Deja Vu For Vendetta

25-03-2006 10:53

by Simon Thompson Guy Fawkes night will never be the same again - thanks to the minds behind 'The Matrix' and a cult comic book.As sure as fans of Christmas dust down their copies of 'Elf', 'Scrooge' and 'It's a Wonderful Life' every December 25th - 'V For Vendetta' will forever be known as 'that Guy Fawkes movie' and pulled out of the DVD collection come November 5 in Britain.Sadly this isn't due to the film being a classic piece of cinema - simply a convenient date. Set against the futuristic landscape of a totalitarian Britain, 'VFV' tells the story of a mild-mannered young woman named Evey (played by 'Star Wars' siren Natalie Portman) who is rescued from a life-and-death situation by a masked vigilante known only as 'V'. Incomparably charismatic and ferociously skilled in the art of combat and deception, 'V' ignites a revolution when he detonates two London landmarks and takes over the government controlled airwaves, urging his fellow citizens to rise up against tyranny and oppression. As Evey uncovers the truth about 'V's mysterious background, she also discovers the truth about herself - and emerges as his unlikely ally in the culmination of his plot to bring freedom and justice back to a society fraught with cruelty and corruption.Sadly this idea is nothing new. If you think it sounds a bit like George Orwell's '1984' you wouldn't be far wrong.The film is based on a comic book - or graphic novel as fans of the genre like to call it - by Alan Moore, called 'England Prevails'. It's an impressive and charismatic affair with everything you would want from a conventional book - romance, political issues and a general distrust of 'The Man'. Even non-fans and newcomers to the illustrated novellas wouldn't fail to be drawn in - it's just a shame that the film doesn't carry that feeling and sentiment to the big screen.Natalie Portman wasn't familiar with the text before she signed up to star in the big screen version.