V for Vendetta (Widescreen Edition)
List Price:
Our Price: $2.97
You Save: $3.01 (50%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $1.58 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD releases
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
DVD Cover Information
Actor: Hugo Weaving, John Hurt, Natalie Portman, Stephen Fry, Stephen ReaBrand: Warner Brothers
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; French (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 5.1
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 132 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-08-01
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Model: 73660
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product features:
- Set against the futuristic landscape of totalitarian Britain, V For Vendetta tells the story of a mild-mannered young woman named Evey (Natalie Portman) who is rescued from a life-and-death situation by a masked man (Hugo Weaving) known only as "V." Incomparably charismatic and ferociously skilled in the art of combat and deception, V ignites a revolution when he urges his fellow citizens to rise
Movie Reviews of V for Vendetta (Widescreen Edition)
Movie Review: You are not a supporter of the Taliban for seeing the truth in this movie.
Summary: 5 Stars
Some people just don't seem to get it.
I know we are in the middle of "The War on Terror" but some people seem to interpret everything in our culture as either Pro-Government or Anti-Government. The same polarizing statement can be made about homosexuality. Something is either completely Pro or completely Anti. If someone does a documentary about the Holocaust and mentions Homosexuals were also targeted does that make them 100% Pro Homosexual? Some reviewing this movie would have you think so.
I believe why this movie arouses such hate in some is because it is a little too close to the mark. You can both support your government while at the same time not trusting it with unlimited power. This movie is about a society that has signed over all its freedoms to a totalitarian regime for the promise of security. Somebody posted that this could never happen to an advanced Socialist nation stating they never regress. I say the opposite. As any society begins to put more and more dependency on the government for their lives and well being they are only more willing to hand over more freedoms in exchange for additional perceived security. I see a heavily Socialist society as more likely to cross over the brink into a totalitarian regime than many others. America would be less likely to easily fall into this because of the basic structure of its Constitution but given enough of a push anything could happen.
The push in V is war, terrorism and plague resulting in a population filled with blind fear. Perhaps because we already have war and terrorism in abundance with plague a constant threat in the media some people are a little touchy on the issue. The movie is from a now insular English perspective. It is not surprising plenty of fault is thrown onto the US. That does not make it justified; it is merely a way of pointing the finger outwardly. I would not take it any further than that. Basically what happens is terrorism becomes very extreme to the point that people begin voting out of fear. This causes a small hate mongering party to gather some power and is entirely plausible. That party point the finger of blame at foreigners, Muslims, homosexuals, and any "deviants" who express doubt with regards to the measures this party believes are needed for safety. The whole time the party plays to base of terrified English citizens who are in the majority. It is always easy to get frightened people to point the finger at anyone different. The leaders of this party are also somewhat religiously fundamentalist in their outlook, leading them to condemn all they consider immoral. This is easy enough to do once they have the power.
This party does not have absolute power yet though. While developing a biological weapon and antidote those party members involved in the program decide it would serve the greater good, and preserve England, to sacrifice a few. The idea is the vast majority will see the real need for security and make the decisions that need to be made (i.e. put the new party in charge.). The virus is unleashed on domestic targets with the goal of creating the most fear. It works and the party of hate is swept into power promising strict measures to insure security. Soon after the "cure" is discovered, thanks in part to the party now in power.
The main character blames the people for what they put in power and urges them to throw it off, while at the same time carrying on his personal vendetta against those who imprisoned and tortured him.
The movie makes a good point that you should never blindly trust your government. Those who think that the point of the movie is somehow "subversive" and call it terrorist propaganda do not see the irony in their position... That should worry people far more than a simple movie!
The movie is well acted. All the praise placed on the actors already written is well deserved and will not be duplicated here. It is also well shot. I do think a few more details could have been revealed. Not having read the Graphic Novel I do not understand just how V was as superhuman as he was, or how he accomplished so much alone (clearing bricked up subways and laying tracks?). Perhaps it was something to do with the tests on him but it is never made clear. I also thought that the time from when Evey left V (after the imprisonment) to November 5th was completely glossed over. What did she do? Was she a subversive or simply living under the radar? It seems strange she would have such an awakening and then do nothing. I did like the twist that brought Evey's awakening. She had stated earlier that she lived in constant fear for her life and wished she did not, would give anything to not live in such fear. As her father said "Artists use a lie to tell the truth" and that is what freed her from her fear. The ending I found a little too cinematic. I doubt that those fireworks could have been set up around Parliament and not been detected.
