V for Vendetta
I finally saw this film today. There are certain stories that should be told to everyone, to all generations, stories that are neccessary, essential. The story of corruption and revolution is one such story. I thank Alan Moore for bringing the seed of this story into the modern theater. I need to now read the actual text of his story to find out the problems he had with the film. However, the film is better than not experiencing it at all. I can even forgive the Wachowski brothers for the last two Matrix films now. This film says so much that needs to be heard, yet will be forgotten. It shows the nature of rhetoric and its uses for good and evil, how the power of words can invoke fear, and how fear can imprison a society. The use of words in this way is nothing new, our acknowledgement of their power over us is also not revelation. We can easily become indignant towards abusive rhetoric, but then have our attention diverted by “reality” television and slanted media just as easily.
There is so much more that can be discussed, and should, about this film, or just the ideas that the film provokes. Its the use of words, of rhetoric, that I attempted to study in college and still try to. This film is a good example of the power of words and why they must be truly heard, to be understood as tools of ideas, and what those sometimes hidden ideas are. Here are the words of “V”.
Good evening, London. Allow me first to apologize for this interruption. I do, like many of you, appreciate the comforts of every day routine- the security, the familiar, the tranquility, repetition. I enjoy them as much as any bloke. But in the spirit of commemoration, thereby those important events of the past usually associated with someone’s death or the end of some awful bloody struggle, a celebration of a nice holiday, I thought we could mark this November the 5th, a day that is sadly no longer remembered, by taking some time out of our daily lives to sit down and have a little chat.
There are of course those who do not want us to speak. I suspect even now, orders are being shouted into telephones, and men with guns will soon be on their way. Why? Because while the truncheon may be used in lieu of conversation, words will always retain their power. Words offer the means to meaning, and for those who will listen, the annunciation of truth. And the truth is, there is something terribly wrong with this country, isn’t there? Cruelty and injustice, intolerance, and oppression. And where once you had the freedom to object, think, and speak as you saw fit, you now have censors and systems of surveillence coercing your conformity and soliciting your submission. How did this happen? Who’s to blame? Well certainly there are those more responsible than others, and they will be held accountable, but again truth be told, if you’re looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror. I know why you did it. I know you were afraid. Who wouldn’t be? War, terror, disease. There were a myriad of problems which conspired to corrupt your reason and rob you of your common sense. Fear got the best of you, and in your panic you turned to the now high chancellor, Adam Sutler. He promised you order, he promised you peace, and all he demanded in return was your silent, obedient consent. Last night I sought to end that silence.
[tags] v for vendetta, rhetoric, revolutions, words, corruption [/tags]
License
This work is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License.
Discussion Area - Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.