The movie critique portion of this review was written by my colleague Ben Belcher.
In a nutshell, V for Vendetta tells the tale of Evie Hammond as she meets a terroristic freedom fighter who calls himself V in a not so distant dystopic future Britain and tries to take down what he sees as a corrupt government. When this film first premiered back in 2005, it hit a lot of buttons for people regarding the American war in Iraq and how badly that was being handled. Now, 15 years later, it still feels poignant and topical for events today. The film is loosely based on the DC/Vertigo graphic novel of the same name written by Alan Moore. In it, V rescues Evie and then proceeds to blow up the Old Bailey (the Central Criminal Court of England and Wales) before systematically killing off the highest-ranking members of the government and taking control of the FATE computer system, sending the UK into anarchy and freeing them from fascist control. The film takes the central ideas and a lot of the locations from the graphic novel, but then creates a new story all its own.
In the film version, the Old Bailey being destroyed is the driving force of the plot. Rather than blowing it up in the first act like in the graphic novel, V (Hugo Weaving) rescues Evie Hammond (Natalie Portman) then commandeers the central broadcasting network and promises that he will destroy the Bailey on November 5th of the following year before absconding with Evie to his lair. There she sees a slew of contraband ranging from classical paintings, books, music, and everything in between. Evie even marvels that V is capable of getting “real butter!” V then proceeds to try to show her how the government she paid so little mind to before is so much more monstrous than she or anyone else thought in hopes she will help him change things for the better. “The building is a symbol. As is the act of destroying it. Symbols are given power by people. Alone a symbol is meaningless, but with enough people, blowing up a building can change the world.”
Over the course of the film, Detectives Finch (Stephen Rea) and Dominic (Rupert Graves) attempt to locate V and Evie, but ultimately end up stumbling upon the real truth that their own government, a government they’ve been loyal partners with, is responsible for a devastating biological attack on its own people that brought many of them to power and killed thousands. Jon Hurt’s Chancellor Adam Sutler and Tim Pigott-Smith’s Mr. Creedy are in top form as the film’s antagonists. Hurt is only ever seen in person twice during the entire film, but his presence is undeniable. He is most often depicted on a massive projector screen to the other top members of government where he literally spits orders at them to ensure the people don’t rise up against them. Mr. Creedy is a much more slithery character. He lurks in the shadows and moves with deft precision right up to the climax. Creedy is by far one of the evillest characters I’ve ever seen on film, and I love it. He loves it. He revels in his power and wastes no opportunity to show that he can step in and make you disappear if he wants.
Where the film really shines is with Natalie Portman’s portrayal of Evie. We see her grow out of her ignorance and embrace real truth in the most spectacular way. Her character’s transformation over the course of the film is nothing short of fantastic to watch. She and V’s relationship and how it develops is masterfully crafted from beginning to heart-breaking end. This was a pivotal film for me growing up. It was one of those films that just hit differently than everything else at the time. It felt like the veil had been lifted and there was truly no going back. To this day I still sit down every November 5th, watch it and reflect. When I watched most recently I thought: ‘This past year has been a tough one for all of us, but we’ve persevered and made our way through. We can see what is hopefully a brighter tomorrow.’ Even after 15 years, this film still manages to be as topical as ever, and it deserves a rewatch. On that note I will quote the final monologue from the film, “No one will ever forget that night or what it meant for this country, but I will never forget the man and what he meant to me.”
Video Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray of V For Vendetta offers a noticeable uptick in quality in almost every respect over the already strong accompanying Blu-Ray. This transfer was derived from a fresh scan of the original camera negative, and the results are stunning. The film is one that has a very stylized and grungy look to suit the dystopian atmosphere, and this transfer honors the artistic intent beautifully. The improvement in the black levels are especially strong in this presentation, staying deep and inky with excellent detail. When compared to Blu-Ray, the 4K version allows for way more depth, clarity and stability to the image. The film grain looks incredibly natural and well resolved throughout the runtime. The highlights are balanced with no instances of blooming to be found. This disc puts the High Dynamic Range to good use, especially in the instances of fireworks in the beginning or the large, fiery explosion in the end. The golden flashbacks likewise look quite excellent. Digital anomalies such as compression artifacts or noise reduction are not apparent. This is a very natural looking transfer that gives the film a three dimensional feel that’s a pleasing improvement from the Blu-Ray.
