V for Vindicated : V for Vendetta

Having read the original source material and finding it to be an extraordinary political and intellectual journey, I was both excited and reluctant to see the film adaptation of Alan Moore's opus V for Vendetta.

My excitement hailed from the idea that this could be comics' validation to the world at large of its legitimacy as a 21st century art form. Oh, we have known about V for Vendetta's magnificence for years, desperately chasing after and challenging the snobbish literary elite to read it and tell us differently. Along with Moore's Watchmen, Art Spiegelman's Maus, Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns, Neil Gaiman's Sandman, Dave Sim's Cerebus, J.M. DeMatteis' Brooklyn Dreams, and many others, V for Vendetta is the reason why comics should be taken seriously.

To say I had such high expectations for the film would indeed be an understatement. And I wasn't the only one. Comicdom's intelligentsia will be deconstructing this film for years to come. This was one reason why I had reservations about the film. Another major reservation was that the Matrix brothers (Andy and Larry Wachowski) were handling the writing chores. I wasn't impressed by their pretentious attempt at turning Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions into the annoying game of "Let's cram as many Latin phrases as we can into a boring dialogue with Colonel Sanders while the climax of the film's happening elsewhere." So, with that mindset, I handed over my money, bought my bag of popcorn and sat back expecting to be disappointed.

In a futuristic, totalitarian England, a young woman named Evey is rescued from police thugs by a masked vigilante known as V and thus begins her extraordinary journey to the heart of darkness where, surprisingly, she finds her true self. Meanwhile, brilliant, witty, skilled in the arts of combat, V aims to put an end to the government's tyranny and oppression by killing key political figures.

I hate to say this but I wasn't disappointed at all. With the same team that did the Matrix working on V for Vendetta, I feared I would see V move in bullet time - at least that was what the trailer looked like. Breathe easy, fan boys, and know that this wasn't the case at all. Thankfully, they had more respect than that.

It wasn't the greatest of adaptations, not by a mile, but it could've been worse, much worse. It could've been Catwoman or Elektra bad. But thank god it wasn't. It could've been mediocre like Fantastic Four or Daredevil. But again, it wasn't. To its credit, it tried its darnedest best to be faithful to the core of the source material while becoming inventive along the way. Purists will be happy to know that some of the dialogue was lifted directly from the source material.

Still, it wasn't a frame-by-frame adaptation like Sin City but who wants that anyway? Watching it, you know you are looking at a different animal but the resemblance to Moore's baby is nonetheless uncanny. To echo David Lloyd, the book's original artist and Moore's collaborator for V, "It tells the story in a different way, but the same way."

It was V for Vendetta but it wasn't Moore's V for Vendetta.

Then again it shouldn't be. To adapt V exactly as Moore wrote it would probably take a 12-episode mini-series instead of a 2-hour film. Of course, many things are sorely missed while watching the film. In the source material, the Chancellor was portrayed as a human being who believed that he was doing all he could for his country. The movie turns him into a two-dimensional caricature that, in my opinion, diminishes the impact.

Incidentally, it's a well-documented fact that Moore asked not to be credited in the film. With the butchery of his works like League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and From Hell, I can't blame him. But while Hollywood usually can't care less about keeping a book's integrity, this time around they didn't meddle as much. Of course the film still reeked of Hollywood but I don't mind it as much here. I want it to be a mainstream film, something that reaches as many people as possible. Its message is too important not to be heard.

Natalie Portman's performance as Evey Hammond is spellbinding. She is coming into her own showing here that she's a force to be reckoned with. She made it very clear that despite the title this film is all hers.

Hugo Weaving, for the title role V, is also very impressive. He has the almost impossible challenge of showing the humanity of his character without facial expressions. Despite to hindrance of acting behind a grinning Guy Fawkes mask for the entire duration of the movie, he uses his voice and body language well to flesh out a very complex character.

Director James McTeigue does an amazing job considering the film's ambitions. There are parts where he stumbles, where the film skips a beat somewhat, but these transgressions can easily be forgiven from a first-time director. Then again, he didn't just show up out of nowhere from making music videos. He's actually had experience working as the assistant director on big budget films like the Matrix trilogy.

The comic's origin comes from the cold war climate of the 1980s, acting as an indictment on the Thatcher government, which the filmmakers updated for today's audience. As a result, it's easy to see the film as a commentary on the Bush Administration. Once this film is out in full circulation, expect all sorts of comparisons between Bush Jr. and John Hurt (who brilliantly played the Hitler-esque Chancellor Sutler). Of course, Bush could only dream of being as articulate as Hurt.

What I love about this story - Evey's journey into awareness - is that it could be anyone's story. Ignorance isn't always bliss.

V is an indictment against any government that wishes to use and abuse its powers over the people. It is one of those dangerous ideas that could change the world. If nothing else, it makes this film, freckles and all, a must-see for anyone who values freedom and equality.