V for Vendetta

[KeithMyath]

Started watching this again late last night, being the 5th of November and all that. Great film in its own right, largely forgot about it till it popped up on a particular streaming service.

Has anyone watched this since COVID? The parallels to our current situation are mind boggling, a virus, killing over 100,000 by a fascist government that has lied and subdued the population.

Half way through I thought, we’re living in a remake of this film, but with the worst casting agent in history. John Hurt played by Bojo and the Charismatic V non other than Sir Frontal lobotomy…. Starmer.

I mean this line half way through the film….

Finch : “If our own government was responsible for the deaths of almost a hundred thousand people... would you really want to know?”

No, seems to be the answer in reality.

[nightporter]

Channel 4's Utopia was also scarily similar to the last few years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFLyisOfadU

[KeithMyath]

Also this quote

 “Our story begins, as these stories often do, with a young up-and-coming politician. He's a deeply religious man and a member of the conservative party. He has completely single-minded convictions and has no regard for the political process. Eventually, his party launches a special project in the name of 'national security'. At first, it is believed to be a search for biological weapons and it is pursued regardless of its cost. However, the true goal of the project is power, complete and total hegemonic domination. The project, however, ends violently... but the efforts of those involved are not in vain, for a new ability to wage war is born from the blood of one of their victims. Imagine a virus - the most terrifying virus you can, and then imagine that you and you alone have the cure. But if your ultimate goal is power, how best to use such a weapon? It is at this point in our story that along comes a spider. He is a man seemingly without a conscience; for whom the ends always justify the means and it is he who suggests that their target should not be an enemy of the country but rather the country itself. Three targets are chosen to maximize the effect of the attack: a school, a tube station, and a water-treatment plant. Several hundred die within the first few weeks. Until at last the true goal comes into view. Before the St. Mary's crisis, no one would have predicted the outcome of the elections. No one. But after the election, lo and behold, a miracle. Some believed that it was the work of God himself, but it was a pharmaceutical company controlled by certain party members made them all obscenely rich. But the true genius of the plan was the fear. A year later, several extremists are tried, found guilty, and executed while a memorial is built to canonize their victims. Fear became the ultimate tool of this government. And through it our politician was ultimately appointed to the newly created position of High Chancellor. The rest, as they say, is history”

Has no Regard for the political process… how apt.

[DonnyOsmond]

I re-watched it last year and had to laugh at the similarities.

[Axholme Lion]

Also this quote

 “Our story begins, as these stories often do, with a young up-and-coming politician. He's a deeply religious man and a member of the conservative party. He has completely single-minded convictions and has no regard for the political process. Eventually, his party launches a special project in the name of 'national security'. At first, it is believed to be a search for biological weapons and it is pursued regardless of its cost. However, the true goal of the project is power, complete and total hegemonic domination. The project, however, ends violently... but the efforts of those involved are not in vain, for a new ability to wage war is born from the blood of one of their victims. Imagine a virus - the most terrifying virus you can, and then imagine that you and you alone have the cure. But if your ultimate goal is power, how best to use such a weapon? It is at this point in our story that along comes a spider. He is a man seemingly without a conscience; for whom the ends always justify the means and it is he who suggests that their target should not be an enemy of the country but rather the country itself. Three targets are chosen to maximize the effect of the attack: a school, a tube station, and a water-treatment plant. Several hundred die within the first few weeks. Until at last the true goal comes into view. Before the St. Mary's crisis, no one would have predicted the outcome of the elections. No one. But after the election, lo and behold, a miracle. Some believed that it was the work of God himself, but it was a pharmaceutical company controlled by certain party members made them all obscenely rich. But the true genius of the plan was the fear. A year later, several extremists are tried, found guilty, and executed while a memorial is built to canonize their victims. Fear became the ultimate tool of this government. And through it our politician was ultimately appointed to the newly created position of High Chancellor. The rest, as they say, is history”

Has no Regard for the political process… how apt.

Was he a d**khead with his wife telling him how to run the country?

[River Don]

V is probably my favourite comic book based film, I can't get on with the Marvel universe. Alan Moore takes this sort of thing to another level, though I believe he wasn't happy with the film adaption of V. There isn't much that comes close, Chris Nolan's Batman were decent, I liked the original Del Torro Hell Boy movies.

I don't think there is that much of a comparison to be with events today really, mainly because Johnson's government is nowhere near as clever, motivated and calculating as Moore's British fascists in V.

But remember, remember the 5th of November, I think I'm going to dust off the DVD and give it another watch this evening.

[Nudga]

Predictive programming.

[Ldr]

I’d suggest you all watch the 2 parter that started the 5th series of spooks

[ColinDouglasHandshake]

Thought this was a thread about that sci fi series with Marc Singer in the 80's. V.

[KeithMyath]

I don't think there is that much of a comparison to be with events today really, mainly because Johnson's government is nowhere near as clever, motivated and calculating as Moore's British fascists in V.

I was being a fair bit tongue in cheek with this, but the similarities are quite striking. Albeit the original graphic novels were more in line with our current situation than the film. Which was supposed to be aimed at Bush or so claimed by Moore than what he had intended. Wonder what he would think today?

See the million mask March went ahead again, bizarre that placards had both anti covid restriction banners, and the exact opposite, stating the government didn’t do enough. All anti establishment I guess even if differing opinions.

[River Don]

V rhymes with contemporary Britain rather than mirroring it.

Where as the UK has broken it's links to the EU through Brexit and the right wing of the Tory party have gained more power than they ever expected through the accompanying electoral mandate. The virus today comes from China, which has a political culture much more akin the one depicted in V.

In V the far right infiltrate the Tory party and then use an engineered virus in a terrorist attack on the population to create fear and take power. In this world there are political upheavals that have taken place we don't know about. The U.K having broken away from the EU but also turned viscously on its American allie.

It is amazing how the Guy Fawkes mask has universally been taken up as a symbol of protest. Interestingly it has intimidated the Chinese authorities most, who have banned it.

I suspect Moore must be quite proud of his creation.