|
|
 |
V For Vendetta
R4 - Australia - Warner Home Video Review written by and copyright: Noor Razzak and Tom Williams (27th August 2006). |
|
The Film
 Films adapted from comic books are steadily improving, to the point where "V for Vendetta" is an excellent movie, not only as an adaptation of Alan Moore‘s classic graphic novel, but also in its own right. Well acted and sensibly altered to better fit today’s world, this movie by the Wachowski brothers (Andy and Larry) and directed by James McTeigue is hugely enjoyable and well worth watching. "V for Vendetta" began life as a veiled condemnation of the conservative views of leaders like Margaret Thatcher, and the Wachowskis elected to retain this setting even in the face of recent political events in the U.S. that could be seen as analogous, casting mostly British actors, including legends like John Hurt and Stephen Fry. Oddly, the two leads of the story, Evey Hammond and the masked terrorist/freedom fighter V are played by foreign actors: Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving respectively. The setting and artistic direction of the film work very well with the actors and story- "V for Vendetta" is a gripping movie. "V for Vendetta" is set in the near future, following a near apocalyptic war that has left much of the world, including the U.S., in a state of disaster and emergency, wracked by plague-like viruses. Britain seems to have weathered the storm, but the closer look the movie shows us is that it’s people have, in V’s words, given up freedom, little by little, in order to feel safer in their beds at night. England is ruled by Chancellor Sutler (played well, if in larger-than-life style, by Hurt), leader of the conservative party and, in one of the film’s weaker elements, one of the most clearly evil men in the entire world. He and his party channel Nazism so strongly it’s hard to imagine anyone voting for them. Political evil of this kind- the lust for the power without any care for the responsibility of the people- tends to be more insidious, attractive and harder to spot. This said, it does clear up any moral ambiguity we might have in terms of the character of V; he is clearly bringing down a horrific power structure. It is his methods that we might question. V is an enigma. He is a masked hero with an unknown past, questionable motives, a damaged psyche and a love for classic movies, plays and books. When he saves Evey from an assault at the hands of the Gestapo-like fingermen, he marks her- although neither really knows it- for a role in his most important production. V is played with utmost precision and expertise by Weaving, who is so skillful in his role that even through his mask and suit he is able to emote beautifully, giving a huge range of emotions through extremely subtle means. Portman is slightly less convincing in her role, though still in many ways wonderful. Her accent is come-and-go at points, but her performance throughout her torture and release in the film creates quite palpable pain, and her reluctance to involve herself with the madman V provides a wonderful tension as she comes to realise the truth to V’s statement that “there is something very wrong with this country”. Inevitably comic adaptations come with a huge number of alterations- a fact I despise, especially given the power and depth of Moore’s original work. That said, this might be one of the few examples in which the many changes enhance the themes and story of the original, updating it for contemporary audiences without losing the core of the story. There are many changes to the plot, but many of them are almost trivial. The overblown evil of the conservative party is one mistake, and there are others, but by and large the alterations are successful. The art direction, particularly, works well- the graphic novel felt very bleak, like the perpetual war of George Orwell‘s "Nineteen Eighty-Four", but this story takes place in a world that may not be shiny, and full of luxuries, but is at least still inhabited by people with aesthetic senses. The film is also not burdened with a detective who unravels the case by dropping acid. The importance of the core events and themes of the graphic novel stay the same, but the side stories (which would have taken this two-hour film and made it three or four) are eliminated, or combined, integrated and changed to create a film that is cohesive despite its complexity and length- and "V for Vendetta" is long. The length isn’t felt until fairly deep into the film, in a slow third quarter, and to be honest there aren’t really any scenes that should have been cut or shortened. The length makes it an epic rather than a chore. The most exciting thing about "V for Vendetta" is that it doesn’t do anything wrong. The action is interesting and exciting, but not overblown or dominating. The performances are all excellent, and the characters by and large well rounded. Thematic elements are treated with care, subtlety and attention, and the story of a tortured soul freeing a nation from totalitarian oppressors with considerable cost and sacrifice along the way unravels slowly, like a detective story. "V for Vendetta" is a stylish, compelling success.
Video
Presented in a widescreen ratio of 2.40:1, this anamorphic transfer is stunning. The image is sharp and colors are accurate rendered beautifully. Blacks are bold and vibrant, shadow detail is consistent especially in the low light scenes and interiors. I could not detect any major problems such as edge-enhancement, compression artefacts, or any other flaws. This is a fantastic image that can only be made better with a High-Definition release.
Audio
This film includes four audio tracks, an English Dolby Digital 5.1 and a German Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track plus an English Dolby Digital 2.0 surround as well as an English Descriptive Audio Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround track for the visually impaired. For the purposes of this review I chose to watch the film with it's original English 5.1 track. As far as Dolby Digital tracks go this is a stunning example of how to create an immersive and impressive sound field for home video. The dialogue is clear and distortion free, but the true value of this track lies in its impressive range, depth and excellent use of surround channels for directional and environmental effects. The action scenes are aggressive and the music is robust. As far as I'm concerned this is one of the best Dolby Digital 5.1 track I have heard this year. Optional subtitles are also included in English, English for the hearing impaired, German and German for the hearing impaired.
Extras
The special features consist of one making of featurette, entitled Freedom Forever!, which runs for 15 minutes 57 seconds and is a huge disappointment. Not that it is bad in itself- it’s perfectly adequate, if generic and only hints at what could have been some really interesting stuff- but really that only one extra is included on this edition is shameful. It feels like nothing more than an attempt to charge a lot more money for an edition that comes with the features that should be included with the film. If a film has few extras to fill up the space on the disc, releasing a bare-bones edition is the only option. When the footage is there but costs an arm and a leg, someone’s just thinking of the bottom line. Even the basic stuff- trailers, commentaries- is missed out. Disappointing.
Overall
|
|||||
|