Apr 01, 2006 12:42 PM
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(Updated Apr 01, 2006 12:48 PM)
Why do people love stories about heroes and revolutionaries? My take is that it is because, in this modern day world, each one of us is forced to put a mask on our integrity and act in the most diplomatic way, not reacting to any evils in the society. We stand, eyes trained on the floor, pretending not to see anything amiss with the hypocrisies around us. We have lost our tongues and force, and have become epitomes of silent endurance. And the only places where we get to see people reacting against evils are in movies. Those heroes who fight the evils we are helpless against are closest to our heart. And to this list of heroes walks in; V.
The story is set in London where the country is lead by an Evil Chancellor Adam Stutler. Ten years after an 80000 dead biological weapons attack on London, London is in the vice-like grip of highly restrictive government policies. Muslims, Homosexuals, anarchists and other minorities end up in the execution or torture chambers. In short, if you are different, you are in soup.
Evey Hammond [Natalie Portman] is an employee at the BTN, the premier telecasting company in Britain. She is assaulted in a rape attempt by Fingermen [Law enforcers] when she walks out during a curfew, and from the shadows materialize a masked figure [Hugo Weaving] wielding numerous blades, who moves like a cat and scythes down the offenders. The man calls himself V. Evey’s life is changed forever that moment. V invites her to a music performance, which is played on the Government Broadcast System already hacked into by V! As the music dies down, V presents to Evey a splendid display of fireworks, as the Old Bailey – the London court- explodes spectacularly!
V’s long term plan is plain and simple; He would blow up the Westminster Abbey on November 5th – the day when Guy Fawkes and fellow conspirators failed doing the same in 1605 –to mark the end of the reign of evil, which he broadcasts openly. He also starts eliminating random people [not as random as you will get to see] in high posts. The Chancellor is livid, and a dogged but righteous policeman Finch follows V’s trails relentlessly.
The next time they come face to face, it is V who is in trouble, with a policeman who has the gun trained on him and Evey returns the favour. The duo end up hiding in V’s place, and slowly but surely we hear the chords of love being played by V’s heart. We also get to notice that V is probably horribly disfigured under the Mask. Evey hates V’s terrorist ways, and makes a run for it when opportunity presents.
Half way through the movie we are full of questions. Why the Vendetta? Why V’s hands are horribly disfigured? Do we get to see V’s face? Who is V really? And what would happen for V’s honest love for Evey? Will V blow up the Abbey on November 5th?
All in all, the movie is bittersweet, touching, medium paced, artistic and elegant. V is superhuman, but the emphasis is on the beauty of V’s heart, which is just as scarred as his body. Hugo weaving is marvelous behind the mask, and Natalie Portman has grown in stature in a role which has very little to do with glamour. The special effects are spectacular, though it is limited in duration. Screenplay is decent, but could have been better. Over all, this is a great movie, but be warned that you don’t go thinking this is an action movie. It is not; there is so much more to it than action!!! Wachowski brothers have come back to reckoning after screwing up the image made by Matrix, through the sequel and the subsequent crap-show called Matrix Revolutions.
''Beneath this mask there is more than flesh. There is an idea, Mr. Creedy, and ideas are bulletproof''