Audio Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc comes with a lively Dolby Atmos presentation that handles the action incredibly well. The track offers expert level immersion into the environment so that even the subtlest elements are represented. The Atmos presentation takes full advantage of the expanded channel allotment. During the scenes with the Chancellor on the projector screen, his booming voice sounds downright chilling echoing down from overhead. All of the sounds are balanced well during the action sequences from hand-to-hand combat to explosions. The many fights and other such kinetic moments provide a fantastic amount of activity in the low end. Directionality of sound is never an issue with this track, and dialogue is reproduced with supreme clarity. Speakers remain remarkably engaged throughout the film, even during the quieter moments. The film establishes an impressive room tone that makes you feel like you are right there beside the characters. The audio presentation is a wonderful experience from start to finish.
Special Features
4K Disc
- James McTeigue & Lana Wachowski in Conversation: A newly-filmed 13-minute conversation with the director and co-writer of the film in which they reflect on the film, the relevant themes, the talented cast members, scenes that they fought to keep in the film and more. The two have an obvious affection for the film, and this is a welcome addition to the package.
- Natalie Portman’s Audition: A fourteen-minute featurette which shows three of Portman’s audition scenes intercut with the finished version of each scene from the film. Natalie Portman is such an incredible talent, and you can easily see why she secured the role.
- V For Vendetta Unmasked: An in-depth 24-minute featurette which covers the original graphic novel, the idea to adapt it into a feature, getting the right cast together, the style they wanted to bring to the world, the power of the mask and so much more. This is a really comprehensive look at the film that should please any fan of the material.
Blu-Ray
- In-Movie Experience Director’s Notebook: An option to watch the film while director James McTeigue, Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving and others give insights into the film from overarching themes to specific shooting situations. This is quite lively and keeps you entertained as it is typically presented in a small picture-in-picture box. Portman and Weaving are usually interviewed in the presence of one another, and it is a real pleasure to see their real-life friendship.
- Designing The Near Future: A 17-minute look at creating the world of V For Vendetta through sets and shooting locations, props and costumes, and more. The best part is learning how they developed the mask for the film.
- Remember, Remember – Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot: A ten-minute look at the real-life story of Guy Fawkes. The actors give some brief thoughts on Fawkes before letting the historians take over to get to the real truth of the matter. Very informative!
- Freedom! Forever! – Making of V for Vendetta: A 16-minute look at the process of developing the story from graphic novel to film. This process has been in the works for a long time, and it is intriguing to hear how the film has evolved over the time. The creative team discusses shifting the time period, making Evie a bit more substantial, among various other topics. Worth a watch if you are a fan of the film.
- England Prevails – V For Vendetta and the New Wave In Comics: A 15-minute look at the graphic novel and its place in the history of comics. Figures from the comic book world along with some of the actors go in depth into how the comic book landscape looked prior to V for Vendetta along with its legacy. This is such a cool addition that is recommended for comic fans.
- Natalie Portman Rap: The nearly three-minute rap from Portman’s SNL appearance promoting the film. Nearly fifteen years later and this is still one of my favorite videos of all time.
- Cat Power – Montage: A truly moving two-minute video for “I Found A Reason” by Cat Power set against footage from the film. This song is so lovely.
- Theatrical Trailer: The two-and-a-half-minute trailer for the film is presented here. I have fond memories of excitedly watching this over and over before the film debuted.
- Soundtrack Album Info: A quick screen that tells you a bit more about the soundtrack for the film.
Final Thoughts
V For Vendetta remains a high point in the land of graphic novel adaptations. The way in which this creative team was able to take the source material and adapt it to suit modern needs was a stroke of genius. Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving are outstanding in this film, even though you only have the latter’s voice to hold onto. This film will always hold a special place in my heart for all it is able to accomplish. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has delivered an excellent 4K UHD Blu-Ray with a miraculous A/V presentation and even included some new, compelling special features. Even if you already own this film on Blu-Ray, this is a disc that deserves a place in your collection. Highly Recommended
V For Vendetta is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4k UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
