Mark Evans: Response to V for Vendetta

I’ll “remember, remember the fifth of November” just as well as I’ll remember the 29th of August, the day I finally saw the conclusion of V for Vendetta. The movie that mockingly parallels the current state of the American government managing to get such a wide release is a victory in itself. This victory could possibly be a step in the right direction for what the film is trying to accomplish. Perhaps a trend has begun and more filmmakers will be bold and start depicting life in a more cynical and constructive manner, rather than romanticizing and distorting everyday life.

“Vendetta’s” depiction of our government controlled media was the first issue addressed in the film. Lewis Prothero’s speech sets the tone for the movie and very obviously depicts the ultra conservative media’s approach to modern life. Prothero blames the “ungodly” for a major disaster that occurred in America. These “ungodly” include homosexuals, immigrants, and Muslims. An obvious comparison to Prothero would be Rush Limbaugh, but I think the words and actions of Prothero are even more comparable to Pat Robinson, host of the religious program “The 700 Club.”

Almost immediately after the introduction to Prothero, an employee of the BTN says to a colleague, “Our job is to report the news, not fabricate it. That’s the government’s job.” American media, particularly since the event that our national security was breached, has become a master fabricator. Any weakness in our system is instantly covered up and often blamed on outside sources. The media’s depiction of the revolutionary actions of V is precisely the way any revolutionary would be depicted by American media. The change would be marked that of a terrorist and disregarded and criminalized in the public eye.

To retain a sense of national security in the event of it being breached, our government will often depict itself in a heroic manner. This keeps its citizens at peace and comfort with their government and is used as a controlling device. Any publicly noticed vulnerability in our government would offer a glimpse of the idea that our government is weaker than it seems. The BTN in “Vendetta” displayed this when they showed the footage of the old man in the V mask getting shot on the news. This assured the citizens that the government had eradicated the threat and ensured their image of power was stabilized. The government’s motto in “Vendetta also displays this idea. If you break down “Strength through unity, unity through faith”, you get strength through faith. People’s blind faith in their government is what keeps it strong, and the media is used as a tool to keep that faith alive.

The character of Evee is a model of every American citizen, particularly those of the modern generation. Revolutionary ideas have come generationally throughout history; that is, every other generation is revolutionary, the others are dormant. Generation X is one of these sleeping generations. Like us, Evee’s parents were more revolutionary minded. The parents of Generation X had a huge radical movement in the sixties, and Evee’s parents were depicted as being involved in very similar movements. Throughout the movie, truths are revealed to Evee that she had either been blind to or ignored in the past. If our generation’s eyes were opened in such a way, then our thoughts would eventually involve into activism. Ideally, this activism would then incite change. Evee got over her fear of her government, and as a result helped incite a much needed coup in her homeland.

“V for Vendetta” depicts a government that utilizes fear and illusions to distract its people from any revolutionary thought. This fear turns the country's citizens into dormant zombies. Truth is no longer sought and the idea of questioning the actions or intentions of the government is pushed aside, almost non-existent. It is this laziness that fuels the government and makes the monster stronger. Like the society depicted in “V for Vendetta”, our society needs someone or something to open our eyes to truth and extinguish the fear that enslaves us, the fear of our government.