V For Vendetta is a movie loaded to the top with messages, symbolism, underlying themes and inspiration placed through imagery. To mention every message in the film would require discussing the film in its entirety, as the plot is completely driven through hundreds of these elements. However, there are a number of messages that can be noticed through the film, especially after repeated viewings.
The most obvious message stands behind the symbol of the V. During V’s first appearance on camera, he gives a V-packed monologue that basically describes his purpose and mission throughout the film – a plan to take down the totalitarian government that has destroyed his country and a personal vendetta against those who imprisoned and disfigured him. To him, the objectives are the same. The V throughout the film stands as an icon of this idea and these objectives – covering up the “Strength through…” propaganda signs that Norsefire placed around the country, present in his verbiage, November 5, the popularity of Beethoven’s Fifth through the movie, and more discretely, holding his knives in a V shape, him being in cell V at Larkhill, Big Ben chiming five times before Creedy’s death, and so on. The V is constantly brought about in obvious and subtle ways to continually remind the viewer of the mission and justify V’s murderous and terrorist tactics as an acceptable means of carrying out his work.
Norsefire, the group controlling the government, presents itself as another very obvious message. Communicating via a giant, big-brother-esque monitor in the dystopian world, the chancellor controls the country through screens and technology. Norsefire agents and headquarters use the Cross of Lorraine as an emblem, a centuries-old symbol of patriotism. Norsefire has a blacklist of art, music, and anything that may evoke freethinking, bans gays and lesbians, and has “The Voice of London” to tell people what they should think. They have curfews, “Fingermen” patrolling the roads, media manipulation; they control every message the people receive. They employ tactics reminiscent of Nazi Germany. We later learn that Norsefire took control of Britain by unleashing a virus, then curing it, putting the country into a state of panic where they seemed the only solution for hope. This backed with fabricated news footage of the “former United States” and such is a message to modern-day people – an exaggerated possibility for the future of our world based on things happening. Coupled with the totalitarian imagery constant throughout the movie during Norsefire’s presence, the message becomes believable and V’s ideas shape into sense.
V himself is a wonderfully designed message. Towards the end of the film, he refers to himself as an idea, and says ideas are bulletproof. We know nothing of V’s real appearance, his history aside from Larkhill, or anything of him aside from what we are shown. He hides his disfigurement behind a mask, just as Norsefire hides the way they disfigured Britain with totalitarian security. His favorite movie is the Count of Monte Cristo, a story about a man unjustly imprisoned on a vendetta against those who imprisoned him. He treasures the items that have been banned by Norsefire as they allow him to understand the world. The country battles freedom and the state, and V not only has an idea of revolution, but becomes that idea.
The idea is to destroy first the Old Bailey, England’s criminal court, followed by the Houses of Parliament. On the way, his vendetta of taking out the people involved with Larkhill is executed. Taking his girl Evey and letting her experience first-hand the trauma that he experienced at Larkhill removed her fear and enabled her to see the government for what it was. He let her be the one to finish the demolition of Parliament – essentially showing the power for change truly lies in the hands of common people.
The collection of messages that is V For Vendetta is wonderfully compiled and created – taking a horrible world, an extremist renegade, and a common girl and putting them in a situation relatable to modern day.
