V For Vendetta

Let me begin by saying how much Alan Moore is a genius, not to mention he has an awesome last name. Just kidding, but I absolutely loved the novel and all of the subtle details he included.

This is the first time I have read the novel but I have seen the movie several times. When I saw the movie I thought it was excellent, now I know that the movie was good but it cannot even hold a candle to the original. The way they changed the characters and events in the movie do make for good screen time but it takes away some of the key factors in the original story.

For example, in the movie the Houses of Parliament are the last thing destroyed while V is receiving his Viking funeral. This, I believe, was done so that the most recognizable symbol of London was the finale. However, this completely changes the story. Since in the novel that is the thing he destroys on that first night, rather than building up to the finale of destroying the symbol of London at the end, it is destroyed at the beginning. Therefore, it is not some kind of progression to anarchy, but a clear pronouncement right from the start that institutions have failed England.

Another thing that was changed for the sake of movie audiences was Evey's backstory. In the movie she is out after curfew to try to meet up with her friend the TV personality and her crime is simply that she was out too late. In reality, she was prostituting herself when caught by the fingerman. Therefore she is not really the sweet innocent girl the movie makes her out to be.

The next part with the TV guy in the movie is also when Evey is captured by the fingermen that is actually V. Since the TV personality was a completely manufactured character it clearly does not line up with the fact that she was in fact captured by V again while in trouble on the streets.

In addition, the movie virtually ignored almost all of the other party characters. Their involvement seldom went beyond: here is an important person to the plotline, now their dead. Whereas in the book substantial development was done on them before they met their untimely ends, including entire stories of their wives which was not even mentioned in the movie.

I also believe that the movie did a very poor job at conveying the details of V's plans while at the same time leaving a marked sense of confusion throughout. The novel did this superbly but the movie failed miserably at it.

I realize the majority of this has been a rant against the movie but I have two reasons for doing this. Number One: I have seen the movie and was shocked at just how much they changed from the novel. Number Two: I know that whatever I write actually about the novel will by no means come close to being at the level that it should be talked about.

I the immortal words of the movie that I cannot remember: I'm not worthy, I'm not worthy!