonstration, with mention of President George W Bush.
Much of the modern US imagery can be personified in the character Lewis Prothero. As the talk show host “The Voice of London” Lewis can be seen evoking the image of conservative American pundits like Bill O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh, (particularly with Limbaugh and the character's drug use).[19][21] Furthermore, with his rhetoric about God, gays, and Muslims it seems clear that Prothero represents an exaggerated caricature of some American religious right commentators, such as Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell. Lewis’ combat record seems to be an allusion to the current war in Iraq and other potential regions of conflict in the Middle-East ("Iraq, Kurdistan, Syria, before and after..."). Most explicitly of course are Lewis Prothero's comments about “America's War” at the beginning of the film.[23]
While modern references does exist, they were likely included for illustrative purposes rather than specifically attacking the US administration, as the majority of the totalitarian references in the film are non-specific. When James McTeigue was asked whether or not BTN was based on Fox News McTeigue replied, "Yes. But not just Fox. Everyone is complicit in this kind of stuff. It could just as well been the Britain's Sky News Channel."[[1]]
The media is portrayed as being highly subservient to government propaganda, which evokes common criticisms about totalitarian regimes. In the culture of fear montage of news video clips shown after Sutler orders his council to "remind the public why they need us," the BTN refers to avian flu as a pandemic.
The Hitler-like Sutler primarily appears on large video screens in the film, reminiscent of Big Brother in Nineteen Eighty-Four. The state's extensive use of mass surveillance on its citizens (including closed-circuit television) is also reminiscent of the film. This is particularly noteworthy as London currently has the world's highest concentration of CCTV.[24]
Valerie was sent to a detention facility for being a lesbian and was then tortured and had medical experiments performed on her. This is similar to Nazi Germany's treatment of gays during the Holocaust, where homosexual men were sent to concentration camps and experimented upon by Nazi doctors, in order to search for any biological means to eradicate homosexuality.
Norsefire uses the Cross of Lorraine as their party symbol. This was the symbol used by the Free French Forces in WWII, and was chosen because it was a traditional French symbol of patriotism that could be used as an answer to the Nazis's Swastika. The flags could also be seen as having a Nordic style design. Another contended theory for the invention of the new flag symbol is that it is a blend of both the English St George's Cross and the Christian Crucifix.
The letter V and the number 5
- "Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a bygone vexation stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose vis-à-vis an introduction, so let me simply add that it's my very good honor to meet you and you may call me V." -- V's introduction to Evey
There is repeated reference to the letter V (or 5 in Roman numerals) throughout the film. V is held in Larkhill cell number V. There is V's favorite phrase "Vi Veri Veniversum Vivus Vici.", which translates from Latin to "By the power of truth, I, a living man, have conquered the universe.". "V", and the movie's title, are associated with the World War II slogan "V for Victory". When V confronts Creedy in his greenhouse, V plays the first movement of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. The opening notes of the symphony were used as a call-sign in European broadcasts by the BBC during World War II, because their rhythmic pattern resembled the letter "V" in Morse code (···–). Vi vil vinne (We will win) was also a slogan of the Norwegian Resistance, abbreviated as "V". As well, V's openning monologue to Evey, begins and ends with V and contains 55 words beginning with V. Fifty-five is the product of 5 times 11 and the Fifth of November is the fifth day of the eleventh month.
(The red-on-black "V" symbol also resembles an inverted "A" symbol for anarchy.) Template:Endspoilers
Reception
Box office
V for Vendetta opened on March 17, 2006 in 3,365 theatres in the United States as well as the United Kingdom and six other countries. The film is expected to be theatrically distributed in 34 countries.[25] The film led the United States box office on its opening day, taking in an estimated $8,350,000.[1] V for Vendetta remained the number one film for the remainder of the weekend, taking in an estimated total of $25,642,340;[1] its closest rival was Failure to Launch, which took in $15,815,000.[26] V for Vendetta is also being shown at many IMAX theaters: it opened in 56 North American theatres and had a strong interest, grossing $1.36 million during the opening three days.[27] Despite the film taking place in Great Britain, the film did not reach number one at their box office on the opening weekend; instead, The Pink Panther took the number one spot.
Although the film has yet to open in all markets, the film opened in a number of countries at roughly the same time as the debuts in the United States and the United Kingdom, either a day before or after.[25] The film debuted at number one in South Korea, Taiwan, Sweden, Singapore and the Philippines.[28] The film has thus far grossed (USD) $59,932,000 in the United States and $25,000,000 elsewhere, for a worldwide gross of $84,932,000.[29]
Critical
The critical reception of the film has largely been positive. For instance, the film review collection website, Rotten Tomatoes, has given the film 75% Fresh approval,[30] and Ebert & Roeper have given the film two thumbs up,[31] it also entered the IMDb top 250 at #224 after three days and as of April 10, 2006 stands at #195 at a rating of 8.2/10 with roughly 30,245 votes.[32] Controversial aspects have also been praised, critics appreciating the film for being daring and being described as a "political thriller that will literally take your breath away".[33]
One of the most negative reviews came from Michael Medved of conservative radio, who called the film "V for vile, vicious, vacuous, venal, verminous and vomitaceous." Medved also said that the audience will lose interest about halfway through the film and that it has a confusing ending. [34] The film had a less favourable run with the media in the United Kingdom, being met with mixed critical reviews.
Despite Alan Moore opting not to be involved in the film, it has brought new interest to his original story. Sales of his original graphic novel rose dramatically in the United States, placing the book firmly in the top sales at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com. [35]
Political
V for Vendetta's storyline and themes have made it the target of both criticism and praise from various groups. Before its theatrical release, some were ready to label it as a glorification of terrorism. On opening day, Reuters echoed the sentiment calling, V for Vendetta "a movie whose heroes are terrorists,"[36] although it should be noted that the Reuters article itself referred mainly to an expected reaction and was not disparaging the film.
