Nasty Little Man

Thoughts on V for Vendetta

"Beneath this mask there is more than flesh. There is an idea, Mr. Creedy, and ideas are bulletproof." -- V

I saw it this afternoon. This was some movie. If you don't know about it, in short, Great Britain is ruled at a future point (at least after 2015) by a tyrannical government. The government imposes curfews, crushes free speech, lies to the people about significant events, and bans the Koran in homes, among other things. V is a freedom fighter who uses violence to ignite a revolution, and he wears a mask with the face of Guy Fawkes, who tried to blow up parliament in 1609.

Considering it from a political view, it asks an age old question: Where is the line that a government must cross before violence against it becomes necessary? That's probably a question that cannot be answered on an internet blog. For one, it probably just can't be answered. Who knows where that line is? Maybe it's like obscenity: We'll know it when we see it.

Also, discussing such a thing on the internet is probably not wise.

I do think we are lucky in the United States to have a variety of options in place to keep us from reaching that point. First and foremost, we have the three, co-equal branches of government. Although the Congress has become a rubber stamp (or a more graphic term that comes to mind) for the Prez, the judiciary at least maintains its independence and recognizes that it is supposed to be a check on the other two branches, even if the judiciary continues to be attacked by zealots.

Second, we have the ballot box, which allows us to kick people out of office. Although the cards are sometimes stacked heavily in one direction, that option is there. In a recent report in Time, strategists had this to say:

In recent weeks, a startling realization has begun to take hold: if the elections were held today, top strategists of both parties say privately, the Republicans would probably lose the 15 seats they need to keep control of the House of Representatives and could come within a seat or two of losing the Senate as well.

Lastly, there are public interest organizations with teeth that use the system to hold the government accountable when it violates the rights of the people. Although there are several of them out there, I'm thinking mainly of the American Civil Liberties Union. Throughout our country's history, the greatest threat to freedom has not been invading powers but the government itself, and the ACLU, along with others, keeps it in check.

Considering V for Vendetta from a cinematic view, there is ambiguity in the film. While the government is clearly the villain, V is not clearly a hero. His first act of significant violence occurs before it's clear just how evil the government is. I had yet to buy into V-as-hero when that first act occurred. Perhaps that was the filmmakers' intent. The Wachowski brothers of Matrix fame wrote the screenplay.

However, later in the film, V is light-hearted enough that he seems human, even if he is hidden behind the mask the entire movie.

There were echoes of our modern day plight: Manipulation of religion (our religion good, your religion bad), using national security as justification for oppressive policies. In fact, the slogan "For Your Protection" is blazed across the back of police vehicles.

Finally, I must say that this quote went through my head several times while watching the film:

"There is no doubt that constitutional freedoms will never be abolished in one fell swoop, for the American people cherish their freedoms, and would not tolerate such a loss if they could perceive it. But the erosion of freedom rarely comes as an all-out frontal assault but rather as a gradual, noxious creeping, cloaked in secrecy, and glossed over by reassurances of greater security." --Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV)

If you're OK with some violence and a dark movie that will hang around for hours afterwards, go see V for Vendetta.

posted by Kinder Gentler Little Man @ 9:09 PM