This shot is very visually stunning and is an indication of what is to come. This V shows up all over the place. The flames represent V's anger and in fire.
The Fascist leader of Britain. Not the symmetry of the shot. He lords high over his inner circle. The flags on either side are reminiscent of the Nazi flag. He always attends these meetings on this big screen similar to the Wizard of Oz.
V and a police man going head to head. The officer is no match to V's skill with the sword.
This is the first time we see V's burned hands. In this shot he is making "eggs in a basket". A reference to when Guy Fawkes attempted to explode parliament in the 1600's. V's character is supposed to be a modern day Guy Fawkes. His hands are burned and disfigured.
A murder victim and a high ranking official in the British Government. V always leaves a red rose with the bodies of his victims.
V jumping from a roof on his way to murder another corrupt high ranking official. He looks superhuman in this shot and we've already seen his incredible abilities at this point so he may well be.
Evie warning a priest that V is on his way to murder him. She wears a childish lolita outfit as her disguise to get in to see the priest. The priest is a known sex offender and tries to rape her within minutes of meeting her. V enters the room and kills him.
The Fascist leader makes a speech to rally the people. The flags are bright red.
A flashback from before the Fascist takeover. These women were eventually taken prisoner and murdered for the crime of being gay. The colors are bright and warm in stark contrast to the dark film.
The Government infected the social outcasts with deadly diseases
The overload struggles to maintain control over his country
Evey watches the Count of Monte Cristo and remembers her time with V
The people are beginning to openly support V
They wear his mask and commit crimes in his name
Things are falling into place for V's uprising
Time is running out
V is dead. He leaves the decision to bomb parliament to Evey. She decides to send the bombs
The people gather on the 5th of November in solidarity with V
Chaos
Victory
The film is set in the near future. Technology hasn’t advanced notably, but America has fallen due to disease and warfare. Britain’s government holds strong due to a fascist takeover. The media is completely controlled by one voice and there are strict societal rules enforced by a federal police force. This regime has an even darker underbelly: British citizens who don’t abide by the governments rules are forcibly taken from their homes and injected with viruses in a death camp in the name of science. The general public isn’t told about this and is simply told on all news sources that these people died of a flu outbreak.
One man who was in the death camp had a genetic mutation so he didn’t succumb to the virus. He breaks out of the camp and vows revenge on the entire system. His body is covered in head to toe with burns so he wears a mask and gloves to hide his disfigurement. He acts as a masked vigilante and roams the streets at night seeking justice for the crimes done against him. It’s in the streets that he meets Evie, a young woman orphaned from a young age because her parents were speaking out against the government. Evie is out past curfew one night and is stopped by the federal police. They threaten to arrest her unless she gives them sexual favors. She refuses and they decide to take advantage anyway. The masked Vigilante “V” saves her from these men. V asks Evie to join him on an adventure. He takes her to a rooftop where they can witness a giant explosion that V set up.
The next day the police force is looking for V. All news outlets are reporting the explosion as a planned demolition. V takes over the media outlets and plays a recorded video on all airwaves calling for the people to rise up against their government in exactly a year when he plans to blow up parliament. He brings copies of the mask he wears and forces the news workers to wear the masks so that when the police storm the room, they mistakenly shoot one of the news-workers. This shooting is publicized by the government as a claim that they have stopped V. The public is doubtful that this is true. Over the next year, V begins to systemically murder everyone who was behind the death camps. Tensions get higher as people begin to quietly revolt against the government. One comedian is killed for openly making fun of their leader.
Evie helps V along the way. She is at first taken aback by his violent approach, but eventually she sees things his way and does her part to take down the government. The film ends with parliament blowing up to the tune of the finale of the 1812 Overture. A firework in the shape of a V lights up the sky as the movie fades to black.
This film has very strong choices for color. A red item is present in nearly every shot. In scenes set in the present, there tends to be a lot of black, blues and grays. In the past, the palette tends to be warmer, with a sepia tone overlaying everything and there are flashes of beautifully warm oranges and yellows that are in stark contrast with the harsh reality. The film also utilizes a lot of geometry in the shots. Every frame is well thought out. Music also plays a crucial role in the story telling, especially in the explosion scene where the bombs are going off in time with the music.
Key Words: Dystopian Future, Fascist Government, Terrorism, Vigilante Justice, Revolution
Britain has been taken over by a fascist government. It’s citizens are generally complacent until a masked vigilante infiltrates the media and spreads a message of revolution to the people.
