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Post by CabForward on Mar 23, 2008 4:33:10 GMT
Ah, V for Vendetta. V plays alot of notes that sing to my heart. A work from the view of a more Socialist group. A distaste for Government. A hero who is human, yet has gained control of fear. And, of course, V prefers melee weapons to guns, which is awesome. Also, I watched the movie with my second partner, who was very close to me, and my current partner. So, yay for me.
Anyway, I wondered what people thought of the graphic novel, and how it matched to the movie. Personally, I preferred a bit more plot, and a few more "actionny" parts in the graphic novel, and the three short parts of the movie weren't that good. The graphic novel is also one of the best written Western comics I've read, which is a plus (however, I still feel certain scenes needed less dialogue and more pictures, usually the ones where V was killing people.)
On another note, I wanted to know other people's reactions to V. I thought he was kind of cute when he would get into his drama in the film, yet in the graphic novel I felt he was a little too wrapped up in it. Also, I felt a strong admiration towards his willingness to stand up for what was right (similar to how I look up to Ned Kelly), yet wondered if any would feel he was too "evil".
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Post by OJ on Mar 23, 2008 12:06:17 GMT
I've only seen the film and I thought it was excellent. I really don't understand why Alan Moore doesn't like it (he doesn't like any of his comic books turned into films). V was a good character yet he was complex which was what was good about him. In his eyes he's not a villan. It's interesting we don't see his face throughout the movie.
Did Evey get her hair shaved off in the novel or was that something made for the film?
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Post by Alaric on Apr 9, 2008 13:51:52 GMT
Did Evey get her hair shaved off in the novel or was that something made for the film? No, that was in the novel too. But there are some time gaps between chapters, so it grows back by the end (Does it do this in the film too?) There is so much that can and already has been said about V for Vendetta that it's kinda hard to talk about it without copying someone else. Suffice to say it is one of my favourite books, and very well-written. Although, to be fair, it's Alan Moore. Even his worst stuff is better than most people's best. Only seen a bit of the film, but I didn't really enjoy it. Was it me, or did they make V more preachy in the film? I dunno, maybe it's more noticeable when it's less spread out, but he seemed less subtle than in the book. This especially came across with the televised speech. It came across a lot better in the GN, IMO. 'Course, I'm someone who thinks it's very much a product of its time, so th emovie's attempt to contextualise it left me a little cold from the start. Reactions to V? Well, he made me understand the concept of anarchy a lot better than Anarky ever did. He's also a much better class of anti-hero than is usually prevalent in comics. As to whether he's too 'evil'...I don't think there's a sliding scale with good on one end and evil on the other where he can be placed. Life doesn't work that way. Personally, no, I don't think he was evil at all. Did he do things I find morally questionable? Yes, but they were necessary given the world around him. Justice had abandoned England-there was solace only in Anarchy. Like V himself says, he was the necessary destruction to set up Evey's creation. Just a couple of quick questions: 1) What exactly happens at the ending of the film? 2) Has anyone with any musical skill played 'This Vicious Cabaret'? WHat does it sound like?
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Post by OJ on Apr 9, 2008 16:00:19 GMT
I can answer question one If I remember correctly V dies. I think he gets shot but it looks like the bullets don't harm him but it actually does. The plan was to blow up the houses of parliaments by sending a train full of dynamite. Evey puts V's body on the train and she sends it to the houses of parliaments. It blows up fulfilling V's mission
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Post by Alaric on Apr 9, 2008 17:09:07 GMT
Thanks, but that's not quite what I meant, OJ. I've heard the people of London actually rally against the government after Evey's speech. Is this true?
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Post by OJ on Apr 9, 2008 17:38:12 GMT
Yes. People dress up as V when they rally. If you look closely you can make out some characters who died earlier on
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Post by Alaric on Apr 9, 2008 18:37:48 GMT
Huh. Don't know what to make of that, to be honest.
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Post by Loey Machan on Apr 17, 2008 11:04:09 GMT
In the finale of the film Evey doesn't give a speech to the masses or adopt the V Identity.
In his speech from the BT Tower in the film's opening act V invites the people of London to join him in one year's time on November 5th outside Parliament
After V 'breaks' then rebuilds Evey he lets her go her way but both have developed an attraction to each other - V makes a request that she meet with him one last time before the 5th of November.
In the run-up to the 5th V makes his master-stroke. By subverting the mail system he is able to post several thousand replicas of his mask, cloak and hat to random people in London. The people, increasingly pissed-off by Sutler's government crack-downs begin slowly to rebel using the masks to hide their identities while anarchy festers in the country (a definitive scene is of a group of citizens attacking a fingerman who fatally shot a kid wearing a V-mask).
V contacts Creedy, the real power behind Sutler, and barters a deal. V will hand himself over to Creedy, if Creedy brings him Sutler.
On the 5th Evey (still shaven-headed) returns to V's home. They dance to his jukebox while she compliments him on the idea of posting masks to everyone and anyone. V then gifts the Shadow Gallery and all that is his to her, before showing her what he's been preparing - he's restored several miles of London Underground track and prepared a train loaded with high explosives. He however says that the choice to end the era of oppression is a decision Evey must take, because he himself is a product of this era and thus unworthy. Leaving her to muse on this V goes to confront Creedy, who true to his word has captured and brought Sutler with him. V grants Sutler one of his roses and then Sutler is executed. What follows is a gun-fight where V succeeds in defeating all of Creedy's men and Creedy himself despite being mortally wounded.
Meanwhile on the surface London's streets are filled with armed troops safeguarding the Parliament Buildings. The citizens however, rising to V's invitation from last year, don masks, hats and cloaks and walk onto the streets towards parliament. The army prepares to shoot them but are called off since the officer-in-charge can't contact either Sutler or Creedy, since both are dead. The masked people push past the barricades and gather in Parliament Square.
Inspector Finch meanwhile has located V's train-tunnel. V returns to the station and expires in Evey's arms, still wearing his mask. She places him in the train with a bouquet of roses at which point Finch arrives. After a brief confrontation he holsters his gun and allows Evey to set V's funeral train in motion. Asking Finch if he likes music Evey leads him to the roof of the Shadow Gallery.
Tchaikovsky's 4th Overture begins to thunder from street-speakers and as the climax is hit the train reaches Parliament and explodes, demolishing the building. In the streets the masked people watch in awe. Finch asks Evey who V was, to which she replies "he was Edmond Dantes ('The Man In The Iron Mask'), he was my brother, my mother, my sister. He was me, he was you. He was all of us."
In a scene that's meant to be more symbolic than literal we see the masks in the street coming off and recognise the faces underneath as characters we've been following through the film, including characters we've seen be killed or who we know to be dead, including Valerie, her lover, the kid who got shot dead, and Gordon Dietrich.
Evey's final words are that no-one will ever forget the events of November 5th. But she in turn will never forget the man who made it happen, as a final explosive cascade launches off fireworks in the shape of a huge V.
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Post by CabForward on May 20, 2008 14:05:18 GMT
One of the most disappointing changes, to the movie, I think, is the way V died. In the movie it was a hardcore action scene, where V lost because he was outnumbered. Although it was important to have a final action sequence, it doesn't feel as good as the plot development of the graphic novel. V could have easily killed Finch (Finch admits this himself) in the graphic novel, but doesn't. That was just awesome.
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