Overall I give it 4 stars for the acting, cinematography, and thought provoking story. It would have been 5 if it were not as full of itself and needlessly vague for those not familiar with the source material.
Summary of V for Vendetta (Widescreen Edition)
A SHADOWY FREEDOM FIGHTER KNOWN ONLY AS 'V' USES TERRORISTTACTICS TO FIGHT AGAINST HIS TOTALITARIAN SOCIETY. UPON RESCUINGA GIRL FROM THE SECRET POLICE, HE ALSO FINDS HIS BEST CHANCE AT HAVING AN ALLY."Remember, remember the fifth of November," for on this day, in 2020, the minds of the masses shall be set free. So says code-name V (Hugo Weaving), a man on a mission to shake society out of its blank complacent stares in the film V for Vendetta. His tactics, however, are a bit revolutionary, to say the least. The world in which V lives is very similar to Orwell's totalitarian dystopia in 1984: after years of various wars, England is now under "big brother" Chancellor Adam Sutler (played by John Hurt, who played Winston Smith in the movie 1984), whose party uses force and fear to run the nation. After they gained power, minorities and political dissenters were rounded up and removed; artistic and unacceptable religious works were confiscated. Cameras and microphones are littered throughout the land, and the people are perpetually sedated through the governmentally controlled media. Taking inspiration from Guy Fawkes, the 17th century co-conspirator of a failed attempt to blow up Parliament on November 5, 1605, V dons a Fawkes mask and costume and sets off to wake the masses by destroying the symbols of their oppressors, literally and figuratively. At the beginning of his vendetta, V rescues Evey (Natalie Portman) from a group of police officers and has her live with him in his underworld lair. It is through their relationship where we learn how V became V, the extremities of the party's corruption, the problems of an oppressive government, V's revenge plot, and his philosophy on how to induce change.
Based on the popular graphic novel by Alan Moore, V for Vendetta's screenplay was written by the Wachowski brothers (of The Matrix fame) and directed by their protégé, James McTeigue. Controversy and criticism followed the film since its inception, from the hyper-stylized use of anarchistic terrorism to overthrow a corrupt government and the blatant jabs at the current U.S. political arena, to graphic novel fans complaining about the reconstruction of Alan Moore's original vision (Moore himself has dismissed the film). Many are valid critiques and opinions, but there's no hiding the message the film is trying to express: Radical and drastic events often need to occur in order to shake people out of their state of indifference in order to bring about real change. Unfortunately, the movie only offers a means with no ends, and those looking for answers may find the film stylish, but a bit empty. --Rob Bracco
Beyond Vendetta
 The graphic novel by Alan Moore and David Lloyd |  More by Alan Moore |  From Graphic Novel to Big Screen |
 More by Natalie Portman |  More by Hugo Weaving |  More by the Wachowski Brothers |
Similar DVD Movies
Terminator 2 - Judgment DayLions Gate; Release date: 2009-05-19; DVD
Best price: $5.96
Price in other shops:
V for Vendetta MaskRubies; Rubie's Costume Co; Toy
Best price: $4.62
Price in other shops:
Sin CityBuena Vista Home Video; Release date: 2005-08-16; DVD
Best price: $2.98
Price in other shops:
The PrestigeBuena Vista Home Video; Release date: 2007-02-20; Published: 2007-02-01; DVD
Best price: $5.83
Price in other shops:
Blood Diamond (Widescreen Edition)Warner Brothers; Release date: 2007-03-20; Published: 2007-03-01; DVD
Best price: $4.10
Price in other shops:
Constantine (Widescreen Edition)REEVES,KEANU; Release date: 2005-07-19; DVD
Best price: $4.00
Price in other shops:
The Last Samurai (Two-Disc Special Edition)Warner Brothers; Release date: 2004-05-04; DVD
Best price: $2.99
Price in other shops:
300 (Single-Disc Widescreen Edition)Warner Brothers; Release date: 2007-07-31; DVD
Best price: $3.14
Price in other shops:
Watchmen (Director's Cut)Warner Brothers; Release date: 2009-07-21; DVD
Best price: $5.09
Price in other shops:
Batman Begins (Single-Disc Widescreen Edition)DC Comics; Release date: 2005-10-18; DVD
Best price: $2.55
Price in other shops: