I liked V For Vendetta a lot, but I prefer the original graphic novel. It delves much more into the various people running the regime and how the titular character V brings them down one at a time. However, those of you not used to reading comics and graphic novels might struggle to follow it as it does ask more of the reader's attentiveness than is usual for the form. It avoids thought balloons and keeps text boxes to a minimum. There are speech bubbles of course, but sometimes the events of several pages are conveyed by the art alone. Memorably, one chapter is told as a song, lines of sheet music running under the illustrations.
As I've read the book, there are lots of little things in the film that take a bit of adjusting to. Natalie Portman's accent as Evey Hammond being an example. Evey is an orphaned working to lower middle class girl, so Portman's watered down Queen Amidala (Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace) accent felt wrong. I also don't like the handful of instances of V appearing in daylight, as they seem to undermine the mysterious theatrical phantom quality the original creators were trying to evoke. Even more jarring is the prologue, which could have been removed from the UK print of the film altogether as its sole purpose is to explain who Guy Fawkes was and why Britain should remember remember the fifth of November.
It should be noted that as well as being set in Britain, the writer and artist are British and the first few instalments were published in a British comic. The film is written by a pair of Americans and stars an American and (I believe) an Antipodean. The most British element of the cinema adaptation is Stephen Fry, who's in in for about ten minutes. This is not to say it's been hideously Americanised. They've really tried to be faithful to the cultural roots of the story - they're just not in an ideal position to do so.
As I said before, I liked the film and some of the changes made are for the better - it much more strongly evokes the concept of collective responsibility for making a difference and not expecting one shadowy vigilante to overthrow a corrupt and unforgiving system of government. It would be fair to say that my knowledge of the source material has coloured my perception, as friends I've spoken to who haven't read the graphic novel unreservedly loved the film. Then again, keen fans of the graphic novel passionately detest the film and some people from both groups were almost completely unmoved by it.
It's impossible to tell how any one person will react to V For Vendetta. The only way to find out is to see it.
© Tim Farr, 2006
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