'V for Vendetta'...

A thinly veiled sign of our own times? --

Since this last friday evening when this movie opened across the U.S., I've read more than a few comments claiming that this film is a dark and obvious polemic against the current U.S. administration. Having seen very little to refute such accusations, I am compelled to agree. Still, given recent history, I must admit that it hardly seems premature for such thoughts to find a voice.

The movie's 'hero' (if it has one at all), is a man known only as 'V' (an alias from the roman numeral V on his prison cell door). The survivor of the chemical bioweapon trials of a post apocolyptic fascist-Britain, I suppose 'V' is more engaging as an allegory for 'Victory' or 'Vendetta' or any other v-word one could come up with, than calling him, say 'Number 5' (with nods to McGoohan's Prisoner). On a mission to overthrow those who made him the way he is, he sets out to complete Guy Fawkes' failed attempt to incite revolution by blowing up British Parliament.

While the Wachowski brothers penned this treatment of Alan Moore's 1989 graphic novel before their Matrix Trilogy-based fame, this film's production timing could hardly be more poignant. Despite the setting, I doubt anyone with 2 or more politically aware brain cells finds any surprise in the notion that this film is filled with more 2-term-McFly-America parallels than one can shake an uber-faith-driven nightstick at.

Given McFly's recent performances, amidst playing dumb about the Dubai port deal and giving India unfettered freedom to pursue unlimited Nuclear development (and right in China's face, to boot) without participating in a non-proliferation treaty, and his bald-faced arrogance about unwarranted wiretaps, he and his administration are still singing the same old saw about fear and threats from abroad. One can hardly deny the parallels between the film's excoriating Chancellor Sutler and his cabinet, and McFly's.

Images of listening vehicles patrolling the streets of an ostensibly 'free' nation trolling for controversial dialogue, badged agents patrolling the streets at night during color coded curfews, a 'Ministry of Objectionable Materials' to control books (like the Qur'an) and art and music (akin to the world in Ray Bradbury's 'Fahrenheit-451'), and neo-governmental officials who made their fortunes in the federally-abetted private sector. Fortunately, today's political machinery goes to great effort to keep any of our real American politicians from looking (much) like John Hurt's ranting, egomaniacal Sutler (or any of his cronies), but it's not hard to envision McFly or members of his cabinet waxing neurotic in a very Sutlerian-style.

More truth than poetry? Perhaps. Then again, perhaps not. But its certainly not so far fetched that the average viewer needs to exert much if any effort to suspend their ability to disbelieve for two hours and twelve minutes.

And one item of significant note: Bits of the dialogue in the movie openly reveal a less-than-warm and fuzzy perspective of the U.S. from a country that ostensibly called itself our ally (past-tense, movie time). A few relevant remarks reveal the view that the U.S. 'got what it had coming'. Now, I haven't heard the Wachowski Bros. spewing anti-American rhetoric of late, but I get the very real sense that this isn't terribly far from the current day truth, and I personally have heard (not overheard) foreign nationals here in the U.S. make similar comments since 9/11.

As a DC Comics release, there is a certain amount of 'superheroism' to be found in the altered 'V', sporting the trademark Wachowski Matrix-esque finesse. However, this movie also delivers a good deal of political foresight to be mindful of, especially for our times.

'V for Vendetta' is a movie not to be missed.