• V For Vendetta is written by the Wachowskis (using them here because I haven’t heard from director James McTeigue before or since this film). You can see their hand in the story arc (an escape from a totalitarian state), costume work, and casting (Hugo Weaving’s vocal talents playing “V”).
  • V For Vendetta is an Orwellian dystopia—with a bit of a wink with the casting as John Hurt is also from Michael Radford’s underrated 1984 (1984)
  • An accented Natalie Portman in the lead. This is a resume-builder for really nobody involved unfortunately.

There a giant screen with red crosses on each side set-piece—very strong (above). Goes back to the work of Strangelove and the war room

Heavy use of split diopter- stunning- a reoccurring shot choice also used by Wachowskis in their previous work

the stylistic shot choice is married perfectly to eerie idea of surveillance — The Matrix did it as well. In some ways The Andromeda Strain is another example…

… certainly De Palma’s Blow Out. It is a variation on the deep focus shot– when used well- like it is here- it elevates the entire film

  • Recommend but a tepid recommendation– not in the top 25-30 really of 2005