Movie Comparisons

A while ago I reviewed the graphic novel V for Vendetta on this blog. I had just finished reading it and had been blown away by the depth and power of it. It is a striking novel about some incredibly tough subjects. It is violent, dark, inspiring, and thought provoking. And I absolutely loved it. I loved the imagery and the dialogue. I loved the setting and the main characters. I even loved the darkness of it.

So last night I was a little nervous when I sat down to watch the film. It is very rare that I enjoy a film based on a book I've loved. The movies are just never as good. But last night I was blown away by this film. I will not say that it was better than the book but it definitely stood its own. The movie was downright wonderful. I was enthralled from the opening recitation of the Guy Fawkes rhyme up until the final moments.

Perhaps the reason I loved the film so much was that it stayed relatively true to the book. There were some sections that were changed but the majority of the film followed the images in the book. And even if the scenes were not totally true (the raid on the TV station was changed to include Evie), they stayed true to the spirit of the novel. The scene at the end of the film where everyone arrives in their own Guy Fawkes masks was not in the book but it was an immensely powerful scene and I felt stayed true to the spirit of the book.

I was surprised to see that Alan Moore was not involved in the making of the film. I will have to do some digging to see what he thought of it. I thought Natalie Portman did beautifully going from helpless victim to heroine. Her transformation, although horrific, was done well and you can see the character develop. V (portrayed by Hugo Weaving) was wonderful. His verbosity and grandour made the role that much more powerful. The character of V has to be one of the more powerful heroes/anti-heroes of these last couple decades. I found myself crying at the last scene and I don't normally weep tears of joy for treasonous or seditious acts. :-)

The rest of the cast was very good and the film maintained the dark atmosphere of the book nicely. I was not particularly impressed with the character Stephen Fry played. The problem was not his acting but the character himself. He seemed to add almost too much light to a very dark political film. This character simply doesn't exist in the book. The violence was done well and was not simply for shock value. It, like in the book, always had a purpose. In fact, one of the best things about the book and the film is that it reminded me of the power of fear and wisdom and violence. Particularly in the last decade as we have seen fear be used as a tactic of control and I'm reminded how close we are to V's society. As V says, "The people should not be afraid of their government, the government should be afraid of its people."

I was very nervous going into the film but I'm happy to say that I loved it. It can happily sit on my shelves right next to the graphic novel that bears the same name. One of the few times that a film lives up to the book.

Book Review: V for Vendetta

In the last couple years I have become enamored with graphic novels. There are a lot of people out there who say that they are not proper reading but I disagree. I guess I have always been reading one form of graphic story since I was a small child reading Uncle Scrooge comics. I still claim whatever gets kids reading is a great thing. Plus there are some incredibly thought-provoking stories told in graphic form. For those who say that graphic novels aren't intelligent reading, I suggest Maus, Watchman, Sandman, and this novel. I started and finished the book this morning. And it is a modern piece of genius. 

V for Vendetta is written by Alan Moore and drawn by David Lloyd and is set in what was then the not too distant future. Since it is based in the late nineties readers may scoff at the disutopia presented by the book but for fans of 1984 or a Brave New World this graphic novel will feel very familiar. The story follows V a charismatic and mysterious anarchist who attempt to overthrow Britain's fascist government. V "recruits" a young girl named Evey who helps him with some of his tasks. These two are the main characters but there are many smaller characters whose lives are told in this. There is enough drama, politics and bloodshed to keep you flipping hungrily to the next page. 

This story, although older, is pure madness and genius and revolution all in one book. The characters of V and Evey are engaging. The drama is very real. And the images which tend to be on the dark side are captivating. And that doesn't even touch on the plot. Not often do you read a story that challenges how you think politically. This one did. A tribute in some ways to Guy Fawkes, this story shows how a government that does not offer liberty to its people needs to be overthrown. Now I'm not advocating anarchy. I am actually something of a fan of government but this presents an oppressive regime. As Thomas Jefferson stated "A little revolution, now and then, is a good thing." 

I cannot recommend this title enough. It is bloody and dark, but with a magic all its own. I'm not sure if I will be seeing the movie. I am always hesitant to see movies based on books I loved. And I can see Hollywood taking some liberties with this story that would be inexcusable. Plus with David Lloyd's fantastic pictures I already feel like I have seen  it. A quick read but an amazing story. One of the my favorite graphic novels ever.