I loved the casting of John Hurt, who played Winston Smith in the 1984 film version of 1984, because he basically plays Big Brother.

@steerpike66

7 жыл бұрын

They thought that was clever but it wasn't. Hurt was a kindly, skinny, wizened man who excelled at playing underdogs, victims and outsiders. A natural existentialist, he made a very poor bully, and a very unconvincing tyrant. his best roles were Quentin Crisp, Winston Smith, and John Merrick. Roger Allam (Protheroe: the Voice of London) is a natural bully, dripping with contempt and sarcasm. He would have made an excellent Adam Susan. And Tim Piggot-Smith (RIP this week) was a very good evil policeman as Creedy. But Hurt, as a vile autocrat. Unconvincing.

@ixion2894

7 жыл бұрын

Complete, utter bollocks. John Hurt's best role wasn't as an outsider or a victim, but as Caligula in "I, Claudius", playing a homicidal, incestuous, lunatic tyrant. His performance was absolutely definitive. His best performance as a professional suffering victim was his cameo as Jesus in Mel Brooks' "History of the World, Part I".

@steerpike66

7 жыл бұрын

To your Caligula (admittedly excellent) I respond: Quentin Crisp John Merrick Max Winston Smith Raskolnikov Krapp and this article www.salon.com/2004/03/18/john_hurt/ The man always sided with the underdog; it's the reason he wanted to be Irish rather than British.

@ixion2894

7 жыл бұрын

Nice essay, although I don't feel obligated to necessarily agree with all of it. Hurt has played innumerable victims and outsiders, but he's an actor, not a social activist: he gained a reputation in the industry for a certain type of role, and those became the roles he was consistently offered. That's the joke of his casting as Jesus at the last supper in the Brooks film, and (except for the "fifteen commandments" gag) it's nearly the only funny thing in the movie Hurt has always been very fine (anyone who could communicate so convincingly through a thousand pounds of makeup and prosthetics in "The Elephant Man" doesn't need to do anything else to establish his talent credentials), but I always thought his persistent casting as a suffering soul limited the use of his talent; he was clearly capable of much greater range than the consistency of his roles allowed him.

@steerpike66

7 жыл бұрын

I don't feel obligated to necessarily agree with all of it.' But you agree with PART of it so it can't be 'Complete, utter bollocks,' can it?

Bloody marvellous film. If I could only watch ten movies for the rest of my life, V for Vendetta would be one of them.

@evancollins4458

6 жыл бұрын

Chris Reynolds wat

@Elizabeth-bz2mi

6 жыл бұрын

Same here!

@MegaIkedog

5 жыл бұрын

What would the other nine films be?

@georgefrancis8602

3 жыл бұрын

@@MegaIkedog Emmanuel

Mark was right about Watchmen "happening under someone eventually" and Alan Moore disowning it lol

@dannygray4898

3 жыл бұрын

Ironic we ALL have to wear bloody masks now, eh?

eggy in the basket is the height of a revolution

I remember Alan Moore saying that the black and white aesthetics served as a contrast with a grey morality, and while I liked the movie, I think turning V into a force of generic freedom detracts from the more interesting dynamics that were generated by his being an Anarchist.

@ZemplinTemplar

7 жыл бұрын

Exactly.

I really liked this film

The future Britain looks a lot like today.

AWESOME FILM.

Best superhero film for me, alongside "Batman Begins"

People would complain about not liking a film because they cannot see an actor's face presumably never watch animation...

V for Vendetta is an extremely good film, that works on its own merits, and the fact that it isn't exactly like the graphic novel doesn't matter, in just the same way as Bride of Frankenstein and Nosferatu have little to do with the source material, and yet are still cinemtaic masterpieces. Also, ust to be a total nerd, there are 5 Vaders: Pretty-boy nit-wit, David Prowse for the body, Bob Anderson for the dueling, Sebastian Shaw as older Anakin and James Earl Jones as the iconic voice.

It improves with age and repeat viewings

@fadein99

6 жыл бұрын

I actually think it's the opposite.

@stevenborg102

3 жыл бұрын

Especially in 2020.

@michaelhawkins7389

3 жыл бұрын

@@fadein99 wait so you hate the movie then?