Some anarchist groups decided to use the release of the film as a chance to gain publicity for anarchism as a political philosophy. In New York City, anarchists began distributing literature outside theaters during sneak previews on March 16.[37] However, anarchists have remained ambivalent about the film itself, with a number feeling the work has been censored. One of the more popular fliers states that the anarchist message of the original graphic novel has been "watered down" [38] in order to satisfy a mass Hollywood audience. Anarchists have also criticized the film for focusing on destruction and not proposing any alternatives. [39]
Many libertarians, especially at the Mises Institute's LewRockwell.com see the film as a positive depiction in favor of a free society with limited government and free enterprise, citing the state's terrorism as being of greater evil and rationalized by its political machinery, while V's acts are seen as 'terroristic' because they are done by a single individual. [40] Justin Raimondo, the libertarian editor of AntiWar.com, praised the film for its sociopolitical self-awareness and saw the film’s success as “helping to fight the cultural rot that the War Party feeds on". [41]
Some conservative Christian film reviewers were not fond of the film's portrayal of Christianity and were critical of the film's sympathetic views towards homosexuality and Islam.[42] Don Feder, a conservative columnist from Frontpage Magazine has called V for Vendetta "the most explicitly anti-Christian movie to date." [43] Meanwhile, LGBT commentators have praised the film for its positive depiction of gays, in particular, Valerie's symbolic role in the film. [44]
The film has also been met with disapproval by some socialist circles. One review on the World Socialist Web Site criticizes V's actions as "antidemocratic" and cites the film as an example of "the bankruptcy of anarcho-terrorist ideology" stating that because the people have not played any part in the revolution, they will be unable to produce a "new, liberated society."[45]
Notes
- ^ a b c "V for Vendetta (2006) - Daily Box Office". boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved 18 March.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "V for Vendetta news". vforvendetta.com. Warner Brothers. Retrieved 31 March.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Trivia for V for Vendetta". imdb.com. amazon.com. Retrieved 16 December.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c "Production Notes". vforvendetta.com. Retrieved 4 April.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Alan Moore: Our greatest graphic novelist". The Independent. 19 March, 2006.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "MOORE SLAMS V FOR VENDETTA MOVIE, PULLS LoEG FROM DC COMICS". comicbookresources.com. Retrieved 5 June.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "A FOR ALAN, Pt. 1: The Alan Moore interview". MILE HIGH COMICS presents THE BEAT at COMICON.com. GIANT Magazine. Retrieved 21 March.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "V AT COMIC CON". vforvendetta.com. Retrieved 14 November.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "P for Portman?". dc-on-film.com. Retrieved 16 December.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "James Purefoy Quit 'V For Vendetta' Because He Hated Wearing The Mask". starpulse.com. Retrieved 7 April.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "News entry notes when filming will begin". natalieportman.com. Retrieved 16 December.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "PHOTOGRAPHY COMPLETE". vforvendetta.com. Retrieved 16 December.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ a b "The How E put the V in Vendetta". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 March.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) Cite error: The named reference "tony blair's son" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page). - ^ Mark Rahner (March 16, 2006). ""V for Vendetta": Political point at knifepoint". Seattle Times.
- ^ Moore, Steve (2006). V for Vendetta. Pocket Books. ISBN 1416516999.
- ^ "A FOR ALAN, Pt. 1: The Alan Moore interview". GIANT Magazine. Retrieved 19 March.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ a b Owen Gleiberman (March 15, 2006). "Review: V for Vendetta". Entertainment Weekly.
- ^ a b "Gunpowder, treason and plot". March 19, 2006.
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- ^ a b c Debbie Schlussel (March 13, 2006). ""V" for Vicious Propaganda". FrontPage.
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{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "V for verbose vigilante". csmonitor. March 17, 2006.
- ^ "Blast proof city: The threat of terrorism could help to reshape the face of London". Builder And Engineer. Retrieved 2006-03-31.
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{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Failure to Launch (2006) - Daily Box Office". boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved 20 March.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "V for Vendetta Posts Strong IMAX Opening". vfxworld.com. Retrieved 22 March.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "'V' for (international) victory". Boston Herald. Retrieved 22 March.
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{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "V for Vendetta (2006)". rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 6 April.
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{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "V for Vendetta". yourmovies.com.au. Retrieved 22 March.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "V FOR VENDETTA" (PDF). Michael Medved's Eye on Entertainment. michaelmedved.com. Retrieved 18 March.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Top Sellers". televisionpoint.com. Retrieved 2 April.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "V for Vendetta - a revolutionary call to arms". Reuters. March 16, 2006.
- ^ "infoshop.org". V for Vendetta is about Anarchy. Retrieved 19 March.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "A for Anarchy flier". aforanarchy.com. Retrieved 20 March.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "A for Anarchy deleted scenes". aforanarchy.com. Retrieved 8 April.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "V for Vendetta". lewrockwell.com. Retrieved 20 March.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Go See V for Vendetta". Antiwar.com. Retrieved 8 April.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ Dr Ted Baehr & Dr Tom Snyder (March 17, 2006). "Time Warner promotes terrorism and anti-Christian bigotry in new leftist movie, 'V for Vendetta'". WorldNetDaily. Retrieved 4 April.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "The Media's War on the "War on Christians" Conference". frontpagemag. Retrieved 6 April.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "V for Vendetta: A Brave, Bold Film for Gays and Lesbians". afterellen.com. Retrieved 6 April.
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