Great Movies While High: V for Vendetta

I resisted watching V for Vendetta for years. The idea of a masked vigilante wreaking havoc in a near-modern day attempt to play Robin Hood did not sound appealing to me. But the first twenty minutes of the movie hooked me and I watched the rest with bated breath.

Filmed in 2005, this action thriller takes place in near-future London. Hugo Weaving plays V, a charismatic, daring freedom fighter struggling against the tyrannical rule of the brutal fascist regime of the government. Evey – played by Natalie Portman – quickly becomes entangled in V’s mission when she breaks one of the many rules citizens must base their life around: curfew.

The secret police who enforce the rules, and help drag off undesirables like homosexuals and political dissidents, attempt to rape her as punishment. V rescues her, changing her life-path forever as she’s all of a sudden in the middle of his mission to entice revolt against the government which has created a dystopian society.  The film follows V’s bold plan to become a public figure inspiring civic participation and activism to combat the growing control of the fascist government. In the movie, V empowers the people of London to aid him in his quest by donning his now-famous costume and taking to the streets.

The Guy Fawkes mask worn by V in the movie has become a popular symbol and nearly synonymous with both Occupy Wall Street and Anonymous. Before I watched the movie, seeing that mask made me cringe, but today not only does it make me smile, but I proudly repost, share, etc. pictures using the powerful figure of a freedom fighter to encourage civic engagement in the pressing issues facing our world.

In our globalized world with blatant inequality and avid disregard for the important role of civic engagement in the checks and balance system built into so-called democracies, V for Vendetta is a powerful tale about the power of just one bold, ambitious and well-executed plan.

Check out other posts from Weedist’s Great Movies While High series!