Posted on 02/13/2006 7:39:30 AM PST by bush2006cheney
BERLIN (Reuters) - The good guy in the Wachowski brothers' latest cinematic adventure is a "terrorist" at war with the British government.
The masked crusader makes homemade bombs, which he plants on London's subway system, and condones violence in pursuit of justice. The Orwellian authorities rule chiefly by fear.
With "V for Vendetta", the scriptwriters who brought us "The Matrix" may be asking for trouble.
Starring a shaven-headed Natalie Portman as the foil to the mystery man known only as V, the film is based on a 1980s graphic novel warning readers about the danger of lurching to the political right under then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
The anti-hero, played by Hugo Weaving, seeks to emulate the 17th Century Catholic rebel Guy Fawkes, who narrowly failed to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London on November 5, 1605, and was hanged for his troubles.
But despite its references to the past, the narrative is set sometime in the near future and alludes to a period when wars have come back to haunt the United States, which has descended into chaos.
One character says "blowing up a building can change the world", while another is arrested for having a Koran hidden at home. The film's tagline is: "People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people."
"There are hot button issues that are dealt with in the story and that's good, that's fresh," producer Joel Silver told Reuters at the Berlin Film Festival, where the film gets its world premiere late on Monday.
"It seems to be as relevant as it could be right now. I think that it's going to be very current and very topical and I think people will be intrigued by the material. I think it's the right time and the right place."
"MOVIES AS CULTURAL SABOTAGE"
Vanity Fair magazine, which said the picture's release was delayed from November 5 last year due to the July suicide bombings in London, gushed about the film, calling it "spectacular and exhilarating" and a return to "movies as cultural sabotage".
"You have a world teetering on the brink -- apocalypse being the animating anxiety of the superhero genre," the left-leaning magazine wrote. "Apocalypse is, too, less than coincidentally, the fortifying principle of the Bush administration".
There was no sign of the reclusive Andy and Larry Wachowski in Berlin, and it was not clear if they would agree with such a rigid interpretation of their film. But a copy of the article was included in press packs handed out to reporters in Berlin.
The topic of terror and its justification is not the only feature of "Vendetta" that may spark debate.
John Hurt, who plays the evil leader Sutler, is made to look and sound like Adolf Hitler, and images of biological experiments on human beings are designed to resemble the concentration camps of World War Two.
Despite references to the past and present, both Silver and first-time director James McTeigue were keen to put distance between the events in the film and those in the real world.
"It is a work of fiction. It is a piece of entertainment," McTeigue told Reuters.
"Wachowski brothers' "
Ahhhhh haaaaaa haaaaaa haaaaaaa. Brothers. That's a good one... gimme a minute.
*whew* I believe Larry had himself turned into Linda.
These whack jobs made a really cool movie in the Matrix. At that point, they were unknowns and somewhat on a leash. After the success of the Matrix, they became bigtime movie makers. So, they were given free reign in Matrix II and Matrix III. The result? Crap. Matrix II was tolerable only because of the anticipated pay off of Matrix III. Matrix III was a rambling, incoherent, stylistic piece of crap.
These losers couldn't pay me to see any more of their "work".
Elrond has gone to the dark side!
Nah, it would still be brothers, just one of them horrendously mutilated.
I agree with you violence is not an answer, but I do think that a government and politicos should be fearful and respectful of the people. Kick'em out of office and in case where warrented throw the bums in jail.
ONLINE INTERVIEW WITH JAKE, MOSH GESTAPO ZINE, 2-25-97
MnrThrt: what do you think about punk, as a "movement" etc--
MnrThrt: possibilities of social change etc?
Tedrall: Well, it has certainly changed my life for the better...it
Tedrall: demonstrated to me that you don't need official approval
Tedrall: to create, that thinking for yourself is what counts...
Tedrall: I think that punk's biggest effect so far has been to change
Tedrall: the way its fans think about themselves.
MnrThrt: so you look at it as more personal than macro?
Tedrall: I don't think it's going to send people to the barricades to
Tedrall: string up CEOs or anything. Unfortunately.
MnrThrt: no punks rising up and anarchist revolutions?
Tedrall: Yeah, definitely, it's a personal thing. It's not a mass
Tedrall: movement, anyway...not enough people listen to punk.
MnrThrt: straight edge on the other hand...
Tedrall: It would be nice if it happened.
John Kerry's antiVietnam group's plan was to target elected representatives for assassination.
It is INSANE that man got as close to the presidency as he did.
Agreed.
I found it interesting that Rall's website is blocked by my company as Hate Speech. HAH!
This is a pretty important topic. The idea that terrorism against a modern government's populace would attract a cult following is pretty serious. You might have posted this in Culture/Society, where it belongs. Maybe you could get the admin moderator to move it there.
Vanity Fair magazine, which said the picture's release was delayed from November 5 last year due to the July suicide bombings in London, gushed about the film, calling it "spectacular and exhilarating" and a return to "movies as cultural sabotage".
What is the Burger King guy doing in the film?
Man, I am gonna miss Cornel West when he's no longer around. He may have peaked already, but, God, did we have fun in months and years past discussing this entirely bogus
"thinker". Reading ANYTHING he has written simply sends the mind reeling---it comes as close to embodying meaninglessness as anything written by anyone in Academia--yet his written words would be nothing without having his image in mind as you read or listen--- which means one has to have SEEN Cornel first, and THEN read him. The complete package---the dapper vested suits, the wiry hair and scraggly goatee, the gap toothed grin, the supremely confident way he launches into a "nuanced" response to any and every BIG QUESTION.....oh, man, I am gonna MISS him!
Everytime I saw him after that in the LOTR movies I was just waiting for him to say "Mr. Baaagins."
Bump for what looks to be a very good movie regardless of what 'conservatives' would have people believe. I would highly recommend the movie's website as well. There is a hangman game, not to mention the historical data, that requires you to attribute quotes to historical figures. Very enlightening to say the least
When this movie is released, I won't even have to read the threads. It will be seen as a direct attack on Bush and Republican faithful. Unfortunately, at least for those that believe that nonsense, there is a major fault. Considering the story in comic form was released over 20 years ago, I see this story almost as a modern day 1984. You're right. Conservatives should have no problem with this movie. Republicans, however, will. And Democrats, well the other half of the one party system will remain silent
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.