Saw the hotly anticipated screen adaptation of 'V for Vendetta' Saturday, and frankly, I didn't like it as much, having read through the graphic novel for the second time this past week. Sure there were some admirable traces of Alan Moore's original plot/characters laced about the film, so I'll briefly rundown what I did/didn't like, and note some glaring discrepancies between the comic and the film.
- THE GUY FAWKES/1605 FLASHBACK:
Probably nessecary for American audiences to have some idea of where V originated, but for British audiences/fans of the comic, probably not as nessecary. Fitting, but coupled with Evey's voice over reciting the "Remember, remember..." poem, it was a bit too much to begin with.
-PARLIAMENT/JORDAN TOWER DEMOLISHED
In the comic, the destruction of Parliament is devoted one frame AT THE BEGINING as Evey and V overlook the explosion from a nearby rooftop. Later of course, Jordan Tower is destroyed as V conducts the 1812 Overture. Consolodating, condensing, trimming and cutting for a ready-made audience, perhaps the wily Wachowski's saw the explosion of Parliament at the beginning as being anti-climactic, where as placing its destruction at the end of the film as being more of a conclusion/climactic. Oh well...moving on...
-EVEY WAS A MISGUIDED PROSTITUTE
In the comic, Evey is accosted by the Fingermen near Westminster, after she unsuccessfully seduces one of them into sex. Evey's not so desperate in the film, as her character's primary occupation is working for BTN. To me, this placed Evey in an "insider" position, whereas in the comic, V and Evey are very much outsiders, people on the fringes of this totalitarian society who work from that realm causing choas and disorder to the people on the inside. Making Evey a office stooge in the film sets up this wierd new relationship between V and Evey...
-PHANTOM OF THE OPERA/BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
So the Wachowskis have lovingly reframed V and Evey's relationship from student and teacher in the comic book to a beauty and the beast type relationship for the film. How is this possible? V is not a character looking for love, he's looking for a willing accomplise, someone he can tutor and adapt to his ideology of freedom, and finally, a heir who will rebuild the society he has sought to rip apart. Reframing V and Evey's relationship as a love story misses the point, and diverts from Moore's original story.
-CHARACTERS REASSIGNED/REFASHIONED
Finch is no longer the disillussioned/LSD-popping detective, but instead a straight-foward, two dimensional detective. Still, the Wachowskis give him credit for putting all the pieces together regarding the mysterious V and his motives. But Daschcomb, Susan becomes Sutler, Fate is gone (important to the Big Bro aspect of the comic), the various subplots involving Derek/Dominic/Heyer/Creedy/Gordon/the Kitty Kat Keller are gone.
-EYES AND EARS AND VOICE AND NOSE AND HEAD
Of these various branches in Susan's Norsefire government, only the Fingermen are mentioned in the film. Moore obviously wanted his readers to see the goverment depicted in the comic as being kind of a colossus of an entity in itself, with many different peoples all conspiring and working for the better good of the government. This was missing from the film.
-BULLOCKS
Of all the inane uniquely British expressions used and employed at present, the Wachowski's can't seem to get enough of one in particular. BULLOCKS!
-FINALLY...
I think it's more climactic when Evey dons the V outfit and appears in public at midnight, proving that V isn't really gone, but his legacy will continue at the conclusion of the comic versus Parliament blowing up at the end of the film. Explosions are a cop-out, and too readily used in action films today. But I guess "action" implies that, beings this is an action film, audiences should expect some explosions. But even in the comic, the explosions were effectively depicted. The last we see of Evey in the film, she stands by Finch's side, explaining that the identity of V was actually a sort of Everyman. Moore has explained in writings concerning the comic that the identity of V is pretty much irrelvant, and not all that important. We don't need to know who V is. But no doubt those who have not read the book but will see the movie will be satisfied, maybe, with Evey's response that there's a little V in everyone. Fuck it. Put on costume, Evey!
WHAT I DID LIKE:
-THE SHADOW GALLERY
Missing was the mock Larkhill set from the comic, also the ballroom, "Vicious Cabaret" (central to the story), but everything else seemed perfect, i.e. the jukebox, movie posters (Cagney's "White Heat"), the way V also becomes a protectorate of culture and the arts.
-VALERIE PAGE/"SALT FLATS"
I was pleased to see that the Wachowski's chose to retain this part of Evey's transformation, when Evey discover's Valerie Page's final testimony written on a piece of paper in the jail cell. The visual interpretation of this part of the comic was thoughtful, and also, important to Evey's change of heart, where she releases her fears and concludes never to give up her final inch of dignity. However, I had this itch of a feeling that another reason it appealed to the Wachowski's was due in part to the whole repression of homosexuals/transgender, etc. theme that prevaded both the comic and film. Larry Wachowski probably couldn't turn a blind eye to that, transgender himself.
-LARKHILL
Important in that it shows the indifference and inhumanity of the government, and also gives V his origins. The whole V as a gardener was cut, but otherwise, this worked.
-V's COSTUME
How could they possibly get that wrong, right? Weaving played the part with passion and gusto, without ever having to move his lips.
While many things were sacrificed for sake of the almighty Hollywood blockbuster, there was more I didn't enjoy about the film than I actually enjoyed, as you can see and read here. God help the poor souls who attempt to adapt Watchmen, superior to Vendetta and Moore's true masterpiece of comic book fiction. I'm not sure what I'll be looking forward to more; a face transplant or waiting around to see the film version of Watchmen.
S is for Satisfied, and Slightly disappointed...
I've been out walking
