“People should not fear their governments, governments should fear their people” is one of the most memorable lines from the 2006 release of the movie ‘V for Vendetta”. (1) It is spoken by the main character known only as the letter V. This film is not only full of action but offers a lot to think about for anyone concerned about the direction we have taken in the post September 11th world. It deals with many themes but perhaps the most important theme is the relationship between citizens and the state. States often use fear against their own people to expand it’s power over citizens. It can be argued that this is exactly what has happened in the United States since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. “V for Vendetta” may take the argument to an extreme but much of what takes place in the film mirrors what has happened in the United States in the last seven years. In a large multifaceted conflict such as we have now, there has to be a way analyze what is happening to get a starting point for transformation to take place. Social Cubism provides a good starting point for analysis.(2) This is a method of looking at a conflict from many different perspectives to understand as much as possible about what is going on. Before we can apply this to “V for Vendetta” and what we are living through a brief overview of the film is helpful.
Governments can turn against their own citizens. This is what has happened in a not too distant future England. As has happened in the past, a democratic government has been subverted by a vocal small group’s rise to power, the Norsefire Party lead by Adam Sutler. In an ever increasing effort to consolidate their own power, they develop a super bug to use against external threats. Mr. Creedy, head of the Secret Police, points out the best way to build their power is use the new weapon against their own people to create an atmosphere of fear. In the development of this bug, they use citizens as subjects for experimentation. One known only as patient number V develops superhuman characteristics including lightening quickness, superhuman strength, and nimbleness. One night he uses these to completely destroy the lab doing the human experimentation. He vowels revenge on those who have created the lab and whole system of subjugation. It is interesting to keep in mind we know nothing of V’s life before he was taken into the lab. The government that created the lab also created V. Revenge did not take place over night; it was several decades in the making. The movie picks up the story one year before V bestows final justice on November 5, Guy Fawkes Night. Guy Fawkes was a member of the Gun Powder Plot, an attempt in 1605 to blow up Parliament.(3) Part of V’s revenge is to blow up the parliament building because it has strong symbolic strength related to the power government has build over it’s citizens. The other part of V’s plan for revenge is to remove the government by force murdering the highest members of the Norsefire party one at a time including the High Chancellor Sutler himself. V does not want to be a part of whatever comes next. He knows he will not survive his last encounter with the remaining Norsefire Party members. V even leaves the choice to his only friend Evey Hammond weather to blow up Parliament or not. Evey is a very important character. She goes out one night to see a friend but it is past curfew and she is confronted by government Fingermen (secret police). They do not want to arrest her for breaking the curfew but gang rape her! She is rescued by V. Before this, she is just a normal citizen going about the everyday business of living. Later in the movie she saves V from the police. Through their interaction, Evey awakens to what is happening and loses all of her fear. She is transformed by V much like the population who also loses all of their fear by the end of the movie.
Art imitates life. “V for Vendetta” is no exception. The movie can serve as a warning to a possible future we may one day face. Really large and complex conflicts require a systematic approach for understanding and eventual transformation. By applying Social Cubism to the movie, we can also learn a good deal about the world we now find ourselves in. Social Cubism provides seven areas for analysis. They are:
1. Psychological
2. Ethnic / Religious
3. Linguistic
4. Historical
5. Political
6. Economic
7. Geographic
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