V For Vendetta (or, A For Alliteration)

So the critics over here have been grinding this film into the cobblestones. Everyone who was going to come and see this film with me ended up pulling out because the morning papers gave it such a terrible rap. On my own I ventured into the cinema at Shepherd's Bush and I was pleasantly surprised. The verdict of the critics shouldn't have been as dire, the film is actually a cut above most comic book films, indeed at its thought provoking best it is a cut above many Hollywood films, comic book or not. But can one movie goer make a difference?

I am not saying that the film doesn't have its faults but it is hard to place a finger to where they actually lay. I don't think any of the critics (certainly not the British critics, who seem to be the most vehement) have really pointed out the exact cause. Many blame the pacing, labelling the film Z For ZZZZzzz. I had absolutely no issue with the pacing. It is not an action film but then I was never under the impression that is was going to be. Many blame the dialogue and yes, the dialogue did at times droop a little but no more than most films and there were many moments that were beautifully scripted. Many have blamed the Orwellian iconography, complaining that it is unoriginal and clumsy but, let's face it, the film makers were working from some pretty solid (and quite dated) source material; source material that was written back around 1984.

So what was the big crime? Why have all the critics been so harsh? My answer is simple: genre clashing. "V For Vendetta" deals with some extremely challenging and thought provoking ideas and yet it is served up as a comic book action film. This is quite jarring.

When I say comic book action film "V For Vendetta" really does have all of the hallmarks: flashy action sequences, underdeveloped characters, over-written dialogue and a convoluted plot drowning in flashbacks. Of course, within this framework, any hint at weighty topics is going to seem overreaching, yet I feel that "V For Vendetta" succeeds because of the times we live in. "V" draws now overt parrallels to any actual events in the contemporary world (the graphic novel was a comment on the Thatcherism of the early eighties) and I think its power lies in not drawing those parrallels. The audience is left to assess where and how they feel they fit into the world of "V" and the film manages to draw out the human consciousness and conscience quite effectively.

I am not going to dismiss this film out of hand because it stumbles a little in the beginning. Nor will I dismiss it because its gait is unsteady for most of its running time because when it hits its stride and finds its rhythm it really carried me along with it. This film prods the mind without telling the audience what to think. I respect that and I hope more people can overstep the critics so that they too can make up their own minds.

Tags: movie review, Wachowski