V_for_Vendetta

The 2005 film, V for Vendetta directed by James McTeigue and based on the graphic novel of the same name by Alan Moore, depicts the interplay of personal and political power through the protagonist known by the single letter V (played by Hugo Weaving). The film is set in London in the year 2038 where the country has become a totalitarian state under the supreme control of High Chancellor Sutler (John Hurt), who is portrayed as an omnipotent leader. V rescues a young girl called Evey (played by Natalie Portman) from Sutler's police known as “the Fingermen” and sets about on his quest of revenge to mark the 5th of November forever in history, and remind the people of London that “people should not be afraid of their governments; governments should be afraid of their people.” The film was an effective medium to not only portray the personal power of V’s revenge, but also to provide a visual for what one person can do to affect the masses. It depicts a struggle of powers as can be related in Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra, but the medium of production allows it to reach a wider and more varied audience (for example, teenagers, adults, action film fans - as opposed to literary critics or Shakespeare fanatics). The forms of powerplay that are shown are personal and political. These two aspects are interconnected through V using his personal power to shed light on the power the political regime has; causing anarchy in the world of politics, and undermining the effect of the government on the people. V is a rebel filled with ideas about how a society should act and focuses on the idea of tearing down an old government to build a new. He is pictured throughout the entire film in the disguise of his hero, Guy Fawkes, who he refers to saying; “Men can be forgotten but ideas never die.” The idea of political powerplay in it's most literate form is highlighted when Evey, reflecting on her parent's capture by the government, says “I would watch the news at night in constant fear that I would see my parents, dead. Mum wanted to leave the country. Dad refused. He said that if we were to run away, they would win. Win, like it was a game.” The use of the simile “game” highlights the powerplay taking place in the film; the supreme rule of the High Chancellor and how the more power he obtains, the more he abuses it. While the totalitarianism regime uses fear and deceit to manage reality, V uses rebellion and terrorism to regain human dignity. V uses his personal power of anonymity to strike fear into the heart of the government and hope into the hearts of the nation. He reminds London through his speech when he overtakes the British Television Network (BTN) that true power resides with the people. In V's speech, he says that “words will always retain their power” and points out that “there is something wrong with this country” and highlights the nature of the regime; that in times when problems corrupt reason, the High Chancellor promised resolutions in return for obedience. The power of V lies not in his violent acts nor the anarchy he creates. It is in the power of ideas; the power to give courage when people have no hope and the power to give strength when people are made to feel weak. V plays on this, saying in his final battle when Mr Creedy, a government man, asks “Why won't you die'” to which V responds, “Behind this mask there is more than just flesh and bone. There is an idea. And ideas are bulletproof.” It is this notion that holds the true meaning of personal power and how one uses it. Techniques used to display the use of political and personal powerplay are integral throughout the film. V describes himself upon first meeting Evey as “a humble vaudevillian veteran cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of Fate.” The use of the simile, also the recurring of his namesake, “v”, emphasises his character as intelligent, giving him his own personal power. The juxtaposition he proposes of “victim and villain” show insight into his intent of anarchy through the idea of inspiration or hope. Personification is also used to highlight the importance of the government. The different sections of the totalitarianism regime are referred to as different parts of the body; the High Chancellor being referred to as “the Head” (and aptly so as he only appears in a significant portion of the film as a large head projected onto a screen), the BTN being referred to as “the Mouth” (as the media report the government's latest triumphs or exploits) and the henchmen of the High Chancellor being referred to as “Fingermen”. This personification suggests that the government holds power over the people because it is a much larger “person” in itself. Lighting and high camera angles are used to show distinct power relations between High Chancellor Sutler and the rest of his government. When in cabinet meetings or conferences, the High Chancellor appears as a face on a screen, looking down at his representatives, who are always partly shadowed to show a mysteriousness as well as the notion that they are not of any significance. One of the most notable features is the colour of the government's flag; red and black. This symbolism in itself suggests hate, anger and death, and paired with the sharp lines featured on the flag, give a foreboding view of the government. These techniques specifically highlight the power relations seen in the film and therefore the features and interplay of political and personal power. The audience's perspective is created through the sympathising of V. The audience hears his stories of pain and torment at the hands of a ruthless government and are forced to see High Chancellor Sutler as an evil being. This sympathy is reinforced through the process V puts Evey through, modeled from his own experience inside prison. V uses his story to gain personal power, in order to enforce it in others. Once Evey comes out of the process and discovers V was behind it, she says “I can't feel anything!” to which he responds “Then you are completely free” giving Evey power. However, V himself sees how the perception of himself can be misinterpreted for good, when in fact, he is knowingly murdering people, quoting Shakespeare's Richard III; "And thus I clothe my naked villainy/...And seem a saint, when most I play the devil." Comparisons that can be made to the prescribed text are most prominent in the depiction of the power struggle between two high-order people. In V for Vendetta the constant power struggle between Mr. Creedy and High Chancellor Sutler is evident, as Sutler claims that Creedy has been neglecting his responsibilities to the government and inevitably engage in conflict. This corresponds to the prescribed text, Shakespeare's Antony & Cleopatra through Ceasar's accusations that Antony has been ignoring his responsibility to the triumvirate. Other links that can be made include how the masses are treated by those in power. In V for Vendetta the abuse of power is clearly shown through the elimination of the “undesirables” by the “Black bags”, as well as when the Fingermen attempt to rape Evey in an alleyway. This can be linked to Antony & Cleopatra when Cleopatra beats a messenger, and in turn plays upon her power as a leader, when she learns of Antony's marriage to Octavia. A contrast that can be seen between the two texts is the absence of ambiguity regarding good and evil in V for Vendetta. It is clear to see who is right and who is wrong, through the aforementioned portrayal of those in power. In Antony & Cleopatra there is no real side as to whether one or the other is bad or good, right or wrong. Another contrast is the notion of freedom against oppression so often displayed in V for Vendetta is absent in Antony & Cleopatra. The idea of personal power overruling any form of political power is unique to V for Vendetta in this case and cannot be compared. In conclusion, the interplays of personal and political power represented in V for Vendetta are portrayed most often throughout the single character of V. The powerplay of the two forces at hand; the government and the people (represented through V, and in the end through the population of London) reflect the paraphrased James Madison quote “People should not be afraid of their governments; governments should be afraid of their people.”. Through the links to Antony & Cleopatra of how the power of the masses is portrayed as well as the power struggles represented, it is clear that the powerplay represented in V for Vendetta is of a personal and political accord.