"V for Vendetta"

This movie review was originally posted on Friday, April 07, 2006 on my blog at Myspace. It has been edited for grammar and clarity. (Slight spoiler alert.)


People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.

After reading negative reviews about "V for Vendetta," reviews which primarily attacked the movie for its "pro-terrorist" stance, I realized I have a few things about the movie, and terrorism, that I want to say.

Terrorism is a loaded word. Saying you are pro-terrorist is like saying you are pro 9-11. But one thing people often forget, or fail to realize, is that one man's Terrorist is another man's Freedom Fighter.

The Boston Tea Part is one of the primary events that triggered our nation's Independence. An action that is by definition, a terrorist act. Our Founding Fathers were terrorists against their ruling nation, Great Britain.

But the history books are written by the winners and because of this, our nation's independence was a Revolution against tyranny, instead of a Civil War. Our Founding Father's were Heroes and Patriots, instead of Criminals, Traitors, and Terrorists.

V was not the protagonist in "V for Vendetta." He was the catalyst. From my point of view, there were two protagonists: Natalie Portman's Evey Hammond, and Stephen Rea's Chief Inspector Finch. And the antagonist was the dictatorship that ruled Great Britain.

Was the movie Pro-Terrorist?

I say no, but it was definitely Pro-Freedom Fighter. I don't recall a single innocent death during the terrorist acts performed by V. There were a few innocent people who died in the cross-fire, from the bullets shot by the government representatives. But V's acts of terror focused around the deaths of individuals involved in a government conspiracy, along with the demolition of two national symbols. And those symbols were destroyed late at night, instead of during the day, when people were there.

This movie explores themes dealing with Social Contract theory. Concepts that people sacrifice their freedoms for the peace and security governments offer them. But the movie asks the question: How far is too far?

I left the movie wiping tears off my face. It took about an hour before I could actually talk about the impact the movie made on me without getting choked up. It was the most powerful movie I've ever seen. (It was not a flawless movie, but it was incredibly moving.)

Seeing the masses approach the Parliament building, dressed in black cloaks and Guy Fawke's masks, without any weapons, had a profound effect on me. The power is in the people. And every government should fear that power.