@fadein99

3 жыл бұрын

@@michaelhawkins7389 Not really, I guess I was talking about my personal experience. I thought it was really good when I first watched it but now I think it's just fine. Especially since I read the graphic novel it was based on.

It's not a superhero film, it's reality even during 2020! Great work that I regrettably forgot and often ignore for other films since I first saw it in 2010

@dannygray4898

3 жыл бұрын

Ironic we ALL have to wear fuckin masks now, eh?

@Argeaux2

3 жыл бұрын

Face masks aren't the same as full face Guy Fawkes masks.

Funny how i went from his Watchmen review to this and the opening line for both contained "the long awaited..."

@jameswatling3203

8 жыл бұрын

Ha. I just did the exact same thing. Now I am paying close attention to the opening line of ALL of Kermode's reviews...

@timcasey5835

4 жыл бұрын

Just did the same thing......but 4 years later.....timeless

Im not a comic book or superhero fan but V for Vendetta is one of my top ten all time favourite films

@stevenborg102

3 жыл бұрын

Really? It's a massive slog in the middle

@Gadget-Walkmen

Жыл бұрын

@@stevenborg102 lol not even close. It's FAR from a "MaSsIve sLog" in the middle of the film AT ALL in the slightest as it's constantly riveting and engaging.

@Filmzie Technically the kid isn't playing Darth Vader, he is playing Anakin Skywalker. AS doesn't become DV for a long time.

Holy crap: if there's a 'V For Vendetta' curse, then Roger Allam is next. John Hurt and Tim Pigott-Smith both died this last month.

Yeh I really like this film.

I love the film, but hadn't read the book before hand - in fact I only read it properly this week. They are of course quite different, and I do appreciate Alan Moore's comments on the film, but personally I think he's wrong to be so critical. The basic ideas are the same and the Wachowskis put them across in a simple but effective way. Plus, always happy to see Hurt and Weaving in anything.

An absolutely fantastic film.

0:51 "So could it be anyone (behind the mask)?" Simon Mayo accidentally gets the entire point of the movie.

i love alan moore.that said, i dont need his permission to like films.i loved v the film.

Throughout the comic book it gradually gives the impression that the fascism is some how domestic and normal the way people are just getting on in their lives. And V is a superhero with the bit between his teeth.

@stevenborg102

3 жыл бұрын

Welcome to 2021!

id veer away from the need to label it fun in order to say its great. its an excellent film, done

@hothotheat3000 Yea didn't she alternate from posh to cockney depending on what part of the movie you were watching?

The film’s like an action packed take on 1984 (1984) as the film’s thrilling, stylish, realistic & A terrifically acted futuristic film. (80%) (4/5 stars) (positive)

Agreed

1:19 - another Kermode Star Wars error - 5 people played Darth Vader, he forgot the young Annakin Skywalker that preceded Hayden Christinasen, a lad named Jake Lloyd

@JTProud

3 жыл бұрын

technically he didn't become Darth Vader until after he killed Samuel L. Jackson (spoilers)

"Portions of the film contain scenes with Purefoy playing V with a dubbing from Weaving" - Wikipedia

5 guys played darth vader. the swordsman, Bob Anderson, in empire strikes back and return of the jedi in the fight scenes.

Little kid in episode 1, that pretty boy nit wit, green cross code, crispy man and james earle jones' voice. Five not four Mark.

For all the drooling Kermode does over Inception and Chris Nolan's intellectual masturbation and comic book silliness, I think Kermode looking down on his nose at this movie as silly but enjoyable is hard for me to understand, when this is the one movie I can think of that does what normally is nauseating (preach) and makes it emotionally spell-binding. Of course that's just my experience, but having just rewatched this and seen how well it has stood up, I can't believe what a mild review this is.

@ZemplinTemplar

7 жыл бұрын

Honestly, the film is nowhere near as nuanced as the source material. It's an okay "lone rogue against totalitarians" film, but is nowhere near as morally ambiguous or pushing as many questions in the reader/viewer as the graphic novel. V is far more romanticised in the film, whereas the comic made it a point that he isn't a dashing, just hero, and that whatever replaces totalitarian rule might not be that good either.

@zKa0sz care to elaborate on why this is?

That bothered me too! However - Stephen Rea (the actor in question) is Irish and not English so perhaps this makes a difference?

It's a completely American view of England, as well as English voices speaking American dialogue.

