Review

by Michael C

One of the best graphic novel adaptations

Adapted from Alan Moore's comic mini-series, V for Vendetta is a Hollywood production with all the expected visual panache and drama, but it stands out from the standard blockbuster through its atmospheric mood and surprisingly thought-provoking themes. The film is set in a dystopian vision of London where society is strictly controlled by a fascist government. Of all adaptations of graphic novels, this counts as one of the best. In the graphic novel the polarities of anarchism versus fascism were skewed into something more hazy, a blurry mix of political messages moving from anarchy to socialism to liberal freedom-fighting. But I feel the film is a product of its time, and if it dumbs down the violence and anarchism, or raises issues with the increasingly fascistic-conservative nature of American politics, then surely that’s a good thing if it can then further affect wider audiences.