Dinner and a Movie

by Kelly Drobac

“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.”

This quote by the masked man known only as V sums up the main premise of Andy and Larry Wachowski’s latest creation: “V for Vendetta.”

“V for Vendetta” is a compelling movie that makes one think about war and the current state of terrorism. Director James McTeigue takes the Wachowski brothers’ screenplay and really portrays the disasters of war and terrorism.

The movie begins with England’s famous Guy Fawkes gunpowder plot to blow up Parliament on Nov. 5, 1605. It then flashes to a state in which war has come and gone, leaving the people of England in a state of chaos.

A young woman named Evey, played by Natalie Portman, is rescued by V, played by Hugo Weaving. V wears a Guy Fawkes mask to cover up his identity as he seeks vengeance on the people who hurt him, and England, in the past.

In this totalitarian state, the government has convinced its citizens V is a terrorist and an enemy, but it’s really their own government that is the enemy. The dictator/leader of England, Chancellor Adam Sutler, played by John Hurt, and one of his partners in crime, Mr. Creedy, played by Tim Pigott-Smith, skillfully portray the evil and corruption in their system of government.

In an attempt to pick up where Fawkes left off, V plans to blow up Parliament on Nov. 5. Amidst his planning, Evey is captured and held captive for a year. In these scenes Portman’s acting is phenomenal.

This 132 minute film is rated R for strong violence and language. The fight scenes can get gruesome, but it only adds to the effectiveness of the movie and the message behind it. I rate this movie a very deserving five out of five stars.