V for Very Annoying
Recently, I reported that Alan Moore's classic graphic novel "V for Vendetta" was being made into a movie. The novel, set in a future fascist Britain saw V, an
anarchist superhero, fight the powers that be. I wondered in my previous article how much of the anarchist politics of the novel would survive the grip of Hollywood. The answer, unsurprisingly, seems to be not much. V for Very Annoying
by Anarcho
Recently, I reported that Alan Moore's classic graphic
novel "V for Vendetta" was being made into a movie. The
novel, set in a future fascist Britain saw V, an
anarchist superhero, fight the powers that be. I wondered
in my previous article how much of the anarchist politics
of the novel would survive the grip of Hollywood. The
answer, unsurprisingly, seems to be not much.
The first reviews of the movie script are coming out.
Yes, it is a script and things may change, but it is
looking bad. As well as unforgivable cultural slips (what
exactly is "eggy in a basket"?), the movie has simply
removed the anarchism of the central character. The
script starts with the death of Guy Fawkes. In the
graphic novel, V dresses up as Guy Fawkes but that is it.
No attempt is made to put Fawkes at the centre of the
novel, rather V's anarchism is. In the script, it becomes
central.
To fit this in, it simply drops anarchism. The classic
"Anarchy verses Justice" conversation which starts the
book has been eliminated, as does the V sign (far too
close to the circled A). V's TV address is no longer as
God urging his creations to take responsibility for their
own lives but rather to explain the Guy Fawkes motif.
Nowhere is the idea of anarchy being a force for good
suggested. And as for psychedelic drugs freeing the
detective's mind to successfully hunt down V? Not a
possibility.
As for the well reported "everyone-dressed-as-V" storming
the Houses of Parliament at the end of the film, this is
extremely silly (and not in the book). Where did all the
costumes and masks come from? Is there a factory in
fascist Britain mass producing them? Has V got one
somewhere beneath London? Did the masses seize the
factories and spontaneously mass produce them? All very
unlikely and, yet again, misses the point of the book.
And so the key, the central theme, of "V for Vendetta"
has been removed and instead we get Guy Fawkes.
Ironically, the mask has replaced the body.
Unsurprisingly, Alan Moore has (once again!) requested
his name be removed from the film. I can see why. So
while it may be a good film and incorporate elements
from the books, it looks like it is far from Moore's
intention and while it may share the same name it is
not the same story.
So buy the graphic novel now before it gets "Now a major
Motion Picture" plastered across it. At least that way
you can get a firm idea of how much they have gutted the
novel when it does appear in the cinemas.