@SkinnyEMedia

3 жыл бұрын

There are moments of dialogue where characters say November 5th and a few Americanised cursewords like "son of a bitch", "goddammit" that's rather unfitting for a British production.

The film never lives up to the graphic novel.

"I wanted to go home and play a sex pistols album" well there is only one sex pistols album

@Sheathking

Жыл бұрын

Kiss This, Never Mind.... & The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle?

@stevenbaxter9099

Жыл бұрын

@@Sheathking fair enough there is more than one. I just thought there was only one.

It’s one of my favourite movies. I won’t go in to how much we need guy fawkes right now but if we ever needed a true vigilante it’s now. Remember, remember the fifth of November gun powder, treason and plot!

@IanDisguise

3 жыл бұрын

Most people are sheep and just live their lives as they are told by their 'betters '.. But now even the stupid and mildly inquisitive of people must now start to see the bullshit spewing from 'government' , the BBC propaganda channel and the main stream fear media . The numbers don,t add up and it will not last much longer .. good day sir :-)

@stevenborg102

3 жыл бұрын

This movie is quite relevant in 2020/1!

@haggler

Жыл бұрын

I mean, I agree but I suspect you have different reasons

And the motives like giving freedom to oppressed people compared to killing because people are unholy.

Big problem with the film is that the totalitarian state just seems more or less like normal Britain. The pubs seem the same, as do people's homes, and society doesn't seem very different really. Hard to see how how a revolution would begin when most people seem very comfortable. I don't feel that the world in which the populace live has much danger or particularly suffocates them all that much.

And maybe a search for oil

I thought it was the voice of 'rubbery faced comedian' Rowan Atkinson.

i agree with that in principle, however i think one has to be purposefully ignorant (or just in a bad state, we all have our moods and off days n whatnot) to miss when something is well put together. While a theme, feeling,plot mechanic etc may not resonate more with various persons (as thats different for us all), nobody can outright deny the puzzle pieces were present. and if we can at least see they are there "absolutely god awful" is just ignorant, hence my reaction

B

suggesting that one ddoesnt have to love something to see its positive traits? you did see what you're original post was? And my comment is the terrible, patronizing one? hypocrisy is fantastic

He really ought to read the book. The plot is completely different. Basically, what the Wachowskis did was use the imagery and theme of the book as a platform for a statement about the Bush administration and 9/11. Kinda lame.

He's saying genuine freedom fighters will be mislabelled and demonized if America decides it doesn't agree with their cause.

Loved it, though Portman's accent is dodgy.

@stevenborg102

3 жыл бұрын

As Yanks doing British accents go it's one of the best lol

It's a very good film, but it's not the graphic novel. The graphic novel's story is far more clever and nuanced, and far less black and white, than the movie - which could well have captured the spirit and complexities of the novel within the confines of the cinematic medium if adapted differently. I still like both, but I'll always return to the graphic novel.

It's pronounced "Leever!" for God's sake!

@lfc-europe

5 жыл бұрын

Technically not. How is leverage pronounced...? Similar to how kilometre is mispronounced in British language.

There is no real proof that 1984 was called that because it was written in 1948. In fact, writing began in 1947. ---- I find the movie of V for Vendetta incredibly sexist. The woman MUST be tortured to be taught a lesson, and is then expected to fall in love with the ideology of her torturer. Please.

@somethingsomething2119

2 жыл бұрын

Wow. Stunning take. I never thought of that before, but you're right. I feel like it was done with more dignity and thought in the graphic novel, but I could be wrong- its been a while.

huh? u can see his face mostly, its just his mouth. They eyes are probably the main communicator and we ca nsee those. Now, ihope the next batman movie is great, Dark knight to me in the end, has to be labeled as a failure for the simple reason that batman was bland for the entire thing. now if the movie was about Joker, we have a huge success :) but really batman suckkeed as a character, and not even his action stuuff interested me. slow vehicles and bad hand to hand fights

This film badly misrepresents the message of the source text and dumbs it down simply to mindless anarchy without any purpose and makes it seem ridiculous when the comic book is actually quite insightful.

@anonb4632

6 жыл бұрын

angelicinterment Moore is not as great an artist as he thinks he is.

