V for Vendetta

[marcusmarcusrc]

I'll admit it. I was dubious. I thought V for Vendetta was a great graphic novel, but that Hollywood would ruin it in the transfer to the silver screen. But they actually did a really good job. There were some changes, which is fine, because stories sometimes have to adapt to their medium in order to be most effective. And the changes I noted were, for the most part, understandable consequences of the transferral process. A couple I felt were even actual improvements to the storyline that I think would have made for a better book. I do miss the "transubstantiation" line, but alas, some good things will always end up left on the cutting room floor in any creative process.

My critiques: there were two or three scenes that had too much Hollywood action sequence magic to them. There were a couple of times when there was graphic violence that I felt could have been elided, but this was balanced by the many times that the graphic violence was hinted at rather than displayed in its unrealistic and/or disturbing glory.

All in all, though, I was impressed with how the directors dealt with very difficult source material, and how the actors portrayed their characters. I laughed, I cried (okay, I didn't cry, but I was appropriately emotionally stirred at several points), it was better than Cats. Lives 9 days of game before being detonated in a glorious display of fireworks...

*I would like to thank medyani for organizing the movie mob, and Henry Jenkins for having introduced me to V in class lo those many years ago. Prof. Jenkins also introduced me to fanfiction, A Scanner Darkly (there's another upcomin movie which I am dubious about, and for which there was a trailer at this showing), and the concept of slash just a little while before hundreds of dollars worth were delivered to my doorstep. Er, MITSFS' doorstep. Anyway, moving on...

**And now, to sleep. After a very, very full and successfull week. 50+ hours of work, a presentation on much too little notice, a set of analyses that will hopefully get me another coauthorship, 2 dances, 2 dinners, seeing a great performance of Einstein's Dreams that included a surprise encounter with an old friend, and in general never a wasted moment.

Comments

[brief-life.livejournal.com]

Ah... so was it you who was responsible for V for Vendetta finding its way onto ETheta's bookshelves? Because I only read it, like, five times a year while I was living there. It was my favourite of the random graphic novels at ETheta and the reason why I got all excited and went out to see a movie tonight for the first time since Serenity.

Yeah, V for Vendetta was great. I missed the transubstation, too, and also the dolls - V's punishments were so much more fitting in the comic.

[marcusmarcusrc.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid I can't take credit for ET's copy, since my copy is still in my possession. Perhaps it was arcanology's copy?

I also agree with you that I didn't like the removal of V's gender ambiguity.