Therapy in a movie theater (possible spoilers V is for Vendetta).

[Droopy]

I just checked out V is for Vendetta today at the suggestion of many a DUer. It was a good flick. Lots of action. Intriguing plot. Vengeful political commentary. I can definitely see how someone could draw parallels with the movie and our current political situation. I think that about the only weak part of the movie was that Portman's character seemed a bit air headed at times. You have that one scene where she hates V's guts for holding her hostage then the next day she's like, "Oh, no problem. I understand completely." Maybe I'm missing something. Then there's that silly scene with the perverted bishop.

I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed. Not dumb, just a little slow on the uptake sometimes. I found myself getting passed in the slow lane when the film was going through the background story under V's and the detective's dialog. But I got the gist.

I've known about that aspect of myself for quite some time. I didn't always have that knowledge, though. I thought I was a genius when I was younger. Flunking out of college when you tried your best will certainly set your ego in check. Somebody here was telling me that, hell, even Bush made it through college, "You can do it!" when I wrote of my troubles in school. That really helped a lot when I found that I couldn't effectively write more than a five page paper.

I began to wonder how many people in the audience voted for Bush and were enjoying the movie. I bet that there were at least a couple.

What I'm getting at here is that I consider myself an informed person, but I wonder just how many of the dots that I'm not connecting. I also have a renewed appreciation for intellectuals. I just wish God would have given me a brain like that instead of this cumbersome, schizoaffective one.

[XemaSab]

1. Don't be too hard on yourself

The first time I saw the film I was scrambling to figure out what was going on in every scene. I sort of liked it that the filmmakers didn't make it too easy on the audience.

It's a challenging film.

[Droopy]

2. It wasn't so much the movie

It just sort of touched off a little insight. Just how much do I not know or understand? Not so much about the film, but life in general.

I find myself marveling all the time when I stop to think about how things get made. Like the truck that I drive or a computer or a skyscraper. It all seems like magic to me.

[genie_weenie]

3. eVey's tortue should be seen through the prism of

a crucible. Earlier, in the film, she said she wanted to do something against the egregious nature of the State but lived ina constant state of fear. V took her fear from her. It could have destroyed her, but eVey found reserves of strength (the strength of the individual of the one) to aid her in her defeat of the State.

The movie is unfortunately not at all like the source material. The movie V plays out like a Liberal Superman going after *.

[Droopy]

4. Yeah I got that part

What I was referring to in the original post was when V and Evey first meet after he saves her from the guys that are going to rape her. Sorry if I wasn't too clear about that.

[genie_weenie]

5. Oh his excellent dialouge using all V words!

Trippy!

eVey is a much more fleshed out character in the graphic novel.

See, now you made me feel like an ultra-maroon explaining things you understood! My bad!

I just keep waiting for V to say, "Governments are a disease, Mr. Anderson."....

[Droopy]

6. No you're alright

I wasn't clear about what scene I was referring to in the original post. I found that 'V' dialogue pretty groovy as well.

[LostinVA]

7. My basically Freeper BIL loved it

Totally, totally clueless..

[Random_Australian]

8. Do not be so hard on yourself. (Could you believe I almost said

that it isn't so easy bieng smart? Sorry, just goes to show you those considered smart can screw up sometimes too.;))

The reason she turned around so quickly is because she was already basically free by the end of the time imprisoned. That's part of the 'And now you are totally free' line, and also why when he offered her a coat- just like his- when she was stepping out into the rain on the roof, she didn't take it. She'd let go so much. (before she was dependent on him, thus the stepping out of the coat means she no longer was).

The movie has lots of little details you see.
You've gotta love V's opening lines..... they were cool.

One last post-script: schizoaffective? There is a DU Mental Health Support Group, here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=276

(For the rest of DU, I presumed Droopy didn't know because I had not seen him/her there, that was not an automatic reaction)

Connect the dots: We shall see. Keep your bullsh*t detector in order and remember what a good person is and does, and you should be alright. That's my advice anyway, most people are tricked by someone getting around one of the two. Aside from that, I wish you luck. ;) :):)

[DS1]

9. I thought there was a lenghty chunk of time between his freeing

her and them meeting back up again - 4 or 5 months maybe.

[cascadiance]

10. The torture sequence could have been done a bit better...

I liked most other parts of the film, and I think I got what the torture sequence meant, but I think you have to anticipate what they were trying to get across.

In addition to overcoming her fear (as did all who wanted to be successful at rebelling against that system), the point being made (and what Fawlkes was testing/perparing Evie for there), was that she had to be ready to give up EVERYTHING valuable to her in her life so that she could be effective at resistance. Even if she's not afraid, if she's too tied to many earthly possessions, people, aspects of her life that she's not willing to give up in her fight as part of the resistance, those in control would use that against her. By her will completely being independent at that point, even to the point that she's ready to die if they threaten her with that, she's overcome both fear and her other desires.

It is our valuing of many material things, love of our civilized way of life, etc. that have traditionally been very good and very valuable to all of us in society, if we let that get in the way of rebelling against a coming totalitarian state (which many of us REALLY do today, each time we'd rather go watch a movie or play a video game instead of go to a protest march, etc.).

Other countries, who've gone through more hardships in recent generations, where they have experience of knowing when they have to "put up or shut up" (like the Ukranians did in their election), they have more power of "the people" putting fear back into their government, rather than the other way around.

Evie "got this" at the end, but I don't think it's really obvious that this is what she got. I think the filmmakers needed to have a more visual metaphor or example to illustrate this more directly. The prison sequence almost seemed to be more an effort to damage her rather than try to "condition" her against what she might deal with in the future with regards to being a part of the "revolution".

[Droopy]

11. Thanks for your insightful post

I wasn't very clear about which scene I was talking about in the original post. I wish I could go back and edit it now. I was refering to the first time that Evie was held by V after he had saved her from the rapists in the beginning of the flick. He informed her after he took her back to his place that she would have to stay there for a year and she was pissed about that. Then seemingly the next day she seems alright with the deal. I'm not sure if she was faking it and looking for an opening or if she was really cool about being locked down for a year.

That's my mistake.

But I do appreciate the responses regarding that important part of the movie when she was held prisoner a la the head shaving. It seems to be an important part of the film, and the commentary that you all have provided has added to my understanding of that sequence.