@dionysiaex5538

5 жыл бұрын

Moore doesn't think he is great. He does think that what someone else writes is not what he wrote. And he has a point.

sounds like you're allowing some misguided sense of (id have to assume) patriotism to skew and warp your judgement. You cant enjoy ANYTHING about the film because of where it took place alone? Are you beginnign to see how narrow your view and logic have become? Im not even offended, i just feel bad for you as this likely means youve made bad judgments about many other things in your life for flimsy reasons

Word. Specifically: CIA sponsorship.

@anonb4632

6 жыл бұрын

RamBam3000 It doesn't show up the US well and is mainly aimed at a US audience.

Bbbbbbbbbbbb

Errrr...? He said the difference was one thing, I said it was another. There are terrorists. There are freedom fighters. There are people who could arguably be called one or the other. Ambiguous cases are inevitible under any system of catagorisation of human conduct - that doesn't mean you shouldn't make sensible distinctions. Refusing to make a moral distinction between someone who commits mass-murder and someone who doesn't in favour of a sophomoric anti-American cliche is just childish.

The only good scene in the movie is Natalie Portman getting her head shaved. Otherwise it's pretty stupid. Alan Moore is right in disowning these adaptations of his comic books. Too bad no one has attempted another Swamp Thing movie using his approach to the character. I think it's some of the best comic book I've ever read. The one issue when Swamp Thing literally turns Gotham City into a forest was among the best issues.

C'mon, that's just lazy.

you just have terrible taste, no getting around it. Anyone can like or dislike what they will, but to label this as god awful and hate it, means (aside from you being an attention grabbing troll, as they say) you simply dont understand film and art. ....im...kind of curious as to what you DO like......:/

but you see, i wasnt interested

Another waste of an Alan Moore story. Stupid and heavy handed on all sides. Natalie Portman is awful, but it was awesome to see her head shaved. That was it's sole appeal.

what a terrible, patronising argument.

I hated the film for one reason: the premise of a Britain ruled by a totalitarian state was utterly laughable and not believable for one nanosecond. John Hurt as Hitler? Tim Piggott-Smith as a Nazi-style goon? LMFAO err, no. And the final image of the Houses of Parliament - perhaps one of the greatest pieces of architecture on earth - being blown up (I don't give a fuck if that's a plot spoiler) would only appeal to gibbering, dribbling lefties.

To claim someone doesn't understand film and art because you saw merits in a film that someone else didn't is indeed a little bit silly. I like to think I know quite a lot about film. I saw this film today and thought it was pretty awful. The script was poor, the design thought it was much more interesting than it was, there was a lot of awful acting (Portman especially) and the themes were far too on the nose.

Portman's accent was terrible, aside from that, good film

@stevenborg102

3 жыл бұрын

For a Yank i thought it was one of the better ones. Usually Americans attempting Brit is cringe.

V for Vendetta was god awful.

Can't stand the political notions of this movie - really not to my taste. It glorifies the kind of situation we had in the UK in 2011. Mindless youths, they had no cause to rally behind, all they had was an enemy to gather against.

How incredibly hard it is to adapt a legendary work like this, you can only give credit to the wachowskis and actors for how they executed this. Isnt perfect but definately worth making and watching so, being critical of the movie because the book is more detailed is MOOT POINT. eNJOY BOTH. Each will lead to the other

@Gadget-Walkmen

Жыл бұрын

It's a FANTASTIC film as a whole entirely so! I'd say I easily prefer the movie over the comic entirely so! V for Vendetta is a FANTASTIC film completely that everyone can watch extremely so!

I enjoyed the movie. As a american, i would say its a message from the U.S. to U.K. and your socialist ideals. There is a thin line between socialism and totalitarianism. Our government views are one thing that separates us from uk. You guys don't see it but we did, and V for Vendetta is one of those movies that flashes a mirror in your government and cultures face. One guy said, it was CIA agenda and I mention that just to demonstrate how out of touch you are with America because our private sector is completely separate from our public. We create movies constantly about ourselves all the time creating the "What if..." scenario so we know not to go down that path again or accidentally let it happen. I see nothing wrong with doing the same thing with the UK since the UK government is no perfect from anyone else's. We create these movies so we don't forget. So we don't repeat the past. For the fact that alot of UK citizens don't buy into that somewhat scares me. I think if a British director did create this movie, you would of been praising the movie more. Every government mythologies have a radical side, even US. V for Vendetta was suppose to do that with the uk government. I mean just recently you guys finally had a opposing party within in your elections win. To America, thats a good thing cause we love it when governments disagree with one another, it creates transparency. When a government in power has people in power with the same agendas, same views. When something goes wrong, its hard for transparency to come out.

