In the world of one-hit wonders, James McTeigue is a name of a legend. A filmmaker who has devoted his life to making cult films that are never going to go anywhere, yet he puts his heart and soul into them to make them as thrilling, intense, and breathtakingly beautiful as possible.
It’s funny how he managed to create a film such as V for Vendetta, and then never managed to reach that same level of artistic success afterward. It’s a miraculous yet oftentimes disappointing endeavor, yet at its core, V for Vendetta is a film that rides a high of anarchy and pushes the boundary for science fiction action dramas.
How to Download V for Vendetta
You can download or stream the film from a digital store. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. If you like Natalie Portman, check her out also in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace as Padmé Amidala or Thor as Jane Foster. Fans of Hugo Weaving should also see him in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey as Elromf and The Matrix as Agent Smith.
The Movie Review
In V for Vendetta, a huge part of this story is its enigmatic and oftentimes terrifying dystopian setting. Set in a futuristic, dystopian, and almost cultlike Britain, the story chronicles a freedom fighter who uses any and all methods of terrorism to further the agenda of anarchy. In a world that lives and thrives through the oppression of minorities, people suffering through poverty, and just about anyone it can find, this freedom fighter’s path crosses a young woman who is seeking to find her own way.
Director James McTeigue’s artistic vision is poured onto the silver screen, as the film’s terrifying dystopian world is a sight to behold. Not only is the world of V for Vendetta genuinely horrifying, but it is also a sign of where humanity will lead itself if we do not fix our methods and rearrange our roots of kindness and empathy.
The world in this film is ruled by corporations and high-powered officials, so the only way to win is to cause as much damage and anarchy as possible. Though for a film so focused on terrorism and anarchy, there is little to no action in the film. What little action there is felt badly directed or poorly choreographed.
This is where our main characters come in. V is an enigma, a mysterious figure, known only as the terror of the town.
He uses any and all methods of terrorism to battle the oppressive societies created in this film. His methods are uncanny and often dangerous, but he tries to keep the innocent out of harm’s way and his morally grey vision identifies that it doesn’t matter if a few innocents die in the name of a free world. The young and charismatic Evey Hammond finds herself encumbered with V and miraculously gets caught in the middle of the anarchic uprising as an important, central piece.
There’s a reason why this phone struck a chord with millennials, it showcases how terrifying this world is going to be for them in particular. Young people are always caught in the crossfire of political and corporate greed, which is the case in the entire world at the moment. However, the two protagonists fight to keep the battle going. Hugo Weaving and Natalie Portman are a pair made in heaven. Not only are both actors absolutely fantastic in their roles in this film, but they also fit the characters and embody them to perfection.
Visually speaking, this is one of the most striking political thrillers that you’re ever going to watch in your entire life period from the fantastic lighting and camera work, to the beautiful color grading and the depiction of a fascist world, everything is meticulously crafted. There was a lot of heart and soul put into this film, and the gorgeous cinematography represents that. While the action choreography is not great, the cinematography is top-notch.
Then, you have Dario Marianelli’s breathtaking soundtrack, which just elevates this film from a great film to a masterful work of art.
The Oscar-winning composer showcases his prowess to the maximum limit of his abilities, by crafting a soundtrack that not only fits this dystopian world but enhances it. Every single chord played in this film has struck an emotional connection with me, even if the film didn’t touch me too deeply, the music truly did.
The Verdict
It is hard to find a political thriller that isn’t based on realism, yet conveys the message of this world that we’re living in more purely than V for Vendetta. This was a film that wanted to say something, it had a message and it had a thing to prove.
Not only does it manage to do that perfectly, but it also manages to be a genuinely engaging thriller of its own. V for Vendetta is a certified classic, no matter what criticism it gets for its subject matter.
