Review of V for Vendetta (2006) by John S — 15 Jan 2013

In a Great Britain of the near future, a right wing politician has swept to power on the crest of a wave of Daily Mail inspired conservative nazism. Using a combination of spin and propaganda through the media, he has convinced the populace to sign away their rights and liberties until one masked man decides to fight back.

Thank God I don't REALLY live in a Britain like that...! I was expecting great things from this film, its combination of politics, imagery and stylised action is exactly the kind of thing that appeals to me.

Unfortunately, this level of expectation can often lead to disappointment, but what I was presented with here was a thoughtful, intelligent and wonderfully written "superhero" film in which the hero has no special powers or magic tricks; he is just an ordinary man who decides that an individual CAN make a difference.

Hugo Weaving has great presence for a character who never shows his face and John Hurt is just as masterful as the Big Brother figure as he was as its victim in 1984. Add some wonderfully florid and literary dialogue together with the fact that there are no unnecessarily overblown set pieces in which the beautifully stylised action sequences are just enough to fulfil their purpose in facilitating the story and you have a uniquely cerebral action fantasy.

I was looking forward to this one immensely, and for once I was not disappointed. Brilliant.