@duggs4456

9 жыл бұрын

That is complete bullshit, I'm sorry. Firstly Britain is not very socialist at all, and the countries that are genuinely more socialist (see Scandinavia) are doing much better than everywhere else. If you think any country in the world looks at America or even worse American politics as something to emulate you are completely deluded. US politics is among the most corrupt, right wing disgusting excuse for a way to run a country we have seen in modern times. Socialism is close to totalitarianism? Seriously? You can't possibly believe that. I think you might be insane if you believe half the shit you just spouted. If we in Britain start getting closer to USA then I'm fucking leaving and not to USA.

@numerical25

9 жыл бұрын

lol, I never said americans and brits agree. I grew up in a far left family, but I respect the far right for the ability to defend the constitution. When you provide healthcare to your public, thats socialism. No matter how pretty the politics are. No matter if your curing 3 billion people or 1000 people. its socialism. When the goverment provides to the public, thats socialism and here in the US, thats hard to come by. Alot of countries might think American politics is garbage. But thats because our legislation is validated upon layer on layer. congress, senate, white house. I will be the first to tell you that democracy in itself has flaws. But again, I rather be part of a government that has a business to throw dirt on each other and disagree, then a government system where everyone agrees. Integrity has its good and bads.

@tonybmw5785

9 жыл бұрын

Anthonyg Gordon I'm English and love the States, and have many friends there. The US is a smashing country even if you can't get a good cuppa! However to be serious, although the US and the UK share the same language and have many cultural similarities, at heart we are two very different countries with very different national ideals and demands a fact that is often forgotten in light of our similarities. One of the key differences is your style of government vs ours, but you can't really compare the two systems because the US is a federal entity made up of sovereign states where in many cases state laws can overrule federal laws. Yes, the UK is predominantly socialist when it comes to health care, social welfare and education and we are rightly proud of them, and get very prickly when they are attacked. What most of my US mates never quite get when they start banging on about socialism in the UK is that our socialist health/social welfare /education system came out of the second world war. The US never had to face many of its major cities having something like 50% of its industrial urban housing stock, schools, local area hospitals and civic infrastructure bombed out, and the ensuing dilemma of how to deal with demands from the people injured and made homeless by the bombing of these huge civilian areas. Since state funding was required to meet demand, we opted via the ballot box to bring a party that was willing to state fund it, via our taxes and since 1946 we have always returned a governments that have mostly protected that ideal. Oddly I always find the idea that the US has no socialist leanings kind of odd, because the US government subsidises the agricultural sector to a huge degree, and if that is not a form of socialism then what is?

@numerical25

9 жыл бұрын

Tony BMW The US has socialism. Our Education System K-12 is socialism. Its funded by our property taxes. The Judicial and Law Enforcement is socialist as well. That being said, its also our weakest systems. Where our Private Sector by far dominates in every area. That is why we embrace capitalism. Its the reason we are a powerful country. Alot of Americans see capitalism as a far more superior Entity then Socialism. So therefore, relying on socialism means degrading our systems. As a moderate, I think leaning to far in any direction is bad when it comes to the political spectrum. V for Vendetta is an exaggeration of what socialism can become if you lean too far in its direction , in other words, become to dependent on government. But you can say the same for Capitalism as well. You got movies like RoboCop, elysium, Wall Street, that show what happens when you lean too far in capitalism directions.

@ianbutler8776

9 жыл бұрын

Anthonyg Gordon I am really sorry but did you watch the movie at all? The swing to dictatorship in this movie is driven by a right wing corporatist group and that also came from the original source material. All of your systems are owned by the corporations and soon democracy in the USA will be owned by whoever pays the most money.

a dreadful film

I hated this film. Just didn’t enjoy what it was going for at all, thought it was very silly and also cheap looking. Maybe that’s the point but just didn’t like it and surprised it is so adored.

This movie is a complete failure. pure waste of time & money. pass on this one.

average action movie with an anarchistic liberal message. pretty average

The film is cringey and the culture of wearing those masks is evermore cringey.