V for Vendetta thoughts (some spoilers)

[The Witch]

I just came back from seeing V for Vendetta. I had read a few articles about how this would be the watershed movie, the film that inspired the US to rise up against the Chimperor and his minions. And yes indeed, the film portrayed a society gripped by fear and ruled by talking heads, where the quiet, complacent annoyance at the government expressed in living rooms across the nation finally boiled up and over into a popular uprising that led the country to one night of great destruction, with the promise of a new morning to come. It was very inspiring.

But more than anything, the film inspired me to think, "I sure as hell hope it doesn't come to that here."

In the world of film, the heroic acts of a man can inspire a world and topple a dictatorship. The people will always rise up and conquer, but what of that morning after? Who clears away the rubble and starts again after that? We must ask it of ourselves if we are to ask it of our leaders: What would our exit strategy be for such a revolution?

There are a lot of rumbles here about civil disobedience, about standing up to the government, about what it would take to get these guys out of power and into jail where they belong. And we have to remember sometimes that we are confusing our fears with our hopes.

I fear that someday a police action will end up with the death of one of the leaders we look up to, that there will be rioting in the streets which begets martial law which begets a popular uprising and thus a new era is born.

But I hope that the people disapprove and that their representatives do their job in faithfully bringing that disapproval to the halls of power and that the people in power concede some of their agenda for the sake of serving the people they are sworn to serve.

And I pray that cooler heads prevail.

[sarcasmo]

1. Did you catch the Coalition for the Willing Poster.

What caught me most about the Movie is that I saw it in a 400 seat IMAX theater and only two people got up to go to the bathroom. The whole two hours and ten minutes was silent and my take jaw dropping. Here in Fundie West Michigan I don't think the people in the theater could believe what they were seeing. My buddy after the movie said that would be our Government in fifty years, I told him fifteen and the two guys next to me agreed.
Police action will come with the next terra attack, or bird flu attack which was addressed in the movie. The thing that caught my attention was the blatant arrests of Homosexuals, the only thing they missed to me was arresting the non believers like myself.
We are heading the same way England was portrayed. IMHO this was a visionary epic on the scale of 1984.

[Lost-in-FL]

3. You are right... in 15 - 20 years tops (Spoiler alert)

They even mention America being on a Civil War about the War on Terror at that point in time. I don't see that happening but I think that was enough to have people think long and hard on why this movie director said something like that. It was hurtful to hear something like.

[Lisa]

14. hide them -- they could be collector's items in 40 years! (n/t)

[go west young man]

2. In a truly ironic tongue in cheekness I would emphasize

that people be careful what you write here in regards to civil disobedience and overthrowing the state as a knock may actually come at your door these days. Its happened to many people already. Just the other day the singer Morrissey was detained by authorities in regards to statements he has made. Make no mistake Big Brother is watching and DU is quite likely under surveillance.

[sarcasmo]

5. Spoiler Alert, The part where V takes over all TEEVEE is what I have

been saying needs to be done for a 24 hour period. I am not worried about what I say. If they come to get me they will come to get just about everyone here at D/U.
FREEDOM FOREVER.

[seg4527]

8. People shouldn't be afraid of their governments...

Governments should be afraid of their people.

[The Witch]

12. You're quite right - I can no longer amend the post, but

Allow this to be my disclaimer. I mention these things because I pray they never come to pass. That is the whole point of my post. I truly believe that this country can right itself without such measures and I would never take up arms against another human being. I fear such things ever happening here.

[wakeme2008]

4. When Bush tries is next 9-11 IMHO,,,

maybe at lot of ppl will ask, was the govt behind it....

[seg4527]

6. my thoughts

I didn't want to go see it at first, because I heard from some of my buddies that it was a very watered down version of the comic book.

But my girlfriend convinvced me go to see it with her, since it was playing just a block away from my apartment.

Excellent movie. For the most part, things were changed to make it more relevant to today. Although the whole romantic vibes between V and Evey was a little goofy.

I thought it was an amazing movie. There were actually people in the theater clapping for V at certain times. It was very inspiring.

I think that if the people of this country rise up, it won't be through bombs, although it may be violenty. I'm friends with a bunch of "radicals" who would like to see a very different form of government (if any at all). But they prefer a mass peaceful/forceful but non-deadly way. I think that at the ending, when all of the people took it to the streets, is the ideal. Hundreds of thousands of people in the streets is going to be more effective than one person with a bomb.

We can be militant without being violent. To be the most effective as a movement, we need to find somethign in between the non-confrontational anti-war rallies that come off as more of a pep rally than an actual anti-war rally and violence. There is a way to be taken seriously without hurting anybody, I'm just not sure what the best methods are exactly.

My favorite part of the movie was when he took over the television room and talked to the people directly.

The way the media is portrayed in V is very striking when compared to ours. Watching CNN the ast 24 hours since I've seen the movie, I've just seen so many straight examples. Here in Minneapolis, we had a significantly larger anti-war protest than a year ago. I'm not sure what the numbers are, I'm terrible at estimating. 2,000 people maybe. But of course, the headline for the anti-war protests today, before any in America had even taken place, was that the anti-war demos were "smaller than last year" using a rally in Sydney Australia as an example, and completely ignoring what's going on in America.

[Iniquitous Bunny]

7. All I could think was...

St. Mary's = MIHOP.

Not to mention the pharmaceutical company connections that went along with the plot. That was probably the most important political film I've seen since 1984.

[newyawker99]

10. Hi Iniquitous Bunny!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Minstrel Boy]

17. The St Mary's subplot was a post-9/11 addition

to the story. It isn't in Moore's original work. And I think it's what makes the film truly significant.

[Iniquitous Bunny]

18. I didn't know that.

Interesting. Thanks. :)

[mondo joe]

9. Given how often Moore's work is crapped up in movies I was blown away

by how great this was.

I was shocked to see how small the audience was - only about 30% filled seats.

[HannibalBarca]

11. A Fantastic film

...anyone notice the "voice of London" talking head, any similarities to the giant talking head Bill O'Reilly?, constantly hammering on about what it means to be patriotic and yet never truly understanding the word and who turns out to be exceptionally corrupt.

[The Witch]

13. That was the VERY FIRST THING I said. (SPOILER)

SPOILER:

I half expected V to leave a loofah with him when he was murdered in the shower instead of a flower :rofl:

[lovuian]

15. It really linked the Church with the government

the pedophilia and corruption

the Christian Right going in the dark during curfew policing and yet really preying...

[Lisa]

16. I loved the part near the end, where ...

(apologies for the spoilers -- scroll down to continue)


































... the commanders are telling the soldiers that the oncoming crowd is "the enemy" (rather than "our employers"!). However, in the absence of orders from above, since the junta that's taken over the government are all, um, unavailable ... someone makes the unilateral decision to hold fire. The troops are disciplined and/or aware enough not to shoot of their own accord, and the citizens pour past them.

Someone once observed to me that the driver of the tank (in the famous Tiananmen Square news footage) is being as courageous as the man standing in front of it -- not crushing him, as he was probably told to do).

[Arkham House]

19. In some ways, it's better than Moore's original

As mentioned, the St Mary's subplot is new, and an excellent addition. It is obviously relevant to our situation. And unless the American people get some balls, this world is straight where we're heading, complicit media and all...did anyone notice that in the closing credits, all the media talking-heads were referred to as "TV moppets"?...LOL...