Alright, well, since 300 won for the Movie of the Month and I really want to discuss V for Vendetta ... let's do it here.

Discuss. (Obdurate this means you start )

Really... 300 won? Oh well.

This thread should get Joad involved as well because the last time we discussed it he came in, so that's cool.

It's interesting to note that the movie never says "anarchy" (except for that one guy going ANARCHY IN THE UK!), whereas the graphic novel says it a few times. I don't know why that is, maybe since it's Hollywood, they had to cut that out because people fear anarchy for some media influenced stupid reason.
So the movie is very openly anarchist, and it asks the question, "freedom fighter or terrorist?" while being glorified and sugar coated because let's face it, a true anarchist movie would involve a buncha people sitting around planning and discussing for hours before they do anything: not much of a movie.

V is very much a freedom fighter (or whatever you wanna call it, maybe something less lame is in order), because breaking the laws doesn't mean you're a bad person. In fact, he's trying to free everyone from the tyranny so if a building has to blow up in the process then sure. He doesn't kill "innocents". Innocents in quotation marks because nobody in this life is innocent in the way V thinks, because we all have to do something, not just one person.

It also tackles the issue of where ideas end and humanity begins. I have a friend who's insanely into activism and it consumed his entire life, that's what V is like. Sometimes you just need to chill on savin' the world and take a you day. He doesn't do that. V doesn't do that. V is fueled by what everyone did to him. Also plays with the idea of turning your personal vendetta into something more useful.

The part in the underground subway was chilling. Ideas are bulletproof, and all.
"People shouldn't fear the government, the government should fear the people."

But let's be honest, this movie won't change anything. Hell, it has everything working against it. It was made by Hollywood (people don't go to Hollywood for their epiphanies), it tackles the subject of anarchy, and it is very very sugar coated to become something entertaining. And it was advertised as an action movie, but it's not really one. It's based off a comic book (I love comic books, but people think they're for kids). God, even Roeper said "But it's a comic book movie so you don't take it real seriously" or something similar. It's really entertaining and has nice ideas but unfortunately it's just dismissed.

Funny Ebert quote to end the day.. even though he liked the movie he said: "One of the flaws it that his mask never moved. It reminded me of Thomas the Tank Engine."

Yeah, I was kind of disappointed as well, but I thought might as well work with what others want to discuss. So I decided to bring in the issue of a possible parallel between the East vs West conflict (Spartans vs Persians) and the current day conflict. Maybe that'll start up some good conversation.

This kind of ties into what I was talking about in Fight Club. Even though it seems the government has all the power, the people truly do.

V for Vendetta was a great movie, and, like the Matrix trilogy, is thought of as just an action movie, as Obdurate said. And it does make plenty of good points about how a government is nothing when the people choose not to obey it.
At any rate, I agree with just about everything Obdurate said, so there is no point in continuing this post. Let's not get too repetitive.

Agreed. I also wanted to point out about the whole V and 5 theme that continued throughout the movie. I noticed it the second time watching it.

I'm not sure as to why they chose 5. Could it be that 5 is V in Roman Numerals? Thats the only true connection I can see.

He uses 5 blades in the tunnel (or where ever that last battle is).
The cut on his head is in the shape of a V
The blood on the wall is in the shape of a V
The men he faces go in a V pattern.
Before he throws his blades, he puts two of them in a V.

And my favorite. I can't believe I noticed this one... I'm sure there are more even more cleverly hidden in there.

Notice that when Big Ben is shown, the arms of the clock are in a V pattern. Not only that, but look closer and its 11:05. November 5th, 11/05.

Nice. And I think he calls himself V because in that cell he was in back when he was burned was cell 5 (in Roman Numerals this is a V).

It's just pounding the point home that everything he has become was because of his cell. It's all V.

Remember remember the 5th of November...

Good spotting on all those V's. I didn't notice the enemy one and the clock one. The clock one was especially well spotted. Great observation.

And, i think you guys pretty much covered what i would've said. The first time i watched the movie was purely action. Second i watched for symbolism, and a third time to dig even deeper. You guys pretty much covered it.

I can't help but wonder how the MotM is going.

I can't see it going very well. Danger appears to be keeping up the pace, but you don't even know what's going on so I doubt you've added much... Justin hardly posts, I'm not there. Yeah.

Joad and Justin just added in to the conversation, so we are going well so far.