Defending "V for Vendetta"

One of my regular bloggish haunts is Jason Apuzzo’s Libertas: A Forum for Conservative Thought on Film. I may not always agree with Apuzzo’s take on movies, but his blog is generally a refreshing and often humorous alternative to the usual “Hollywood liberal” dreck.

Yesterday, though, I think Apuzzo really overstepped with a piece for Townhall.com called “Hollywood’s New War Effort: Terrorism Chic.” Here’s how he begins: “Slow to awaken after the 9/11 attacks, Hollywood has finally come around to contributing what it can in the War on Terror: namely, glossy, star-studded movies that sympathize with the enemy.”

Apuzzo immediately attacks Warner Brothers’ upcoming V for Vendetta, based on Alan Moore’s graphic novel (first published almost 20 years ago). He writes that the film is “about a futuristic Great Britain that’s become a ‘fascist state.’ A masked ‘freedom fighter’ named V uses terror tactics (including bombing the London Underground) to undermine the government — leading to a climax in which the British Parliament is blown up. Natalie Portman stars as a skinhead who turns to ‘the revolution’ after doing time as a Guantanamo-style prisoner."

I’ll admit that I haven’t the vaguest idea how faithfully the film adheres to the novel; the movie isn’t due for release until November. But Moore’s V for Vendetta follows the tradition of 1984, We, Brave New World, This Perfect Day, Anthem, and other freedom classics. Its forecast of a fascist Great Britain is as plausible as Orwell’s vision, perhaps even more so. The lead character’s “terror tactics” are never used against innocents. And to say that Evey, the character Natalie Portman portrays in the movie, is “a skinhead who turns to ‘the revolution’ after doing time as a Guantanamo-style prisoner” is a total misrepresentation. Evey is no “skinhead.” Her head is shaved during the course of the story while she is a prisoner.

I hope Apuzzo will read Moore’s book before he makes further assumptions about the upcoming film.

The V for Vendetta posters bear this headline: “People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.” Sounds as American as Thomas Jefferson to me. And it sounds like an idea “conservatives” like Jason Apuzzo at one time agreed with.
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